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Free. Live-streamed on Facebook and via Zoom webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89360366229?pwd=MzNTM3BWZ3psKzUzREtsYnNyRTczQT09
Join us as we take a look at the history and consequences of well-intentioned legislation and the human and community impact of sex offender registries. Since 1996, all 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C. require people convicted of sex offenses to be placed on a registry. Over the last 25 years, as laws expanded, the number of people on these registries grew exponentially. Many states are keeping people on registries longer than ever before, sometimes for life, and it has become increasingly difficult to be removed from them. At the same time, a growing amount of research shows that sex offender registries have not met the goals they originally set out to achieve.
David L. Garlock is a successful returning citizen, reentry professional, and criminal justice reform advocate. David and his brother received 25-year sentences in Alabama after taking the life of their abuser. A client of Equal Justice Initiative, he was released on parole in 2013 after serving more than 13 years and pursuing several educational opportunities while incarcerated. He subsequently obtained his bachelor's degree from Eastern University and is the PA State Organizer.
Emily Horowitz is a professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York. She is the author of a number of articles about the harms of sex offense registries, including the book Protecting Our Kids? How Sex Offender Laws Are Failing Us. At St. Francis College she co-directs a program that helps those with criminal justice involvement earn college degrees and she is currently conducting research on the experiences of veterans with sex offense convictions.
Willie Trent is an activist on the registry working toward restorative justice and reform of Sex Offender Registration Act laws. He is a member of the Education from the Inside Out Coalition (EIOC), the Prison Re-entry Program and is presently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
This event is part of Eastern State's ongoing Searchlight Series of events addressing issues in contemporary corrections. The Searchlight Series discussions take place the first Tuesday of every month, free and open to the public. No reservations required. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this discussion will place virtually.
