A Better Path to Community Safety (CASOMB Tiering Paper March 2014)

CASOMB first recommended in its 2010 report to the Legislature that revisions to California’s  registration laws are needed and recently selected the issue as one which deserves increased  focus and effort. The effectiveness of sex offender registration policies and practices has also been  the subject of national focus recently, with a variety of jurisdictions addressing the importance of updating registration practices to reflect new research and evidence based approaches. Modifying  registration practices will, CASOMB believes, improve public safety in California by focusing effort and resources on more dangerous offenders. Paper

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Science and those who abide by its constraints are the key to everything beneficial to mankind.
What a great paper!

I’m happy to see this condensed version of the 2010 report with a more direct approach towards change. Any amount of time on the registry is painful, so I’m always open towards a way out. They touched on the notion of keeping it for L.E. only and out of the public view which has shown little benefit and is pretty much ignored by the larger demographic. It leads me to wonder what type of character the individuals who regularly search Meagan’s list are. I just hope the board will somehow capture the attention of legislators and that they take a serious look at the harmful effects the registry is causing. It’s time for a major overhaul.

While not perfect, this report is very welcome. It captures the effects of the registry — unemployment or underemployment, lack of housing or inadequate housing, etc. — for both the registered citizen and his/her family. California RSOL would like to hear from those who read this website your opinions regarding the proposed tiered registry recommended on page 7 which would create 3 tiers that resulted in a 10-year requirement for some registered citizens, 20 years for another group and continued lifetime registration for sexually violent predators, etc. Is this an improvement as compared to the current system? Is it fair?

Reform would be to free current registered for the massive reckless fundamental rights violations …they’ve already crossed the line and the demand for respect pride dignity says they must free current registered list.

This is the program. This is the tiered registration system that we can and should work toward. The paper is well-researched and leaves policy makers with a very compelling conclusion: its time for a tiered registration system and the system they propose is the one to adopt.

I am so happy to see that the report contains actual facts and findings from respected researchers instead of hype and myth.
Even though my dream is for no registry, this is so much better than “one tier–Forever…”

I will read the article and digest the contents. Regarding the table on pg 7, the serious and violent offenders should have a much more detailed definition, spelling out EXACTLY which sections of the PC make them serious and violent offenders. One can be deemed a serious or violent offender and never have a victim…so you’d be stuck for 20 to life on the registry. Also of concern is the dependence of “predictors”, like the Static 99 and other such tests. There must be better ways than the educated guesses and psycho-babble. Who will administer the tests, a trained probation/parole officer? I hope not.It’s a small step in the right direction, but like any entity affiliated with the gov’t, I don’t trust ’em! Shorten the time frames, spell out in detail so there is no wondering who is what and gets off the registry or not. Add eligibility for AUTOMATIC record clearance and governor’s pardon after “X” years.

I wish they made a possibility for registration to end sooner for registrants at tier 2, but as is, it is definitely a step in the right direction if passed as is.

And for some laughs “even though the courts have determined that it should not be classified as ‘punishment’ does bring with it multiple unwelcome impacts on registered offenders and on their families and children”

Just say it already, registration= consequences= punishment.

I think the tiers are still too severe. I believe the tier 2 duration should be 5 years instead of 20 and the tier 3 duration should be 2-3 years. The time period should include parole time so it starts the day you leave prison. The proposed 10 and 20 year time periods will still mean that many people will remain on the list for the duration of their lives. For most people I think if you haven’t committed a new offense by the time you get off parole you’re probably not going to. While the tiered system is better than what we have I think it will still be a detriment to the recovery of most people. who can wait ten years to have a fair shot at a job or good housing? In fact I think if you test as low risk, you should be immediately be removed from the public list even if you’re on parole. After all you have an agent monitoring you during that period and the police will still have you on file and that’s all that’s reasonably necessary.

I SINCERELY HOPE THAT IT CAN HELP ALOT OF US WHO HAVE MOVED TO OTHER STATES THAT ARE HARSHER LIKE FLORIDA. FLORIDA DEFINATELY HAS A ONE SIZE FITS ALL. SOME OF US HAVE CHARGES THAT ARE EXEMPT FROM MEGANS LAW WEBSITE BUT WHEN YOU MOVE OUT OF STATE GOOD RIDDENS. ONCE AGAIN , CALIFORNIA CRIME BUT LIVE IN FLORIDA. PLEASE DONT MOVE HERE.

My question is why have cascomb if the legislators won’t listen to them? Is this the first suggestion they’ve ever made? Will there be a legislator that will take this on?

While this is a step in the right direction, for me, it isn’t enough. Yes, it’s better than nothing but…Tier 1= 10 years for misdemeanor offences? Most would fall under the Tier 2. Twenty years after parole or probation? That’s a lifetime of possible homelessness and lost employment. How would most ever recover? Any possible opportunities are lost, their children most likely grown, or in some cases the registrant is dead. So, twenty years, in most situations might as well be lifetime.
Given that this report states that only 13% to 15% of cases are reported, than the true number of offenders should be around 9 million in California alone.
Tier 3= lifetime for SVP. Don’t we already incarcerate for many years, and then commit them beyond their sentences? I do agree that if one commits a “true and horrible” violent offense, they should remain on the registry for life. Although if it is a “true and violent” offense, they will most likely be locked away anyway.

