Lawmakers in Washington state faced off at a recent public hearing over whether a sex offense advisory board should be expanded to include a member who actually served jail time for committing a sex offense. Though many advocated the benefits of including diverse viewpoints, others said the expansion would destroy the board’s purpose.
Democratic lawmakers in Washington introduced HB 2177, which would add four members — including one who served jail time for being a sex offender — to the state’s Sex Offender Policy Board (“SOPB”). The statute would also rename the board to the “Sex Offense Policy Board” in a move to use first-person language and would increase the size of the body from 13 to 17 members. The new board members would include one member of a sex offender advocacy group, one member of a Native American tribe, one victim of a sex offense, and one “representative with lived experience with incarceration for a sex offense.” The bill would also appropriate funds for board training and team-building.
The board at issue is an independent entity staffed by the Sentencing Guideline Commission that advises the governor and undertakes projects to assist policymakers with legislation on sex offenses.
At a public hearing held by the Washington State House Committee on Safety and Justice on Jan. 16, Rep. Tarra Simmons (D), who is a member of the Sentencing Guidelines Commission and a co-sponsor of the bill, spoke in support of HB 2177.
“We do better when we have a diverse legislature,” Simmons said, then explained that HB 2177 contains recommendations that current board members have raised.
Simmons directly addressed the opposition to including convicted sex offenders on the advisory board. While past offenders may be subject to “a stigma,” Simmons said, “they have invaluable information to share that can really guide this board.”
Simmons said the same is true for those with lived experience of being sexually assaulted or abused — who are not currently on the board, but would be included if HB 2177 were to pass. Simmons also noted that “a lot of the members are not showing up for most of the meetings,” and said that she hopes the team-building efforts in HB 2177 would encourage more active participation to guide the legislature.
Whitney Hunt, another member of the board since 2021, also spoke in support of HB 2177 and said it “incorporates feedback consistently heard by SOPB,” and “aligns with best practices.” Hunt said that there has been a “consistent desire” to add the perspectives of those with lived experiences.
Attorney Brad Meryhew, who has served as SOPB chair since its inception in 2008, testified in emphatic support of HB 2177. Meryhew said that the voices of all stakeholders — including victims and offenders — should be heard. Meryhew noted that Native American tribes have been “impacted hugely in the last several decades,” but that, “their voice at our table has been relatively quiet.”
“Likewise, we see very credible organizations working with those who are affected by these policies,” Meryhew continued, explaining that some registered sex offenders have become “thoughtful, effective advocates for their position” who bring valuable empirically based discussion to policy discussions. Meryhew also told the panel that he attended a popular and useful sex offender management conference that included the kind of diversity HB 2177 would implement.
Hellbound and Down 
You must be logged in to post a comment.