Florida Non-Profit Seeks to Have Public Sex Offender Registry Deemed a Violation of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Boynton Beach, FL, November 03, 2022 --(PR.com)-- The Florida Action Committee, Inc. (FAC), a 2,500 member non-profit public safety organization wants the sex offender registry abolished. They have initiated a petition to the United Nations, seeking to have the registry declared a human rights violation.

Sex offender registries have existed in the United States for more than three decades. Practically every year, new legislation is passed to add more requirements and make the rules more restrictive. This has led to increased homelessness, increased joblessness, increased exposure to vigilantism and increased incarceration for trivial technical violations of a system that has become so burdensome it is impossible to follow.

Studies have shown that sex offender registries are ineffective at reducing new or repeat sexual offenses.(1) The only effect these registries have had is to stigmatize a population of people and their families, regardless of their offense, regardless of how long ago it was committed and regardless of how successful they have been in redeeming themselves from a past act and becoming a valuable member of their community.

FAC is seeking the UN investigate the registry scheme as a violation of international policies against cruel or degrading treatment or punishment. The petition can be found here: https://www.change.org/p/public-sex-offender-registration-is-violation-of-universal-declaration-of-human-rights

(1) Zgoba, K.M., Mitchell, M.M. The effectiveness of Sex Offender Registration and Notification: A meta-analysis of 25 years of findings. J Exp Criminol (2021)