Oregon Leads The U.S. In This Incredibly Disturbing Category
There are a few leaderboards on which a State does not want to be firmly on top. California is the car theft leader, while Mississippi has the highest murder rate along with the second longest river in the U.S. (by just one mile). Those are certainly troubling statistics, but do they create a sense of fear like the one Oregon has the distinction of holding?
Oregon didn't just appear at the top of this list...they've consistently been numero uno for over a decade. The latest numbers from SafeHome.org show that the Beaver State has the most convicted sex offenders per capita in the United States.
The numbers show Oregon has 772 sex offenders per 100,000 people.
That is nearly a fifty percent increase from 2013. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2005 passed both chambers of Congress unanimously and was signed by President George W. Bush into law. As of this writing on 17 States are in full compliance with the laws requirements.
Oregon is not one of those States. Thousands of sex offenders are not publicly listed in databases and several federal requirements are not followed. The number referenced above, the 772 sex offenders per 100,000 people, is compiled from a national database. The State database lists significantly less.
As recently as 2022, there were still over 20,000 sex offenders that weren't classified by the State Parole Board.
Oregon Escapees and Most Wanted Fugitives
Gallery Credit: tsm/Timmy!