Professor Marni Brown
October 10, 2007
Laura Janick
Sex Offender Restrictions: Rules They Live Must Follow The Georgia sex offenders laws are unfair and distorted in that they treat all sex offenders equally without considering the sex crime. This problem needs to be addressed because people who are not violent offenders are being treated as such by Georgia laws and Bills such as House Bill 1059. For example, I have a good friend on the Georgia sex offender list. He is on the list for having inappropriate conversations with a fifteen year old. He never had sex with her, he just talked to her and they formed a relationship that others felt was a little to personal. He plead guilty to enticing a minor for indecent purposes. He was given first offender treatment, probation for ten years, and was required to register as a sex offender. When he first moved to our neighborhood, he was told by his probation officer the address he chose was fine, so he moved in. As soon as our neighbors found out he was on the list, they informed his probation officer about an unregistered daycare across the street. My friend had to move or go to jail for violating his probation because of this unregistered daycare. This is very unfair treatment to offenders who made mistakes, were punished for those mistakes, and are now trying to recover their lives from devastating situations. They cannot keep jobs or housing because of the strict requirements. I am all for sex offenders being monitored, but just not with the extended restrictions and guidelines created by House Bill 1059. House Bill 1059 is an ACT created by the Georgia General Assembly to amend several Georgia sex laws. It changes punishment provisions, definitions such as serious violent offenders, and changes registration requirements for sexual offenders among other things (1). However, the biggest problem I see is this law makes all offenders stay 1000 feet away from daycares, churches etc.,
Cited: Georgia General Assembly. House Bill 1059 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE). http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/fulltext/hb1059.htm. September 6, 2007. Overview. http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/more-criminal-topics/sex-offenders/sex-offenses- overview.html. Copyright © 2007 FindLaw. Jacob Wetterling. http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/more-criminal-topics/sex-offenders/sex- offender-registration-requirements.html. Copyright © 2007 FindLaw. Notification Law. http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/more-criminal-topics/sex- offenders/community-notification-laws.html Residency restrictionshttp://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/more-criminal-topics/sex- offenders/residency-restrictions-for-sex-offenders.html Chemical and Surgical Castriation.http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/more-criminal-topics/sex- offenders/chemical-and-surgical-castration.html Civil Commitment.http://criminal.findlaw.com/crimes/more-criminal-topics/sex-offenders/civil- commitment.html California Statutes. PENAL CODE SECTION 639-653.1 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi- bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=639-653.1 para 645. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_castration