An Undeserved 'Scarlet Letter' For Sex Offenders

By: Editorial Board

Posted: 2/21/08

Connecticut Governor, M. Jodi Rell has recently proposed a law that would require registered sex offenders to have a code identifying them as such on either their license or state identification. Though ripe with good intentions, this law unfairly singles out a group of people who have already paid their debt to society and are trying to reintegrate themselves into the mainstream world.

Unfortunately, Rell's proposal is not the first of its kind. Many states, mostly south of the Mason-Dixon Line, have already passed laws requiring this type of identification on driver's licenses. Some states require only subtle identification standards. In Florida, for instance, IDs feature the number of each state statute that the offender violated in the bottom right corner. However, in other states, the markings are more severe. A law that took effect in Oklahoma in November of last year requires that driver's licenses and ID cards display the words "sex offender" in three different places.

The motive behind these laws that Rell stated in the Hartford Courant is that it "gives the police department another tool, something else they can use." However, the police department does not need another tool. When pulling over somebody for speeding or arresting them for a crime, all that they need to do is run the license number in the police cruiser computer and the record of the person in question will come up automatically.

Besides not giving police a distinct advantage when dealing with sex offenders, this law would already further ostracize a segment of the population that is trying to function in society. Whenever supplying an ID, for example when trying to find housing or a job, a sex offender will be judged right at that moment before they are even given a chance. This includes perpetrators of all sex crimes, not just pedophilia and rape. This would make it almost impossible for them to reacclimatize themselves to society.

As bad as sexual crimes are, they are the only crimes that have a proposal for identification on state licenses or ID cards. Former violent criminals, murderers and drug dealers are not subjected to this treatment. Yes, sexual crimes are repulsive, but sexuality has been demonized to the extent that it is worse than murder. Despite the sick and disgusting acts that sexual criminals partake in, they are no less deserving of a second chance in life than a murderer or other convict who has served their debt to society. The sex offender registry is a more than adequate enough tool to keep track of the whereabouts of sex offenders. Adding extra identification to licenses and IDs is just overstepping the bounds of punishment, and that cannot be tolerated.