How’s this idea: The government starts a financial offenders’ list that includes every slumlord who has ever been convicted of code violations. We add to that all the subprime mortgage scum who almost destroyed our economy. Full Editorial Related MI: Court voids state sex offender registry for imposing unconstitutionally retroactive punishment [UPDATED]
Read MoreMonth: August 2016
Rate of Re-Offense Drops Again
According to a new report from the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the rate of re-offense for registrants on parole declined again in 2015. This is the third consecutive reduction in the rate of re-offense reported by the CDCR. The new CDCR report states that the rate of re-offense for registrants on parole was .6 percent in 2015. That rate compares to CDCR reported rates of .8 percent in 2014, 1.8 percent in 2013 and 1.9 percent in 2012. “The CDCR reports debunk the myth that registrants have…
Read MoreTeam finds Sacramento County sex offenders living with minors
A special Sacramento County law enforcement team recently visited dozens of homes looking for sex offenders who might be in violation of their registration requirements. Full Article
Read MoreFBI’s massive porn sting puts internet privacy in crossfire
For two weeks in the spring of 2015, the FBI was one of the largest purveyors of child pornography on the internet. After arresting the North Carolina administrator of The Playpen, a “dark web” child-pornography internet bulletin board, agents seized the site’s server and moved it to an FBI warehouse in Virginia. They then initiated “Operation Pacifier,” a sting and computer-hacking operation of unparalleled scope that has thus far led to criminal charges against 186 people, including at least five in Washington state. Full Article
Read MoreJudges Are Starting to Question Overzealous Sex-Offender Laws
There’s a stark divide between lawmakers and experts when it comes to laws which restrict where registered sex offenders can live. Cities and states all around the country have enthusiastically banned offenders from living too close to schools — and introduced other, similarly oriented restrictions — on the grounds that such legislation is a common-sense way to help keep kids safe. Experts, on the other hand, have insisted that these laws at the very least don’t reduce recidivism, and could have the opposite of the intended effect, increasing the odds…
Read MorePrescott on Post-Release Regulations and Sex Offender Recidivism
Abstract: The purported purpose of sex offender post-release regulations (e.g., community notification and residency restrictions) is the reduction of sex offender recidivism. On their face, these laws seem well-designed and likely to be effective. A simple economic framework of offender behavior can be used to formalize these basic intuitions: in essence, post-release regulations either increase the probability of detection or increase the immediate cost of engaging in the prohibited activity (or both), and so should reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior. These laws aim to incapacitate people outside of prison. Yet,…
Read MoreSenate Appropriations Committee Stops AB 2569
The Senate Appropriations Committee stopped Assembly Bill (AB) 2569 which would have reduced the number of registrants who are not listed on the Megan’s Law website. The bill, which was authored by Assembly Member Melissa Melendez, was previously passed by the full Assembly. “AB 2569 was stopped by the efforts of registrants, family members and supporters who wrote letters, made phone calls and testified,” stated ACSOL President Janice Bellucci. “The halting of this bill before it could be considered on the Senate floor is a significant victory.” The initial bill…
Read MoreThe 6th Circuit Finally Said The Magic Word: Punitive
Of the many legal fictions enjoyed by judges, few have done as much damage to as many people as calling sex offender registries “regulatory.” The trick is that if it’s characterized as regulatory, then it’s not punitive. And if it’s punitive, then it opens a whole slew of constitutional rights that would render the concept unlawful. But if legislators squint and write the “r” word instead of the “p” word, and judges squint and agree, problem solved! Full Editorial
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Sixth Circuit Speaks Truth
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals spoke the truth this week when it declared unconstitutional the retroactive application of sex offender laws in the State of Michigan. In doing so, the Court demonstrated uncommon courage and set an example that should be followed by courts throughout the land. The laws at issue in this case are common and can be found in many states. First, they prohibited registrants from living, working or loitering within 1,000 feet of a school. Second, they required registrants to report in person updated information regarding…
Read MoreActivists asking if police will be charged in sex scandal
Activists and relatives of a teenage woman at the center of a San Francisco Bay Area police sex scandal say they want to know if any of the more than two dozen law enforcement officials implicated earlier this year will face criminal charges. The woman, who turned 19 on Thursday and says she works as a prostitute, told The Associated Press that she informed internal affairs investigators months ago that she had sex with three Oakland police officers and a Contra Costa County deputy before her 18th birthday. Full Article
Read MoreCalifornia DOJ Agrees to Correct Megan’s Law Profiles
The California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) agreed yesterday to correct more than 90 percent of individuals’ profiles on the state’s Megan’s Law website which lack the date of conviction. The agency’s agreement is the result of a lawsuit filed by CA RSOL in November 2015. “The lack of a conviction date coupled with an individual’s current photo on the Megan’s Law website profiles led many potential employers, landlords and others to assume that the offense for which individuals were convicted occurred recently,” stated ACSOL President Janice Bellucci. “There are…
Read MoreSex offenders would have to disclose email addresses and usernames under bill sent to governor
Sex offenders would be required to report their email addresses, usernames and other Internet identifiers to law enforcement under a bill California state senators sent to the governor Wednesday. Full Article SB 448
Read MoreMN: 26-year-old is cleared for unconditional release from MSOP
A Minnesota court has ordered the first-ever full and unconditional discharge from Minnesota’s sex offender treatment program, choosing a young man who has spent the past six years in state confinement solely for sexual acts he committed as a child. Full Article
Read MoreNC: Gap in N.C. law allows sex offenders near schools, day cares
On Sept. 1, a registered sex offender will be breaking the law if he continues to work at a car repair shop that sits within 300 feet of the Boys & Girls Club of Cumberland County and a day-care center. A state law takes effect that day prohibiting sex offenders from being near places where children “frequently congregate” – including schools, parks, arcades and day care centers – when minors are present. Full Article
Read MoreMI: Court voids state sex offender registry for imposing unconstitutionally retroactive punishment [UPDATED]
UPDATED with media links – Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit held that recent amendments to Michigan’s Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) are unconstitutional because they impose retroactive punishment on sex offenders in violation of the Constitution’s prohibition on ex post facto laws. Among other things, the plaintiffs argued that amendments to Michigan’s SORA increased the severity of its requirements after their convictions imposed retroactive punishment. In John Does #1-5 v. Snyder, the Sixth Circuit agreed. Full Article Decision Statement of Facts Oral Argument Related Media Articles Federal…
Read MoreRegistrant Travel Action Group (RTAG) International Travel Matrix Update
The Travel Matrix is a list of nations along with information about how they handle entrance of visiting or moving registrants (Registered Sex Offenders) and their families. We compile this information from various sources including Travel Experience Reports submitted by users of this website. This list is kept as current and thorough as possible, but individual experiences may vary. This list is informational and in no way implies any guarantee. If you have information to contribute, please submit one or more Travel Experience Reports or contact us to share other…
Read MoreFL: Miami-Dade Sex Offender Homeless Encampment Reaches 250 People
The shame of Miami-Dade has reached a new level. The encampment of homeless sex offenders living alongside the railroad tracks on the street corner in a warehouse district in Miami-Dade county has reached two hundred fifty people. Full Article
Read MoreNY: Concerns Over Rule Banning Sex Offenders From Playing Pokémon Go
The list that most sex offenders must sign in order to be granted parole in New York State includes many stipulations, all written in the first person. There are promises to register with local law enforcement, to complete therapy if it is required and to not pick up hitchhikers or visit schools or playgrounds. Full Article
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