Life on the Registry While they may be out of prison, they cannot be considered free. They are unable to make their own decisions: where they can work, where they can live, and how they can live their lives are all under the control of the government. These people look the same as everyone else, but beneath the mask lies a title they can't shake. These people are sex offenders. A sexual offender is defined as anyone who has committed a sexual crime. These crimes range from serious crimes, such as rape, to minor crimes, such as urinating in public, or consensual child sex. All sex offenders are placed on the register and are required to follow a thorough protocol. Registered sex offenders are paired with a Community Corrections Officer (CCO) who supervises and supervises the offender's actions. Many restrictions are placed on the offender, and while laws may vary from state to state, there are some basic restrictions that apply to every offender. Some of these restrictions include: a sex offender cannot move without the permission and approval of their CCO, they can only live and work in certain areas, they cannot possess firearms, their personal computers are monitored and controlled by their CCO (many websites are blocked, including pornographic content), are not allowed to take or consume mind-altering substances such as drugs or even alcohol and are required to receive regular counseling ("Rules"). There are currently 747,408 registered sex offenders in the United States. Some states such as Delaware and Oregon have a higher concentration of sex offenders (500 per 100,000) while Pennsylvania has the lowest concentration of sex offenders (94 per 100,000) (“Sex Offender Statistics”). Because of inefficiencies… middle of the paper… discrimination against sex offenders. If people took the time to really listen to their story and understand what happened, they would see that the vast majority of registered sex offenders are far from dangerous. The government must also implement a ranking system that allows sex crimes to be ranked from most serious to least harmful, so people can distinguish between those who are bad and those who have just made a bad decision. The government created the register with good intentions but it has turned out to be counterproductive and has only created more victims and more discrimination in general, which is why it should be abolished. Citizens on the sex offender registry have already been punished for their crimes and faced the consequences of their actions, there is no reason why they should continue to be punished for the rest of their lives.