Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of April 2018. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read MoreMonth: March 2018
NJ: How N.J. determines which sex offenders are dangerous, explained
Keeping track of New Jersey’s registered sex offenders falls to Megan’s Law units in all 21 counties. That includes classifying offenders based on the potential danger they pose to the public. When offenders registered in other states move to New Jersey, they undergo a fresh classification process based on Garden State guidelines. Full Article
Read MoreCA: May 9 Hearing Scheduled for Bill That Would Disenfranchise SVP’s
The Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee is scheduled to hear AB 2839 which, if passed, would disenfranchise hundreds of men who are otherwise eligible to vote and have been designated sexually violent predators at Coalinga State Hospital. The hearing will take place on May 9 at 9 a.m. in Room 444 of the State Capitol. “ACSOL encourages its members to attend this hearing in order to protect the voting rights of almost one thousand registrants,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. AB 2839 was introduced by Assembly member Dr. Joaquin…
Read MoreWI: Wisconsin Act 174: Underage Sexual Activity better than Sexual Assault of Child but still a crime
[narsol.org] By The Registry Trap . . . Yesterday, Governor Scott Walker signed 2017 Assembly Bill 414 (now 2017 Wisconsin Act 174), creating the brand new crime of Underage Sexual Activity. In a saner world, a statute specifically criminalizing consensual sex between teenagers wouldn’t be good news, but that’s not the world we live in. As you already know if you’ve read Robert’s story, his conviction for that very same act carries a much uglier name: 2nd Degree Sexual Assault of a Child. It’s also a registry offense. In addition,…
Read MoreWA: New legislation makes our community safer [stop unconditional SVP release]
[tacomaweekly.com] Flanked by Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist, State Representative Dick Muri, and others, Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 2271 into law on March 27. The new law will help prevent the release of sexually violent predators (SVP) into our community. The bill was prompted by a recent Washington State Supreme Court case, in regards to the detention of John Marcum, which potentially entitled SVPs to a new unconditional release trial each time an annual review found a less restrictive placement or conditional release was appropriate even if the…
Read MoreAustralia: Overhaul of suppression order laws could see sex offenders identified
[theage.com.au] The identity of some of the most dangerous sex offenders could be revealed under reforms to the state’s suppression order laws being considered by the Victorian government. An independent review of Victoria’s Open Courts Act has recommended that courts should be restricted from making suppression orders concealing the identity or whereabouts of sex offenders living in the community under supervision. Safety of the individuals would still need to be considered, it said. The Victorian government has given its support “in full or in principle” to 17 of the 18…
Read MoreFL: Jackson County Proposes 2500 feet Sex Offender Residency Restriction
[floridaactioncommittee.org] Jackson County, Florida is considering enacting a Sex Offender Residency Restriction (SORR). According to this article, the county currently has a 1000 foot ordinance, which they are looking to increase to 2500 feet. “Our whole goal is not to punish anyone, it’s just to make our community safer,” Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Quinton Hollis said. In fact, studies have shown that residency restrictions DO NOT make the communities safer and may even increase recidivism by destabilizing former offenders. SORRs were just declared to be punitive in the City…
Read MoreCT: ‘Child Safety Zones’ Cast Too Wide a Net, Pardoned Sex Offender Says
HARTFORD, Conn. (CN) — Nearly 10 years after he was pardoned for sexually assaulting a 25-year-old woman, a Connecticut man claims in a federal complaint that he is barred from using the library and other public spaces because of an unconstitutional town law. Full Article
Read MoreHow Sex Offender Registries Can Result in Vigilante Murder
Some Canadian conservatives are pushing for more public sex offender registries. But there is a history of deadly violence associated with them. Full Article
Read MoreCA: Spitzer Applauds Board for Rescinding Vote, Warns Colleagues About Sex Offender Data
[voiceofoc.org] (Orange County, CA) – Supervisor Spitzer applauded his colleagues for joining him in rescinding their votes to place homeless individuals in tents in Orange County cities. Supervisor Spitzer voted against the original plan, which passed 4-1, which he argued could place dangerous individuals—in addition to homeless who need intensive mental and substance abuse treatment—right into the heart of three Orange County cities—Irvine, Laguna Niguel, and Huntington Beach without a shelter operating plan. The Bridges at Kraemer Place, in Spitzer’s district, operates with nearly 200 occupants who are screened for…
