RSOL History

ReformSexOffenderLaws.Org is the website of a campaign to reform sex offender laws. The campaign grew out of an effort in the late 1990's in Boston by a group of civil libertarians, educators, and other professionals who were concerned about a growing panic justified in the name of protecting children from sexual violation.

This panic was generating ill-conceived laws that were eroding civil liberties, common sense, and normal social interactions. After more than a year of regular discussions, the group initiated the "Call to Safeguard Our Children and Our Liberties." More than 100 Boston-area professionals signed this Call, which was intended to generate further discussion about real dangers to children and attacks on civil liberties.

In 2006, some of the original signatories became concerned that the problem had gotten worse and began to circulate a revised document, which has evolved into the statement published on this website.

In July 2007, Paul Shannon, a long time peace and social justice educator in the Boston area, published his article "It's Time to Reform Sex Offender Laws: An Urgent Call to Support the Well-Being of Children," in the online newsletter Counterpunch, and Reform Sex Offender Laws was born.

National RSOL now exists as a formal organization with an administrative team, committees, projects, and a yearly conference. Our statement has now been publicly signed by almost 2,000 people across the country who are not themselves sex offenders in an attempt to call attention to the crisis that our sexual offense laws are creating throughout our nation.

Lobbying by RSOL affiliates has been extremely effective in several states, and lobbying at the national level is an immediate goal. We continue to grow as a national organization. There is much reason for hope. Even as we see the federal government attempting to force the Adam Walsh Act upon states, we also see most states refusing compliance. We see and hear more and more legislators, journalists, and media sources, some national, questioning and even openly disputing the myths and lies that are the basis of the registry and the AWA. We have seen some very promising and hopeful judicial decisions in several states.

We feel we are not far from the brink of the tipping point as more and more individuals, especially juveniles, are forced to register for increasingly trivial and normal behaviors.

We look back to our past and our history with pride. We embrace the promise that the future holds, a future where a single transgression no longer results in a lifetime loss of dignity, respect, and basic human rights; where those falsely accused can find true justice; and where those who have squarely faced the harm they have inflicted in the past can find redemption.