#Debate: Does The Sex Offender Registry Do More Harm Than Good?

Sexual violence is arguably the most devastating kind. And over the past few decades, the legal landscape has shifted to a more proactive stance. The Wetterling Act requires convicted offenders to register with local authorities. Megan’s Law mandates law enforcement to alert neighbors of those with past convictions in their community. And the U.S. Department of Justice consolidates convictions into a single, searchable site – all in the name of helping people avoid potential predators. But that registry has come under increasing scrutiny. Some suggest that it actually encourages further criminal offenses by making it virtually impossible for offenders to reintegrate into society. Crimes also vary considerably – from public urination, exhibitionists, and so-called “peeping Toms,” to more severe crimes, such as sexual assault and rape. Those differences, they say, are not adequately accounted for in the law. Others say that reducing such a proactive approach and tool will endanger communities, which have consistently supported it in the name of keeping communities safe. In this context, we debate the following question: Does the Sex Offender Registry Do More Harm Than Good?

Debaters:

YES: Emily Horowitz, Author “Protecting Our Kids? How Sex Offender Registry Laws Are Failing Us” and Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice

Emily Horowitz is professor and chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice at St. Francis College in Brooklyn where she founded and co-directs the Post-Prison Program, a nationally recognized program that helps formerly incarcerated students earn college degrees. She is the author of “Protecting Our Kids? How Sex Offender Laws Are Failing Us,” and her new book “From Rage to Reason: Why We Need Sex Crime Laws Based on Facts, Not Fear” is forthcoming (May 2023). Emily has conducted research on sex offense law and policy for over two decades and works with organizations that challenge public conviction registries and banishment laws. She holds a Ph.D. of Sociology from Yale University.

NO: Cary Federman, Author "Democracy and Deliberation: The Law and Politics of Sex Offender Legislation" and Justice Studies Professor

Cary Federman is a two-time Fulbright Scholarship recipient and social science and law researcher. He is the author of “Democracy and Deliberation: The Law and Politics of Sex Offender Legislation,” “The Assassination of William McKinley: Anarchism, Insanity, and the Birth of the Social Sciences,” and “The Body and the State: Habeas Corpus and American Jurisprudence.” Federman received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Virginia and has taught at the University of Virginia, James Madison College at Michigan State University, and Duquesne University. He currently teaches at Montclair State University.

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