11/06/2013 05:42 PM: 11/06/2013 07:10 PM
Sex Offenders, Experts Question Effectiveness of New Restrictions
"Are sex offender laws preventing the men and women convicted of these crimes from becoming productive members of society?
Yes 81.6%
No 18.4%
After serving their time, some sex offenders can be on another list for the rest of their lives.
Convicted sex offenders are required to register with their local law enforcement office for at least 15 years, often much longer than that.
Now some registered sex offenders and their families are saying this branding is doing more harm than good.
"Sam," a registered sex offender who asked to have his identity concealed, calls every day a battle.
"No sooner did we move and the house was getting egged," he says. "They spray-painted on the porch that I need to move. Why keep attacking me?"
Another registered sex offender we'll refer to as "C," says he sees the same struggles.
"Two kids in the area accused me of fondling them," C says. "You want to crawl into a hole and you're afraid."
The Arkansas House of Representatives passed legislation earlier this year prohibiting level three and four sex offenders, considered the most likely to re-offend, from swimming areas and playgrounds in state parks.
They also can't live within 2,000 feet of any school, day care, public park or youth center.
These men say the restrictions, along with the sex-offender stigma, make it nearly impossible to find a steady job and safe place to live."
http://www.arkansasmatters.com/story/sex-offenders-experts-question-effectiveness-of-new-restrictions/d/story/3zi-LPgWekGBf7LIKUjGIQ#.Unu5QjuQCkE.twitter
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