New Law Forces OKC Sex Offenders To The Streets

Clearly a law such as this has no public safety goal and its real intent is vindictive. Its a shame lawmakers cannot be forced to submit evidence of their intent, here I'd love to see it's public safety value!

6-29-2012 Oklahoma:

OKLAHOMA CITY - A new law is putting sex offenders out on the streets, according to an Oklahoma City ministry that provides housing and services to registered sex offenders.

Hand Up Ministries says a new law will force dozens of men to endure the summer heat by living in tents starting this weekend.

The ministry will no longer be able to operate the way it has for the past 16 years. There are about 200 sex offenders that call Hand Up Ministries home. By Sunday morning, 61 of the men will be homeless, living in tents spread throughout the ministry's property.

"It's a stupid law, and [a law designed] strictly for one purpose and that was to shut this ministry down," founder David Nichols said.

Nichols did not mince words Friday about the law that will be enforced beginning July 1. The law will limit the number of sex offenders who can live in the same dwelling. That means Nichols' 100 mobile homes that can hold three men each, will now only be allowed to hold one person. That's forcing the ministry to become a campground of sorts.

Seventy-four-year-old registered sex offender Arnold Holbrook is one of the 61 men who will be forced into a tent. He is hoping his sister will help him out.

"I'll do something," Holbrook explained. "I'll get a hose and turn it on." ..Source.. by Michael Konopasek

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Myth about Oklahoma's sex offender registry

OK, for argument sake lets accept that "Peeing in the public is not a registrable offense," IN OKLAHOMA, but what about other states? As we so often see the police fail to explain ALL THE FACTS; in other states such is a registrable offense. So, if someone in Oklahoma is looking at the National Registry, how would they know which states make such a registrable offense?

3-30-2012 Oklahoma:

Sexually dangerous offenders are among the 348 registered sex offenders in Tulsa. However, you won’t see people caught urinating in public on the registry.

In an exclusive story, FOX23 reported on Wednesday, sex offenders with warrants were arrested and sent to jail.

FOX23 viewers commented on the story believing urinating in public is a registerable crime but Tulsa police say it’s not.

Exposure is when someone like a man who FOX23 News reported in March 2011, who knew he was on camera and touched himself in a Sonic drive-thru.

He pleaded no contest but it’s a crime on the sex offender registry.

However, Tulsa Police Department Exploitation/Sex Offender Registry sergeant John Adams says what you won’t find on the registry are people who urinate in public.

"As long you were not seeking sexual gratification out of it by exposing yourself,” said Adams.

Urinating in public is considered Outraging Public Decency, a misdemeanor crime and not a registerable offense.

"Peeing is one thing, exposing is another thing,” said Adams.

Police say not one of the 348 registered sex offenders in Tulsa are on the registry for urinating in public.

"We don't have anyone come in and say I was peeing and had to do it,” said Adams.

Facebook viewers commented about the issue on FOX23’s Abbie Alford’s page.

Todd received four likes on his comment, “Maybe they should make sure the sex offenders are not somebody who got drunk and peed in public too close to a police officer.”

Sergeant Adams said it’s a fallacy and a scapegoat.

"When that person out there says, ‘well my uncle's cousin's brother said he was on it for peeing in public.’ He's lying. He was masturbating and doing some other sex act in public and he just doesn't want to say that to you,” said Adams.

Now if a man or a woman exposes themselves for sexual gratification it is considered indecent exposure, that’s a felony and you would be required to register as a sex offender.

In some cases the harshest punishment is ten years in prison.

If you’re caught relieving yourself in public you could face a misdemeanor charge and a $200 fine. ..Source.. by Abbie Alford

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Hearing on sex offender safe zones

10-26-2011 Oklahoma:

State Representatives are holding a hearing right now to discuss the Adam Walsh act and sex offender registry.

As of now sex offenders are not allowed to live within two thousand feet of a school, daycare, park or church.

However, for many sex offenders this limits the places where they can live and as a result some sex offenders are not registering and they become delinquent.

The proposal would move the limitation from two thousand feet to one thousand feet in hopes more offenders will register.

Tulsa police detectives are expected to testify in front of the committee. ..Source.. by FOX23.com

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Oklahoma bill to expand restrictions on sex offenders advances

Unbelievable, there still is someone who believes that former sex offenders will LOOK FOR A PLACE where there are MANY CHILDREN, so that s/he may attack them. This bill is proof that, at least this lawmaker, has FAILED to study the evidence of how and where sex crimes are committed. Sex crimes are not committed at these places, at least, not by former offenders, evidence shows when a sex crime is committed at these places, it is by employees who are not on any registry! This lawmakers is on some personal vendetta.

