A North Georgia homeless man may go to prison for 18 months because he cannot come up with $250 to take a court-ordered polygraph test.
Such a move would seem to violate a U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring it unconstitutional to jail someone for failing to pay a fee or fine. But the man’s attorney, McCracken Poston, said the state Department Community of Supervision is nonetheless pushing for the punishment.
“It’s crazy,” Poston told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, saying his client, Robert Murphy, has been unable to find a job since he was convicted of a sex offense and had recently been living under a bridge that spans the South Chickamauga Creek. Full Article
And yet, he doesn’t have to register as a sex offender. He’s actually in far better shape than the average registrant, though his plight is still horrible. I’m not trying to make light of his situation, but compare it to having to register.
Read the latest WAR blog, registrants chances for employment are sabotaged on a daily basis.
The governmental barriers for sex offenders who have served their time and are trying to find jobs are ridiculous.
And then, to add insult to injury, the government expects those who they have forced into joblessness to pay fees for registry, polygraphs, sex offender treatment, etc, with money they don’t have or be locked up, again.
This guy is sleeping out in the cold, eating food out of cans and the government still insists on reaching into his pockets to try and make a buck.
Our government is seriously twisted. It’s sick. It’s cruel and unusual punishment. The registry needs a complete overhaul. Maybe now that so many in Politicians and Hollywood stars of fame and fortune are being accused of sex abuse, maybe now the Registry, will get a second look.
We can’t very well have all those powerful and well off people being labeled registrants, now can we?
Oh, silly me, they’re called “sex addicts” and go to fancy resorts for “treatment” of their Non-DSM-V illness. Meanwhile, John Q. Public gets labeled “violent sex offender” gets thrown in jail or prison where they receive no treatment at all. Then when they get out they are forced to participate in treatment that they have to pay for. They get arrested for failure to pay fines, because they can’t find minimum wage jobs to pay for treatment, registry fees or polygraphs that aren’t even admissible in courts anymore.
It’s just sad.
Agreed Kat, this is getting close to Nazism and the Japanese internment camps, and is definitely worse then McCarthyism, oligarchy, feudalism, dictatorship, slavery and many other disgusting gov. entities and actions. It’s also tbe definition of demagoguery.
Will be approaching this problem myself. The PO-selected polygrapher here refuses to test me because I had the nerve to complain when I “passed” their first stupid test and they submitted someone else’s “failed” test to my PO. Admin error they say they fixed. I wanted proof in writing since I can’t view my probation file and they won’t provide it. Nor will they give me the test I paid for, eventually claiming (falsely) it falls under HIIPA. When I submitted formal complaints to the state probation department, the BBB, and every polygraph agency they are a member of (all ignored), they got the PO to lean on me to back off. Only did because I can’t afford a lawyer.
My next test, I told the tester that I wanted a note made that there was reason to believe the results were predetermined. After a little more confrontation, I “passed” his stupid test despite his best efforts (confining the space sat in, long pauses between questions, etc.). Afterward, the polygrapher said his company wouldn’t test me any more because I obviously don’t trust them. Go figure.
Now, my problem. I’m due again in January and all the cheapest I’ve found is around $500. No way I can come up with that – could barely raise the $225 the other clowns wanted. Tried to bring the matter to my PO at my last check-ins, but he wasn’t there and won’t answer my texts. Not sure how this is going to play out. Currently trying to put my case together for a revocation hearing, but not sure how to have it available to me if I end up back in county.