Any tiered system is better than what we have now! I would want the tiers to be retro for all registrants, and would prefer that it goes by risk leave vs crime. For example, there is a huge difference between a kid streaking at his school as a senior prank and someone showing up at an elementary school everyday when school lets out and exposes himself.
I also would prefer the registry be for LE only, as it was originally designed.

It sure looks fair to me. I hope for this to pass. We need to be able to become productive again

Any idea what this would mean for my husband with a 288a back in 1986? Does this mean lifetime or 20 years additional? I keep the faith.

Remember: This is the next step, not the last step. We need to get this passed and then we have much more to do. To effect this many families in such a profound way is not only wrong but wastes resources on things that don’t reduce crime and destroys the productivity of registrants.

Hmmm; At least they are starting to look at empirical studies instead of listening to the made up out of thin air garbage some people claim is fact when seeking reelection or are just trying to look good.

No one can argue that any relief is better than none. However, if I can add a scenario here. A few years ago, gas cost about 2.40 a gallon. a year and a half later, it shot up to about 5.00 a gallon. So when it dipped to 3.50, there was a collective sigh of relief and everyone was “happy”. After all these years of Hooplah in the name of public safety, and the unbelievable amount of money paid to those folks who “Manage” SO’s etc. the public has been very well trained to believe that a partial resolution is “Just fine”. Isn’t the static 99 score becoming obsolete anyway? No one wants to see anyone hurt, but hurting those that were accused and convicted decades after the sentence was served, only continues to “serve” the wallet. There are much more effective ways available, and for a much more affordable cost, to cater to this issue.
Prevention!
It’s a politically correct effort to Whitewash what’s already been done.
just sayin’

I think the tide is slowly turning. Educate, educate. educate, and don’t allow the loudest voices to be those of the uninformed, fear driven haters. The bill of rights is the umbrella of protection, but it is so often glossed over, or worse, ignored, by the broken justice system. Use the Bill of Rights to rebuild the broken justice system, from the ground up, and don’t be afraid to make legal challenges, as Janice is doing. Fight for what is right! You are the oppressed, and the ugly mistreatment of you affects the rights of all citizens, whether or not they realize it. The very existence of this country may, one day, come down to honoring the rights of all. Our prisons need reforming too, along with legislation, which incarcerates more people than any other in the world, with its Draconian sentences. Inmates should join your effort, since they presumably will, one day, be released, and you, also, should join their efforts, as well, since there is both power, and money in numbers. You can do this!! Never, never give up!!! I don’t wear this label, but I am sympathetic, and I am with you!!

Yea; This sounds all good, but the more I think about it the less I’m holding my breath expecting anything to come of this. I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s parade, but as I consider the history of action taken by those that could make this a reality my hopes start to fade. I hope action is taken on this, but I sense this is going to be just another somewhat empirical paper destined to be buried on the web. The people this paper is written to seem to not like truth based facts and seem to do everything they can to not recognize the futility of their efforts to legislate peoples sexuality into what they think sex should be. In fact. it doesn’t seem to even be about sex anymore; it’s more like just another population control mechanism.

As far as I know, I’ve never had a STATIC 99 evaluation. Maybe they didn’t do that ten years ago. I am sceptical that any psychological test can predict the complexities of human nature. As a guide to proper treatment, maybe it is useful. Anyone know about this? It weighs in heavily on their determination about who gets in what tier. What is the evaluation like and how predictive is it?

And what do the (Beatles said experts smexperts) experts say about putting back into parole conditions..?? ..the ones who are off parole ..??….its okay …???…c’mon dude..!

Static 99R…Interesting but totally left up to the whim of the person giving the evaluation. Too many “could be’s” and “might be’s” and if this, then this. Look at the sample size for the scoring of this rag. Clearly not near enough data to support anything, let alone determining whether or not the issuer chooses to ruin a life by mis-categorizing the person. Looks like it was written by a junior high or upper elementary school kid! Given the arbitrary nature of the scoring and the sentiment toward sex offenders my guess is most given this “test” will be placed into a higher category. A life rests on 10 simple questions and a three minute test. What a freakin’ joke.

“In Exhibit 9, a former field service probation officer from the State of Alaska, Department of Corrections [“ADOC”] opined that the ASORA was nothing more than an extension of post-incarceration supervision.”
This from the respondent’s brief in that case concerning Alaska Sex Offender Registration Act long ago. This is one expert and others in the brief the majority dismissed in favor of dubious reports about high recidivism rates as justification for civil regulation of former offenders.

OK. So disagreement on whether the Board is using valid science. What does CaRsol think?