4-6-2010 Oklahoma:

A House committee passed a bill Monday that would increase the distance convicted sex offenders must stay away from day care centers, playgrounds, parks and schools.

Senate Bill 2064 would increase the distance from 300 feet to 500 feet.

"These are places where children can readily be found,” said Rep. Randy Terrill, House author of the measure. "I can tell you that as the father of two children, I’ve got a great deal of concern about sex offenders being permitted to be anywhere near them.”

The bill also would require sex offenders who are parents or legal guardians of children in schools or day care centers to inform administrators of their status as registered sex offenders and must give specific times when they will be going to the school or center.

The House Judiciary Committee with little discussion passed SB 2064 by a vote of 9-1. It now goes to the House of Representatives.

Rep. Ryan Kiesel, a committee member and a frequent critic of measures that increase restrictions on where convicted sex offenders may live, was the only one to oppose the measure.

"What we’re trying to do is make it impossible for people to conform to the law and in the process we’re making it impossible for them to have any chance or opportunity to become productive members of society again after they paid their debt to society for the crimes that they’ve committed,” said Kiesel, D-Seminole.

Terrill, R-Moore, said he has little sympathy for convicted sex offenders.

"If we can draw a red line around the entire state of Oklahoma to keep sex offenders out, that would be just fine with me,” said Terrill, who also serves on the Judiciary Committee.

Sex offenders have "a high propensity to re-offend” and their prospects for rehabilitation "are not that great,” he said.

"It’s pretty important that we keep track of these people,” Terrill said. "I also think it’s important that we restrict their freedom of movement particularly in regards to areas where children can readily be found.”

Kiesel said it’s irresponsible for lawmakers to write legislation that would force sex offenders to move out of state.

"It assumes a victim in Texas or a victim in Arkansas is preferable to a victim in Oklahoma,” he said. "That’s not very Oklahoma of us to be that inconsiderate of our neighboring states.” ..Source.. MICHAEL MCNUTT

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Do Oklahoma's Registered Sex Offender Laws Work?

No one can answer whether the laws work, until someone answers, what did you expect the laws to accomplish? Politicians will NEVER ANSWER that question with any sort of specificity, they will only broadly claim "Follow me and I'll get this (whatever they are touting) passed into law." They ignore whether that will solve what caused the most recent high profile crime they focus on. Evidence is not the tool of a politician, sounds good are the politicans tools.

3-13-2010 Oklahoma:

Advocates and law enforcement believe state lawmakers are missing the target by pushing sex offender laws that in some cases could make the problem worse. FOX23’s Abbie Alford explains why police and some experts in sex abuse say what lawmakers are doing sounds better than it really is.

It’s an election year and many lawmakers want to be tough on sex offenders.

Proposals that require GPS monitoring of certain sex offenders, banning convicted child predators from social networking sites and expanding the "safe zone" law from 300 feet to 500 feet to keep offenders from loitering near children.

"It's just another tool it makes everyone feel safer and it makes everyone feel better," says TPD Exploitation Sgt. John Adams.

Adams says the reality is that of the 6,446 registered sex offenders on the Department of Corrections registry, 765 can’t be found.

Those offenders are labeled “delinquent” meaning they gave the state one address but they’re somewhere else.

Sergeant Adams says Oklahoma’s laws are so tough on offenders it’s very difficult for them to find a place the law will allow them to live.

"Now that parent that feels safe because she has signed up for the alerts and checks the sex offender registry weekly has no idea that the next door neighbor is a child molester that can't find a place to live legally and is staying there," says Adams.

Here are the facts: A U.S. Department of Justice study (Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident, and Offender Characteristics, July 2000, NCJ 182990, table 6.) shows 34% of children are victimized by family, 59% are victimized by a friend and 7% are victimized by a stranger. Oklahoma’s chapter for Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE) says offenders need treatment in prison and a chance to change.

“The laws are putting the public at risk by minimizing the person’s ability to gain a creditable life," says Wayne Bowers, CURE-Sex Offenders Restored through Treatment (SORT) President for Oklahoma's chapter.

There are more than 3,000 sex offenders in the Oklahoma Department of Correction prisons. Last month the department announced it would be cutting sex offender treatment programs in its prison because of the budget crisis.

The state says once the offenders are released from DOC custody the offenders will need to seek treatment on their own. ..Source.. Abbie Alford

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