The Implementation of the Adam Walsh Act in Ohio

05-29-2007

Call Representatives to voice your concerns on the effects of the Adam Walsh Act on juveniles in Ohio!

• It ignores decades of research that show critical differences between youth who sexually abuse younger children and adult sex offenders. The majority of youth are much more amenable to treatment (90–96% will never commit another sex offense).
• It removes the current incentives in place that encourage and motivate youth to seek and comply with treatment, as kids will still be required to register regardless of whether they have successfully completed treatment. With fewer youth in treatment, the risk for future re-offending will undoubtedly increase, inadvertently creating more of a community safety risk.
• It fails to recognize that many children adjudicated of sex offenses have themselves been victimized. By placing their pictures, names, and addresses online, SB 10 puts these children at risk for further victimization as they become easy prey for adult offenders.
• It actually threatens to undermine public safety by flooding the sex offender registry with thousands of children and adults who are unlikely to re-offend and who pose no threat to public safety. As this happens, the registry will become meaningless as a public safety tool. Additionally, local law enforcement agencies will have to expend countless resources registering and tracking people who pose no threat to the public.
• SB 10 imposes adult sanctions on kids without giving them full adult due process protections, like the right to trial by jury.
• SB 10 is retroactive. Children who were adjudicated for sex offenses years ago will be placed on the Adam Walsh registry, despite never having committed any additional offense.

• Children who receive traditional juvenile dispositions should be exempted from SB 10 (they are already subject to the existing juvenile sex offender registration law as determined by a judge).
• SB 10’s registration requirements should be reserved for the most serious offenders, and thus should only apply to kids who are transferred (“bound over”) to the adult criminal system or to kids who receive a serious youthful offender (“blended”) sentence and have the adult portion of their sentence imposed. This preserves the discretionary determination of the judge or prosecutor for each youth.
• SB 10 should not be applied retroactively.

• Clearly state your name and where you live.
• Be prepared to make your point in several sentences.
• The staff member answering the phone is making brief notes about the subject of your call and your opinion.
• Ask for a response that includes the elected official’s position.
• Realize that the staff member answering phones may have been instructed not to make detailed comments about the issues; this is done in letters so that elected official’s position is not misrepresented.
• Follow up with a letter if possible. Mail, fax or e-mail it to the legislator’s office.

• Make sure to address the elected official and your correspondence correctly. All members of the General Assembly may be addressed as “The Honorable First Name, Last Name” followed by their address. Senators are addressed as “Dear Senator Last Name.” Representatives are addressed as Dear Representative Last Name.”
• State who you are and where you live in the first paragraph so it is clear that you are a constituent. Make sure that you state any credentials, for example being a member of an organization or institution that would make you particularly credible on a particular issue. For instance, if you work or volunteer at an organization with experience on your issue, say so in your letter or E-mail. It means that you have first hand experience and knowledge about the subject that the legislator may not have. At minimum you have credentials because you live in that official’s district and you have an opinion.
• Tie the issue to the larger needs of the community. Make the long-term benefits to large groups of people known.
• Ask for a response letter or e-mail stating the elected official’s position.
• Include your name, street address, e-mail address and a phone number with area code.