There is no empirical evidence supporting the continuation of the AWA. Yearly recidivism reports were not part of the act. The dangling carrot of losing 10% Byrne Fund Grant money is no comparison to taxpayer cost of monitoring registrants for life. Once adjudicated, penalty paid and living a law-abiding life registrants and their families should be allowed to live without punitive punishments. According to a study by Levenson & Tewksbury, children of registrants are harassed, ridiculed, teased, physically attacked and fearful. Registrants are murdered. Last year in SC the wife…
Read MoreMonth: January 2014
The Super Bowl trafficking myth
There are a few things I have come to expect during the Super Bowl: some maybe-OK commercials, an overwrought halftime show, superior programming on Animal Planet, and sex trafficking hysteria. On the last count, Sunday’s game has already delivered my expectations. The media is spinning the usual yarn about how massive sporting events create dollar signs in the eyes of prostitutes, pimps and sex traffickers, all of whom allegedly flock to the host city in slavering hordes. Local officials are assuring the media that they have trained everyone from police officers to cab drivers…
Read MoreCO: Sex offender says parole officer made threat after testimony
A convicted sex offender who testified before a legislative committee Tuesday was threatened with “severe consequences” by his parole officer, according to a complaint filed in federal District Court. The Department of Corrections is investigating whether his free-speech rights were violated. ____ ____ spoke at a hearing where advocates for sexual-assault victims debated mothers of sex offenders about a consultant’s report that Colorado was wasting tax dollars by overtreating low-risk offenders. He told legislators that he came out of prison as a low-risk offender, but after two years of treatment at…
Read MoreDE: Sex offender restrictions ineffective
Regarding sex offender residency restrictions (Letter to the Editor): Patty Wetterling, whose son Jacob was kidnapped and never found, posted the following statement on the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center website: “Because residency restrictions have been shown to be ineffective at preventing harm to children, and may indeed actually increase the risks to kids, the JWRC does not support residency restriction laws.” Full Post
Read MoreLiving with 290: A family nightmare, and renewed hope
Should I start at the beginning, the middle, or the end? It’s been a long journey….The beginning…Our son had married his high school sweetheart and moved 12 hours away. After their son was born, she left the home and moved away, leaving our son to raise their child. As most of you know, in child custody cases, a parent is not allowed to leave the county with the child, so he was stuck. We, his parents, decided to help by buying a house (12 hours away) that our son helped…
Read MoreCA RSOL Meeting in Fresno – March 22
California RSOL’s monthly meeting for March will take place in Fresno on March 22 at the Mennonite Hall, 5015 E. Olive Street, Fresno, CA 93727. It is scheduled from 10 am – 12 noon. Registrants, family and friends, supporters and professionals are welcome to attend. Media and Government officials are not invited in order to ensure everyone’s privacy. We will discuss current topics, changes in the laws as well as pending litigation and advocacy strategies. We hope to see you and yours on March 22 – Show up, Stand up, Speak…
Read MoreDennis Sobin Wins In Court – with Video Interview (from W.A.R.)
(WASHINGTON, DC, January 28, 2014) — Today the leaders of WAR and its members staged a protest rally today on the steps of the DC Superior Court in support of Dennis Sobin, a registered sex offender in DC who posted online pictures of the government employees who do the same to him. In a total victory for WAR, Dennis Sobin, and free speech, Judge Todd E. Edelman ruled that distributing and posting online pictures of court employees by registered sex offenders forced to interact with them is a form of…
Read MorePunch list for getting unconstitutional laws passed
***Comment submitted by ‘Tim’ on this site. Deserves its own post. We hope that is ok.*** 1) Pick a group of people and then demonize them. The more fear inducing the words, the better. And don’t worry about facts. People don’t need facts. Facts just muddy the waters. “Sex offenders are very sneaky and despicable,”–Donna Simon, NJ assemblywoman “There is no such thing as a “typical” sex offender; however, all tend to be manipulative, deceptive, and secretive. Sex offenders come from all backgrounds, ages, income levels, and professions.”–Stanislaus County Sheriff’s…
Read MoreFL: law enforcement may have entrapped alleged sexual predators
PINELLAS COUNTY, Florida – A document obtained by 10 News indicates law enforcement may have crossed the line when trying to round up alleged sexual predators over the weekend — and defense attorneys say entrapment cases could be built around the evidence. The multi-agency sting, led by the Pinellas Co. Sheriff’s Office and Clearwater Police Department, netted 35 arrests in “Operation Home Alone.” The effort was coordinated by the region’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force. ICAC guidelines instruct undercover officers to “allow the investigative target to set the tone, pace, and…