Read MoreAL: Juvenile sex offender notification bill passes
[montgomeryadvertiser.com] A bill changing the way schools deal with juvenile sex offenders in the classroom is headed to the governor’s desk. State Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, sponsored the legislation. The Senate on Tuesday afternoon concurred with amendments added in the House version, clearing the way for the bill to get the governor’s signature making it law. Chambliss’ bill expands the pool of people notified of low risk juvenile sex offenders to include the superintendent of education and each individual board of education member. It also addresses enrollment of convicted juvenile…
Read MoreNY: Congress passes bill giving NY youth groups access to FBI sex offender database
[syracuse.com] WASHINGTON — Sex offenders who move to New York state will no longer be able to exploit an FBI loophole when they apply for jobs at summer camps and other organizations that work with children, according to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer. A bill passed by Congress authorizes the FBI to make its full database available for employer background checks, regardless of where an individual had to register as a sex offender. Schumer, D-N.Y., had tried for almost eight years to pass legislation that allows the FBI to release all…
Read MoreACSOL Conference to Feature National Experts
The second annual ACSOL conference to be held on June 15 and June 16 will feature national experts Laurie Jo Reynolds, Dr. Ilan Meyer and Anokhi Shah. The conference will be held at Southwestern Law School, 3050 Wilshire Boulevard, in downtown Los Angeles. “Laurie Jo Reynolds is an activist, a social justice professor and an artist who understands the challenges registrants and their families face every day,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “She is sure to inspire us all.” Dr. Ilan Meyer is a Distinguished Senior Scholar for Public…
Read MoreMonitoring the Use of Electronic Monitoring
One February night in 2009, our phone rang. It was two in the morning. My 95-year-old mother was on the line. She told me she was having chest pains, thought she was having a heart attack, and had already called 911. Since she lived less than a mile away, my immediate response should have been to rush to her side. Instead, I dialed the 1-800 number anyone on parole on an electronic monitoring device is required to call. The operator picked up after 15 minutes and told me I needed the…
Read MoreAL: Colbert County Sheriff issues apology following “miscommunication” in sex offender notification
[whnt.com] Tuscumbia, Ala. – Colbert County’s top law enforcement officer issued an apology first thing Monday morning. A lack of communication with other law enforcement agencies in the county led to a delay in residents being notified of a sex offender registration. There are 122 registered sex offenders in Colbert County. It’s part of Sheriff Frank Williamson’s job to keep up with them. Recently, however, one registration slipped through the cracks. “I want to apologize for my part in that miscommunication,” stated Williamson. Read more
Read MoreCT: Mother of victims wants schools to know if students are sex offenders
[theday.com] A New Fairfield mother who said her daughters were sexually assaulted by a family friend is pushing for a law that would require the state to notify a school superintendent when a juvenile who lives in the district and will enroll in school there is a convicted sexual offender. “We have all seen the horrible and tragic events that are unfolding too often in school settings, when children with mental health issues are not given the help and attention they need,” said the woman, whose name is being withheld…
Read MoreFL: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Sex Offender Residency Restriction Declared Unconstitutional
[floridaactioncommittee.org] The Ft Lauderdale Sex Offender Residency Restriction was declared unconstitutional. Wait… what?!?! A Florida SORR was declared unconstitutional? YES! The municipal ordinance in the City of Ft. Lauderdale that prohibited registered sex offenders from living within 1400 feet of schools, parks, playgrounds, school bus stops, etc. was found to violate the Ex Post Facto Clause of the Constitution! Hold on… what? Are you serious? YES! We’ve known for a while (since February 16th) but have been waiting to make the official announcement until we had an order back from…
Read MoreCongress Approves FY18 Funding Levels for Criminal Justice Programs
[csgjusticecenter.org] U.S. CapitolLast week, the U.S. Congress approved the $1.3 trillion Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Appropriations bill that would set government funding through Sep. 30, 2018. The bill provides $30.3 billion for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and includes $2.9 billion for various state and local law enforcement assistance grant programs. The bill increases funding for the Second Chance Act, from $68 million in FY17 to $85 million in FY18. The Second Chance Act, which was originally passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by President George W. Bush…
Read More