What happens to convicted criminals after they have “paid their debt to society?”
Go to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website: http://records.txdps.state.tx.us/. You
have to pay money to look at most of their criminal history records, but the sex offender
database is free for anyone to search. Click on Sex Offender Search, and then scroll down to
“Search An Area.” Put in your zip code and see what you find.
In this assignment, answer the following questions below:
1. How many sex offenders live in your zip code? What are some of the crimes they were
convicted of committing? What were some of the victim’s ages? (10 points)
2. How do you feel about them living in your neighborhood? (10 points)
3. What is your opinion about public access to criminal histories? What is your opinion if a
criminal is reformed, and trying to live in peace? Should this type of information be more easily
available (for other crimes, for example DWI, speeding, dead beat parents) to help us protect
ourselves? Or more difficult to access allowing former offenders reenter society?