In honor of Second Chance Month, I invite you to read

ANY JOE

a story of two young people coming of age in the early 2000s, and dealing with the repercussions of sexual trauma as experienced by a victim and an alleged perpetrator.

In keeping with the spirit of Second Chance Month, ANY JOE may provoke questions relating to the roots of sexual crimes, and the ethics of our sexual offense laws, including those which limit one’s ability to reintegrate into the community, find housing, and become gainfully employed after serving time. Further, it touches on the phenomena surrounding sexual crime – where it begins, how it festers, and its emergence within families, communities, and in the public arena over time.

To avert sexual crime, we need programs that work towards prevention: that’s education about healthy relationships and effective prevention measures that provide support and treatment for individuals and families affected by sexual trauma and abuse (aspects of domestic violence).

As for sex offense registries, numerous studies belie the contention that they make us safer: In fact, they create barriers to healthy reintegration into our communities, and are likely to reinforce social problems, crime and a sense of hopelessness within the registrant and family member.

I hope that you give ANY JOE a chance. Pass it on to a friend when you are finished. ANY JOE could be you, me, or a neighbor down the road. We must understand Joe, before we condemn him. Later, we must welcome him back to a community that does not ostracize, but fosters rehabilitation, reintegration, and hope. Those are measures towards safety.

Purchases of electronic or print versions of ANY JOE through Bookbaby Bookshop are discounted 15% through May 31, 2023. https://store.bookbaby.com/book/any-joe