Read MoreNJ: Trying to Ban Sex Offenders from Social Media Is a Waste of Time
New Jersey has become the latest state to try to regulate how (and if) sex offenders can use social media, an increasingly tricky problem facing legislators around the country. But privacy experts say the laws are problematic, and probably unconstitutional. The proposed bill would require all sex offenders in New Jersey to disclose the fact on all of their social media accounts. A similar measure was introduced, but not passed, last year. The measure has been pre-filed for the 2014 legislative session. Donna Simon, an assemblywoman who sponsored the bill, said anyone caught violating the law,…
Read MoreTX: Grapevine Has Effectively Banned Child Molesters
For a portrait of the Kafkaesque nightmare criminal residency restrictions can create, go read about the permanent sex offender camp that took root several years ago beneath Miami’s Julia Tuttle Causeway. Thanks to a local ordinance barring them from living within 2,500 feet of any place that children congregate, there was quite literally nowhere else for them to go.It stands as an object lesson in how not to do public policy. It’s a lesson that Grapevine has yet to learn. Last week the Grapevine City Council, citing a “frightening and…
Read MorePrison Inc: The Secret Industry
There are 2.3 million people living behind bars in the United States● The US prison system costs the federal government $55 billion every yearPRISON VS. JAIL● Jails are locally-operated facilities that hold inmates for a short period of time● Prisons are long-term facilities run by the state or federal governmentPRISON: A GROWING INDUSTRYBetween 1990 and 2010, the number of privately operated prisons in the US increased 1600%● Private prisons bring in roughly $3 billion in revenue every year○ Over half of this comes from holding facilities for undocumented immigrants■ Private…
Read MoreJesse Ryan Loskarn’s Last Message
The last month of Jesse Ryan Loskarn’s life was surrounded by a media frenzy, with what appeared to be the goal of destroying his reputation beyond repair. Newspapers and other media outlets depicted him mostly in a negative light and stole away any good he had done during his short but full life. During this tragic time he had no voice, but in his death he can be heard. Our society is quick to judge especially when the topic surrounding his death is so difficult. This letter written by Jesse…
Read MoreMO: Mom tells of teen’s life on the sex-offender registry
The Missouri Legislature overwhelmingly passed legislation last year that would remove many juvenile offenders from the public sex offender registry, which is posted on the Internet. It would not have lessened the punishment for any offender. Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the legislation and then launched a misleading campaign in which he highlighted some of the worst offenders on the registry. Let me tell you my son Zach’s story, as it gives a very different perspective. It shows how harmful the sex offender registry can be for juveniles who should not…
Read MoreFL: Idea to put signs in sex offender’s yards brought up to Port Orange council
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Port Orange City Council members met Tuesday night to discuss a proposal to put signs up in the yards of sexual predators that let everyone know just who is living in their neighborhoods. The issue came about when a group of parents pushed to have a sexual offender moved away from a nearby elementary school. They got what they wanted when the man moved away. Full Article
Read MoreNH: House committee passes bill prohibiting restrictions on where sex offenders can live
A House committee easily passed a bill, 18-1, prohibiting restrictions on where sex offenders can live yesterday, noting that judges have twice ruled residency restrictions unconstitutional. Still, lawmakers predicted a tough fight in the Senate, which has rejected similar bills before. “There is a perception that this bill is being soft on crime,” said Rep. Steve Vaillancourt, a Manchester Republican who voted for the bill. “All of us who have heard (this debate) know the benefits of the bill. But we’re going to need to explain it.” Rep. Al Baldasaro,…
Read MoreSheriff Department Launches Sex Offender Watch System
STANISLAUS COUNTY – Sheriff Adam Christianson has announced the launch of a new service called OffenderWatch, a public notification system on sex offenders. The new service is a citizen-friendly, easy to use website that enables people to search for potentially dangerous sex offenders and predators, who may be in close proximity to their homes, places of work, schools, churches and day care centers. Full Article
Read MoreCO: Sex-offender treatment system criticized at hearing
A convicted sex offender publicly criticized Colorado’s treatment system at a legislative hearing Tuesday, saying he cannot even go fishing because his privileges have been restricted. ____ ____ spent seven years in prison for fondling a girl. He said he came out well-adjusted and optimistic and rated as a low risk to commit a new sexual offense. But after nearly two years of treatment in the community, “I don’t feel well-adjusted and optimistic at this point,” he said. Turner’s testimony at a House and Senate Judicial Committee hearing came on the heels…
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