What SOLAR stands for
Our reform work is grounded in evidence, constitutional principles, human dignity, and a commitment to public safety that can be measured.
These eight principles guide SOLAR’s public education, policy analysis, advocacy tools, and reform priorities.
At SOLAR, we exist to Support, Organize, Lead, Advance, and Reform—providing Sex Offense Learning, Advocacy, and Resources—to realize a future of Safety, Opportunity, Liberty, Accountability, and Redemption.
It does not prevent crime. The vast majority of sex offenses are committed by individuals not on any registry, and empirical evidence consistently shows lower recidivism rates for people convicted of sex offenses than commonly assumed.
Rather than increasing safety, registries foster fear, isolation, discrimination, and vigilante violence. Children and families often suffer consequences through no fault of their own.
Most reported child sexual abuse is committed by someone the child knows. Prevention therefore requires attention to family and trusted-access relationships—including teachers, coaches, clergy, and community leaders—not just the locations of people already on a public registry.
Many serious harms to children and communities are addressed through prevention, regulation, treatment, and sentence-bound accountability rather than lifelong public branding.
Public exposure, recurring reporting, restrictions, and collateral consequences operate as continuing punishment after a sentence has been served and stand in tension with due process, proportionality, and fairness.
Blanket restrictions ignore major differences among cases, people, time elapsed, conduct, treatment, and actual risk. Policy should be individualized, reviewable, and evidence-based.
They block access to housing, employment, education, financial services, and community participation, stripping people of the tools necessary to rebuild their lives and reintegrate safely.
The seriousness of sexual harm does not make every intervention imposed in its name effective. Registration, public notification, supervision, treatment, and other interventions should be evaluated according to what they actually accomplish, whom they affect, and whether their demonstrated benefits justify their burdens.
The Advocacy Action Hub turns these positions into a personalized phone script, email, letter, public testimony, or letter to the editor.
Open the Advocacy Action HubSOLAR’s campaign work grows from the principles above.
Register Every Convict or None
RECON exposes the selective logic of permanent public registries. If lifelong public branding is truly necessary for safety, that logic should be applied consistently. If it cannot be applied consistently, it should be reconsidered.
Campaign development underwayChoose the path that best matches how you want to contribute.
Share SOLAR articles, research, and resources to help replace fear and stigma with informed discussion.
Read & Share →Build a clear, evidence-supported message for a lawmaker, local official, journalist, or editor.
Open the Action Hub →Use SOLAR’s curated research and source library to support accurate, responsible advocacy.
Review Research & Data →Help others understand the human impact of registry policy by sharing your experience, insight, or expertise.
Contact SOLAR →Contribute skills in law, counseling, research, communications, technology, or community support.
Volunteer Your Skills →Choose your audience, position, and format. The Action Hub will help you build a message you can use today.