Florida Action Committee

Florida Action Committee.
Type Non-profit organization
Purpose Civil rights advocacy, Reforming sex offender laws
Headquarters Lake Monroe, Florida
President
 Gail Colletta
Website floridaactioncommittee.org

Florida Action Committee (FAC) is a non-profit advocacy and support organization for sex offenders and their families based in Florida. Florida Action Committee is state affiliate of National RSOL, and one of the more than 50 organizations movement to reform sex offender laws in the United States. FAC's aim is to educate the media, public, and legislators with facts about sex offenders and related laws.

Purpose

The Florida Action Committee advocates for legislation that is based on scientific research instead of panic and misguided perceptions, that would improve the safety of communities, while respecting registrants' constitutional rights. FAC aims to educate lawmakers and public that sex offenders are a diverse group of individuals, and that contrary to popular belief, their general recidivism rate of 5% over 5 years[1] is the second lowest of all offender groups (second only to murder).[2] For these reasons it views onerous restrictions and the stigmatizing effect of public sex offender lists unfair and unfounded when applied to all offenders, without considering the underlying facts of individual cases and the risk posed by the offender. The organization is dedicated to addressing the problems of current legislation that it views as ineffective, expensive, and causing unintended consequences and an immoral burden to 60,000 Florida citizens convicted of sexual offenses, which extends to registrants' families as well.[3]

Advocacy

FAC provides litigation support services to attorneys challenging sex offender laws by liaising with litigants, performing legal research, coordinating studies and soliciting experts.[4]

The FAC has also testified in front of the Florida Senate.[5] FAC has criticized politicians for attempting to make Florida the "most unfriendly place for sex offenders", instead of attempting to make it "the safest place for children", and for passing increasingly oppressive laws, regardless that such measures have no any scientifically demonstrated safety effect,[6] and urged legislators to focus on treatment instead of increasingly punitive measures.[7] In January 2014, Florida Action Committee criticized state legislators for not taking steps to re-integrate and monitor offenders released from Florida's Sexually Violent Predator Program.[8] FAC has also criticized current blanket policies applied to all offenders for not being able to differentiate between sexual predators and low-level non-dangerous offenders.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Zgoba, Kristen; Miner, Michael; Knight, Raymond; Letourneau, Elizabeth; Levenson, Jill; Thorton, David. "A Multi - State Recidivism Study Using Static - 99R and Static - 2002 Risk Scores and Tier Guidelines from the Adam Walsh Act" (PDF). National Institute of Justice.
  2. ↑ Langan, Patrick A.; Schmitt, Erica L.; Durose, Matthew R. (2003). "Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison in 1994" (PDF). U.S. Department of Justice.
  3. ↑ "About Us". Florida Action Committee.
  4. ↑ "Legal Committee". Florida Action Committee.
  5. ↑ Florida Action Committee Testifies before Senate Committee on a Sex Offender Bill.
  6. ↑ "Sex-Offender Bills' Critics Say They Won't Stop Most Crimes Against Kids". WFSU. 4 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Sex-Offender Porn Ban Passes First Legislative Hurdle". WFSU. 10 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "More Bills Cracking Down On Sex Predators Clear First Legislative Hurdles". WFSU. 14 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Gail Colletta: Break down 'sex offender' label to target real problems". TC Palm. 14 July 2013.
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