Do all people convicted of a sex offense have to register?
A. Only offenders who were convicted after 1970 and were still under some type of supervision on September 1, 1997. Many people convicted of sex crimes before this date do not have to register. Judges may exempt some if the law allows. Q. What restrictions do sex offenders have? A. Offenders only have restrictions if they are under supervision (probation or parole). These are conditions set by the court or parole board and may restrict where they can live, work, and who they may have contact with. These conditions may vary by each individual offender. Q. What is the difference between probation and parole? A. Probation is when a person has been convicted of a crime but is not sent to prison (TDCJ). They have a probation officer that makes sure they are abiding by the rules the Judge stipulated to them. If a person cannot abide by these conditions then the Judge will revoke the probation and send them to prison. Parole is when a person has been convicted of a crime and goes to prison (T
