This article in “The Economist” illustrates what is wrong with our sex offender laws.  They were designed for the predatory serial pedophiles  (which is good) but they continue to ensnare many people that do not fall into that category.  I currently have two cases with men on sex offender probations for statutory rape that many years later are with the same woman in one case now married with two children.  These men were not predators.  These are men that loved (and still love) a woman that was too young according to the law.  The laws and the punishments need to be refined to winnow predatory conduct from normal human conduct.  This includes the sex offense registry.  I could care less if the guy down the street had sex with his under age girlfriend and her parents found out and had him arrested.   I do want to know if the guy who is dangerous to my child or my neighbors child is living near me.  I cannot currently tell from Connecticut’s sex offender registry.  All this does is vilify people that should not be struggling under this burden while not making my neighborhood safer by giving me information that is narrow enough to be useful to me.

See the following article in The Economist

http://www.economist.com/

UNJUST AND INEFFECTIVE
Aug 6th 2009

America has pioneered the harsh punishment of sex offenders. Does it work?