In a perfect society there would be no sex offenders. In an imperfect society there are. In fact, today over 700,000 sex offenders are registered in the United States. More become registered each year with estimates of an additional 10,000 and 20,000 annually. Full Opinion Piece
Read MoreYear: 2015
UT: Lawmaker wants death penalty for sex traffickers
SALT LAKE CITY — A Davis County Republican wants to give convicted child sex traffickers the ultimate punishment – the death penalty. Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clinton, is pushing to make child sex trafficking a capital offense. He says he accompanied the Salt Lake City vice squad on patrol a few years ago. He’s realized how big an issue child trafficking is in Utah. He said he’s been working on bills to target prostitution and trafficking for years. “I got so fed up with what I’ve seen,” Ray said. “It’s time…
Read MoreIL: Arlington Heights limits garage sales after sexual assault
Arlington Heights is now limiting garage sales, months after neighbors blamed an out-of-control number of such events for a home invasion and sexual assault in the Cedar Glen area. Full article
Read MoreVA: Should sex offenders be allowed to visit their own child at school?
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia lawmakers will consider a measure Tuesday that will affect parents and their children. House Bill 1366 would change state guidelines pertaining to sex offenders on school property. The measure is aimed at limiting school access for parents who are sex offenders and want to visit their child’s school. Under current state law, registered sex offenders are allowed on school campuses if their children goes to the school and their visit is cleared with the school superintendent. However, a bill introduced by Delegate Jeff Campbell (R-Marion) would change…
Read MoreUT: Letter – Sex offender treatment worth the money
I am writing to draw attention to the fact that our state Legislature’s budget cuts are resulting in cutbacks in sex offender-specific treatment for both adult and juvenile offenders. The budget at the prison has not increased in 17 years, and this is within a time frame that the sex offender population there has been exploding. The juvenile sex offender population is mushrooming, too, without increase in funding. Full Letter to the Editor
Read MoreMURRIETA: City may repeal Child Safety Zone Ordinance
The Murrieta City Council this week will consider repealing an ordinance approved in 2009 that made it illegal for sex offenders to loiter within 300 feet of an area frequented by children: parks, arcades, swimming pools, skateboard parks, etc. Full Article
Read MoreWI: Sheriff – Why sex offenders live in our communities
Throughout the years I have written articles pertaining to many topics that affect the overall safety of our communities. From theft and fraud prevention to animal bites and cold weather preparation, there is never a shortage of issues in which helpful information can be shared. This week I would like to cover some information regarding sex offenders and the guidelines that govern their re-integration into our communities. Full Article
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: A Reflection on Hofsheier
The California Supreme Court continues to bludgeon registered citizens with decisions that deny their civil rights. In the latest in a string of misguided decisions, the Court stripped away another fundamental right – the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution – by deciding that individuals convicted of oral copulation with a minor should be required to register as a sex offender for life while individuals convicted of intercourse with a minor should not be required to register at all. The Court’s reason for this decision is difficult for even…
Read MoreSex-Offender Laws to Be Weakened
Prompted by two adverse appellate court decisions and a lawsuit springing from them, the board of supervisors on Tuesday gave tentative approval to amendments to the county code that would strike down certain provisions defining where registered sex offenders may visit when children are present. The changes, due for a final vote on Feb. 10, would repeal the so-called “presence” provisions in the county code, language that prevents sex offenders from being within 300 feet of various locations where children might congregate. Full Article
Read MoreAssembly Bill Would Authorize Cities, Counties to Adopt Presence Restrictions
Assemblyman William P. Brough introduced Assembly Bill 201 on January 29 that, if passed, would authorize cities and counties to pass laws that restrict where registered citizens may be present. Brough is a Republican member of the Assembly from Oange County. “This bill attempts to reverse decisions of the California Court of Appeal and Supreme Court made in 2014,” stated California RSOL President Janice Bellucci. “The bill would also reverse the positive results of lawsuits filed last year in federal district courts.” During 2014, a total of 26 lawsuits were…
Read MoreCA Supreme Court Decision Harms Registered Citizens
The California Supreme Court today, in a vote of 5 to 2, overturned a prior court decision (People v. Hofsheier (2006) 37 Cal.4th 1185) that provided relief in the recent past to many individuals convicted of oral copulation. In the decision, the court found that there is a “rational basis” for providing harsher penalties to such as an individual as compared to other individuals who convicted of unlawful intercourse. “Today’s decision by the California Supreme Court has the potential to harm hundreds if not thousands of individuals without increasing public…
Read MoreMore parole agent caseloads exceed limits under new sex offender rules
Since two sex offenders were charged with killing four women while under state and federal watch, California has changed how it supervises such parolees, increasing scrutiny of some and relaxing the monitoring of others. A Times analysis of state data shows that the number of parole agents with caseloads exceeding state limits has increased under the new system, further stretching California’s already strained ability to oversee freed sex offenders. Full Article
Read MoreCalifornia RSOL Successfully Lobbies Sacramento In Support of Tiered Registry
Twenty-three individuals, including six board members, lobbied in support of a tiered registry in Sacramento on January 27 and 28. Although a tiered registry bill has not yet been introduced, the lobbying effort focused upon the need for a tiered registry that would distinguish between and among those convicted of sex offenses during the registry’s 68 years of existence. Current law requires virtually everyone convicted of a sex offense to register for a lifetime regardless of the severity of the offense for which they were convicted or their current risk…
Read MoreCounty wants local control back to govern sex offenders
SAN BERNARDINO — The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors is pressing for control to govern how it deals with registered sex offenders after it voted this week to repeal its own ordinance and give precedence to California law. “The Board knows how to protect the most vulnerable people in our society,” Board Chairman James Ramos said in a statement. “We want to return control back to local jurisdictions.” Full Article
Read MoreTX: State program out of space to hold sex offenders
AUSTIN – Six repeat sex offenders that Texas has deemed among its most dangerous are due to be freed from prison in the next month, and a state program designed to keep them off the streets is full The problem promises to get worse: More than three dozen violent offenders are slated for release in coming months, and four halfway houses where more than 100 are confined have served notice they want them out by the end of August, officials confirmed Thursday. Full Article
Read MoreNY: Senate approves tougher penalties, requirements for sex offenders
The New York State Senate passed a package of seven bills Monday aimed at increasing penalties and establishing tougher requirements for sex offenders. Legislation sponsored by state Sen. Jeff Klein, co-leader of the state Senate Majority Coalition and leader of the Independent Democratic Conference, would ban level 2 and level 3 sex offenders from being placed in homeless shelters or emergency and temporary housing if children are currently living in the facilities. The state Senate also passed measures to establish a crime if an individual knowingly harbors, houses or employs…
Read MoreSan Bernardino County to pare down sex-offender ordinance
Registered sex offenders in San Bernardino County will be able to move more freely within their communities after the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved repealing restrictions on offender presence and movement in the county’s unincorporated areas. The gutting of the county’s 8-year-old sex offender ordinance would fulfill the terms of a legal settlement between the county and civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci, reached in December. Full Article
Read MoreSex offenders: Tougher restrictions a necessity (Opinion)
West Virginia – Lawmakers in the state House of Delegates are to be applauded for their passage of a measure that would prohibit certain sex offenders from loitering within 1,000 feet of a school or childcare facility. House Bill 2025 cleared the legislative chamber by a unanimous vote last week. The bill now moves to the state Senate where its passage is critical. Full Opinion Piece
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