ABSTRACT
#MeToo has forced the American public to reconsider our approach to sexual harm and misconduct within the current punishment paradigm; it is time to reevaluate punishment. The prison industrial complex is engineered to disregard the power of rehabilitation, reduce people to a criminal act, and hinder reentry efforts. Arguably, people convicted of sex crimes to reenter onto sex offense registries are viewed with the most disdain and tasked with a herculean reentry process; they must navigate specialized community supervision and follow sex offender registration and notification (SORN) requirements. People on sex registries are often excluded from reentry programs and organizations, which complicates their ability to comply with SORN requirements and remain free from further incarceration. This chapter examines the history of sex offense registries, how they are used to prevent registered people from successfully rejoining their communities, and then considers whether or not such registries are effective to address sexual harm and misconduct. Lastly, I seek to reframe the narrative of sexual harm to one that allows for rehabilitation, which will reduce the need for sex registries.
