Our Mission:

  • Challenge proposed and existing sexual offense laws that tear apart Maryland families, make our communities less safe, violate Maryland’s constitution, and waste our tax dollars.
  • Propose new legislation that gives families the chance to rebuild, saves the state money, and is constitutional.
  • Support all persons negatively impacted by sexual offense legislation.

Our Message to Registrants:

You are NOT your crime! You are a human being worthy of respect and love. Given that respect, and motivation to succeed, all registrants can become productive members of society.

FAIR Believes

  • With placement on a public sex offender registry, registrants and their families face (1)
    • Significant barriers to employment,
    • Harassment by neighbors, vigilantes, even law enforcement,
    • Homelessness, because their landlords are also harassed, and
    • Constant fear for their own safety and for the safety of their loved ones.
  • Registrants face years of hostile attitudes and outright lies about their value as persons – causing significant suffering, self-doubt, anger and fear.
  • A registrant’s loved ones suffer that same hostility.
  • Persons who commit sexual offenses should be punished and professionally monitored for an appropriate period. However, most are not a public safety risk. The general public gains no advantage by knowing their names and locations.
  • Given effective therapy and a stable, supportive environment, most first-time offenders will not re-offend. (2)
  • If persons could safely get treatment at the first sign of trouble, many could avoid offending in the first place! (3)

References: 

  1. “Collateral Damage: Family Members of Registered Sex Offenders.” American Journal of Criminal Justice. Levenson and Tewksbury (2009).
  2. Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison in 1994, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003.
  3. Treatment of Adult Sex Offenders. Harrisburg, PA. Prentky, R. & Schwartz, B. (December, 2006).