[Miami, October 19. Image via Getty]

MIAMI - OCTOBER 19: Johana Villafuerte,6, receives a H1N1 nasal flu spray vaccine from nurse Shajaira Powell-Bailey at the Broadmoor Elementary school October 19, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Miami-Dade County Health Department began distribution its initial shipments of the H1N1 Influenza vaccine and is launching a vaccination campaign in conjunction with the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, The Children�s Trust and The Trust�s partner health agencies. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

[Miami, October 12. Image via Getty]

MIAMI - OCTOBER 12: A halftime dancer for Spanish Heratige month takes a photo during the Miami Dolphins against the New York Jets game at Land Shark Stadium on October 12, 2009 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

[Miami, October 11. Image via Getty]

MIAMI - OCTOBER 11: A dancer wears a costume as she participates in the Miami Carnival on October 11, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Miami Carnival has been an annual event since 1984. It has grown from a small neighborhood festival to an international event bringing live bands and calypsonians from the islands. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

[Miami, September 2. Image via Getty]

MIAMI - SEPTEMBER 02: Yolanda Escollies (C) and others hold signs in support of a public option for health care reform as they hope that Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) will see them as he attends the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Trustee's Luncheon at Jungle Island on September 2, 2009 in Miami, Florida. As President Barrack Obama plans to unveil his health care reform plan many people on both sides are making their voices heard. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

As Lisa of Sociological Images explains, Miami sex offenders are prohibited from living within 2,500 feet of "schools, parks, churches, or any place where children might congregate." Which means everywhere, except "under a causeway in the middle of Biscayne Bay." This is an extreme example, but many states place harsh restrictions on where sex offenders can live. They're meant to protect children from rapists and pedophiles, but, according to an article in the new Economist, that's not who all sex offenders are.

The piece says 5 states brand people as sex offenders for visiting prostitutes, 29 register teens who have consensual sex with other teens, and 13 grant sex offender status to people convicted of public urination. The Economist tells the sad story of Wendy Whitaker of Georgia, who gave her 16-year-old boyfriend a blow job in a theater when she was 17, and ended up on a sex offender list for life. Oral sex isn't illegal anymore in Georgia, but that doesn't remove her from the registry — she was evicted from her home and her husband lost his job as a result of her status.

The Economist points out that filling sex offender registries with public urinaters or unlucky teens makes it hard for people browsing the lists to pick out dangerous offenders. What's not hard, often, is printing a picture of an offender from an online list and posting it all over town. One study found that 65% of registered sex offenders "pose little threat," but most of the ones the Economist interviewed report receiving harassment.

Yet there's little evidence that sex offender registries do anything. The Economist writes that, "a study by Kristen Zgoba of the New Jersey Department of Corrections found that the state's system for registering sex offenders and warning their neighbours cost millions of dollars and had no discernible effect on the number of sex crimes." Similarly, draconian restrictions on where sex offenders can live and work may do more harm than good. Another study found that lack of housing increased recidivism, while having a steady job decreased it.

CNN says the men under the bridge in Miami were in fact convicted of abusing children. But Lisa points out:

In addition to the human rights concerns, there is a concern that the living conditions may actually increase the chances of recidivism. Living under a bridge: (1) is arguably even less enjoyable than prison, (2) smothers hope of ever reintegrating into society, and (3) is not really conducive to self-improvement.

Of the Miami sex offenders, CNN's John Zarrella says, "few people have any sympathy for their plight." But you don't have to excuse their actions to recognize that forcing them into the middle of a bay isn't the best punishment. And you don't have to condone pedophilia to realize that lesser crimes, like urinating in public or having sex with a fellow teenager, shouldn't doom someone to a life of stigma.

Unintended Consequences: Where Can Sex Offenders Live? [Sociological Images]
Unjust And Ineffective [Economist]

[Miami, March 19. Image via Splash.]

• An unsanctioned Gay Pride Parade (the first in Cuba) that was organized by Florida's Unity Coalition was cancelled when two of the leaders were arrested, only one other person was set to march for the event. • JK Rowling's complaint that her privacy was violated when her home was pictured in newspapers has been rejected by the PCC. • Spain's parliament has given Great Apes (or chimps, gorillas, orangutans, and bonobos) the "human rights" of freedom and a right to life. • Bond girl names "Moneypenny" and "Honeychild" were actually inspired by British farm names. • 36 Swedish couples have registered to get married in "drive-thru" weddings at a gathering of auto enthusiasts, the gathering will have a '50s and '60s Las Vegas-type theme. • Specially trained dogs in Sweden and Hungary can detect ovarian cancer just by a scent. • The Doody family in England have been crowned The Faggot Family for their love of faggots, a British dish. • A national survey in England has found that 1 in 5 homosexuals have been victims of some sort of homophobic aggression over the past 3 years. • Ten ways to have Green sex: use solar-powered sex toys! Wear heat-sensitive panties! • Some British lawyers say that text messaging is the number one sign of infidelity in many divorces they handle. • More U.S. states are considering a law that requires doctors to perform ultrasounds on women who wish to have abortions. • YouTube tells us that there is a new trend of "boob punching" out there. Uh, ow. • Men's groups (yes, that's right) in India are pulling together to get rid of "pro-women" laws that protect women from domestic violence because it is against the belief that a person is "innocent until proven guilty" and only identifies the victims as female and the males as the abusers.