Because of a new Illinois law, sex offenders that are working or enrolled on a college campus now have to register with the university’s police department.

House Bill 295, which took effect on Jan. 1, is an amendment to the prior enacted Sex Offender Registration Act that only had the offender register with their local law enforcement in Illinois.

It would later be up to the law enforcement to provide the university with the gathered information.

The offender is to pay a $100 initial registration fee, which can be waived by the police department, and then $100 annually for a required renewal fee.

Adam Due, chief of the University Police Department, said the offenders that need to register with the department have already been notified.

“The offenders know when they are expected to register and what changes in residence, employment, or attendance at college trigger the need to update their registrations,” Due said in an email.

No one is currently registered with the UPD.

“We had one that was expected to come in (because of) the registration change but their required registration period expired so they no longer have to register,” Due said.

Because registrations are recorded in a database the State would already be

aware of the late registration, he said.  

“(The) UPD would attempt to get them registered and forward the information regarding the failure of the offender to register as required,” Due said.

Depending on the level of severity, Due said some offenders are required to register for the rest of their lives.

Taylor Gutierrez, a freshman communication disorders and sciences major, said it never crossed her mind that people in her classes could be sex offenders.

“I think they should have to register so people can know where they are,” Gutierrez said. “It’s a good idea.”

Gutierrez said she thinks the registration is a great first step, but another step to preventing sexual assault is for people to be aware of their surroundings.

“I make sure I’m not on my iPod, and I try to be more aware of my surroundings,” Gutierrez said.

It is about being practical, she said.

Erin Walters, the executive director of the Sexual Assault Counseling and Informative Services, is in favor of the newly enacted law.

There can never be enough avenues to track or keep track of offenders living on or around campus, Walters said.

“In many ways, the university is somewhat separate from the general registration process,” she said. “I think this is a really great way to streamline all of the registry information.”

Jill Radecki, a sophomore sociology major, said she thinks the registry is a good idea so students will be aware of potential dangers on campus.

Radecki said she sees having to register with the police department as more than just a safety precaution.

“It’s a part of the punishment because it’s like they are going to have to live with what they did and other people will know,” she said.

Chloe Lampo, a sophomore business major, said she is appreciates Illinois implementing this new law.

Lampo also said she is not in agreement with the laws definition of a sex offender.

“If they’re a violent sex offender, then that’s good-but depending on the situation I could go either way,” Lampo said.

While looking on the UPD’s website for parking passes, Lampo said she ended up finding a website, searching for sex offenders in Charleston.

“I was surprised by how many people offenders there were in the area,” she said.

According to familywatchdog.us, there are 16 sex offenders in Charleston, but the Illinois State Police’s website depicts the presence of 35 known offenders.

Forty-six percent of rapists who were released from prison were re-arrested within 3 years of their release for another crime, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.

Walters agrees with RAINN’s reports.

“I think if someone has been convicted of sexually abusing or sexually assaulting someone in the past than the likelihood of re-offending is very high,” Walters said.

Lampo said she has a friend who has to register as a sex offender even though she does not consider him a “predator.”

Due said the UPD has three-tiered approach to crime: prevention, enforcement and education.

The UPD has the Rape Aggression Defense system on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, a women’s only, appointed necessary self-defense program where students will be taught tactics and techniques to defend themselves.

“We realized that each woman must decide if she will fight back but we can at

least teach them how to do so,” Due said. “The program also covers safety information,

how to avoid bad situations, and some legal aspects of self-defense.”

Nike Ogunbodede can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].