Roundtable: Beyond the Registry - The Civic Consequences of Sex Offense Laws

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Sessions

Abstract/Description

This roundtable examines the far-reaching barriers imposed on individuals convicted of sex offenses, with a focus on how these restrictions undermine reintegration and exclude affected individuals from full participation in the American democracy. Beyond incarceration, people labeled as sex offenders face a complex web of civil regulations including residency bans, registration and notification laws, employment restrictions, and even limitations on internet access that function as lifelong punishments. Panelists will explore how these policies operate as forms of civil death, perpetuating social exclusion and stripping individuals of core rights associated with citizenship and community belonging. Drawing on research, legal analysis, and lived experience, the discussion will highlight the tension between public safety and democratic values, challenging us to reconsider the boundaries of justice, rehabilitation, and citizenship.

Sub Unit

• Area XIV. Roundtables

Chair

• Jonathan Morgan, University of Cincinnati

Discussants

• Guy Hamilton-Smith, Law Office of Guy Hamilton-Smith

• Galen Baughman, Just Future Project

• David Garlock, Eastern University

Organized by a Division or external group?

Convict Criminology