In the letter he wrote on the day he hanged himself last month, Ryan Loskarn talked about the shame and guilt he felt after he was caught with child pornography. Loskarn, former chief of staff to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), did not mention fear of prison, perhaps because he had already resolved to end his life. But for anyone in his position who planned to stay alive, the prospect of spending years behind bars would loom large. The legal treatment of people caught with child pornography is so harsh that they can end up…
Read MoreDay: February 12, 2014
6 Million Americans Without a Voice
The right to vote is the foundation of any democracy, yet nearly six million Americans are denied that right, in many cases for life, because they have been convicted of a crime. Some states disenfranchise more than 7 percent of their adult citizens. In an unflinching speech before a civil rights conference Tuesday morning, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. described this shameful aspect of our justice system for what it is: a “profoundly outdated” practice that is unjust and counterproductive. Full Editorial
Read MoreThoughts to Share…
Here are a few thoughts I had to share. Practice self reliance and personal accountability (behave yourself or get help) because any mistake will reflect on the whole registry. If you have a business, hire a registrant. If you’re an employee, recommend a local registrant. Be the best person you can be at all times so when your registration slips out society will have to reassess their view of who is registered. Then the politicians won’t be able to scare them into voting for some stupid law. Contribute to CA…
Read MoreTX: Dallas man says he was wrongly included in sex offender database
DALLAS — ____ ____ says the City of Dallas wrongfully made him register as a sex offender for 13 years. Now he wants the city to pay up. “I just feel like I deserve to be recompensed for what’s done happen in all this,” said ____, 43. “I just feel like it’s wrong.” ____ filed a $3 million federal lawsuit early last month, saying police violated his civil rights by refusing to recognize that he did not have a legal obligation to register. He filed the lawsuit after the city ultimately agreed…
Read MoreReport Describes Financial ‘Abuses’ of Private Probation
More than 1,000 courts in several states allow private companies to oversee probation, often with little oversight or regulation, according to a new report from the non-profit Human Rights Watch. The report describes “abusive” financial practices inflicted by the “offender-funded” model of privatized probation. The findings are primarily derived from more than 75 interviews conducted with people in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Private probation companies supervise people who are on probation for minor offenses, collecting outstanding debts and court costs. They often add on their own fees — for items such…
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