Now the public wants -crime novels- to read in their quiet moments. I would object to this vehemently because somewhere the victim will be reliving the crime and her neighbors will know all these dirty little secrets, which will not help victims.1-31-2010 Connecticut:
Changes to the state’s sexual offender registry have made it easier for residents to locate the 5,076 registered offenders living, working or attending school in the state.
And while a click of a mouse can expose offenders by neighborhood, residents and legislators still wonder if the lack of more detailed information about an offense has lumped pedophiles in with someone who, for example, touched another person inappropriately.
Last year, Dianne Slopak, of Norwich, raised concerns about her granddaughter walking to the Wequonnoc Elementary School in Taftville, where 12 people listed on the sex offender registry live.
She said the number of offenders living in Taftville, and the 90 total registered in Norwich as of Jan. 5, seems to be “disproportionate,” and by itself a cause for concern. But she admits it is hard to decipher from the Web site if it’s the next door neighbor or someone a mile up the road she should be more worried about.
“I have three grandchildren in the Norwich school system. Two are girls,” she said. “I worry about all three.”
Provisions to include more detailed information on the state’s registry are in limbo as the state Legislature, facing a budget crisis, figures out a way to implement the mandates set forth in the 2006 Adam Walsh Child Protection Act. Among its many requirements, the act mandates that states set up uniform registry rules. It would create a three-tier classification system for sex offenders based on the offense committed and a national database to keep better track of the movement of offenders.
Web site upgrades
The latest updates to Connecticut’s sex offender registry, made in October, include a new mapping feature that allows a user to pinpoint offenders in their neighborhood and also allows users to sign up for e-mail notifications. The site had more than 11 million hits in 2009 and since the changes were implemented in October, 1,965 people have signed up for e-mail alerts.
The Norwich school system is one of those on the e-mail list and receives notification whenever someone moves in or out of the area of one of the city’s schools. Interim Superintendent Abby
Dolliver said she recently discussed with a school policy committee guidelines for offenders who have children enrolled in the district and what kind of access to the schools they should have.
“We’re tackling what kind of guidelines we want to have in place — respecting the fact they are parents,” she said.
Privacy versus safety
It’s a balancing act between their right to privacy and the overwhelming concern over the safety of students, Dolliver said.
State police Sgt. Joseph Biela, head of the sex offender unit, said phase two of the registry upgrades will include improved search function. But it will not yet include a summary of an offense.
For the past several years, prosecutors have been reading into the court record at sentencing a summary of a crime that includes whether it was consensual sex, force was used, whether it involved a male or female or how old the victim was. The information has not made it to the registry.
“The database is ready for those changes,” Biela said.
Law unworkable
State Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the Adam Walsh Act is viewed nationally as unworkable, is unfunded and clashes in some cases with existing state laws.
Even the measures the state has agreed on cannot be implemented without more money and the resources to do it.
“As a public policy matter, it would be a great thing to have,” Lawlor said of adding more information to the Web site.
“These are the basic things people want to know,” he said. “Right now it’s hard to sort out. A lot of these guys are not pedophiles. But people trying to find out more information can’t easily.
“If you’re going to put somebody online, give people something to work with. Focus on the high-risk offenders, the people who may be dangerous.”
Focus on risk
In the absence of a full description of the crime, the state has placed a link to state statute, which provides a general description of the crime.
“The name of the crime is not always indicative of what they did,” Lawlor said.
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Theresa Anne Ferryman, who handles sexual abuse cases involving children in New London County, agrees that in working to secure a conviction, changes to the criminal charge are common.
“We all know there are people on the registry where the public’s concerns doesn’t always fit the crime,” she said. “And then there are cases that are weak enough that we end up with charges that don’t reflect the gravity of the offense.”
Ferryman said offenders realize the gravity of being placed on the registry, which in many cases is dictated by statute.
“They’re willing to go to jail. They’re willing to plead guilty. They don’t want to register,” Ferryman said. “Nobody wants to register. It’s the stigma.” ..Source.. GREG SMITH, Norwich Bulletin
