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Read MoreMonth: May 2018
WV: West Virginia’s Fake News Regarding Sex Offenders
[blog.womenagainstregistry.org – 5/24/18] I thought it started out as a good news article from The Exponent Telegram in West Virginia. A judge was reading sex offender rules to a defendant at a sentencing hearing. The author of the article correctly noted that defendants at a sentencing hearing are focused on “sentencing” and probably not absorbing much of the information the judge is providing them regarding the requirements surrounding life on the registry. I had to agree that newcomers to the registry should be informed of what is expected of them,…
Read MoreConvicted of Violating a Law that Does Not Exist
[cato.org – 5/24/18] Herman Gundy stands convicted of violating a law that, for all intents and purposes, doesn’t exist. You may recall from high school civics that the Constitution separates the powers of the federal government among three coordinate branches. You may also recall from “Schoolhouse Rock” that a bill becomes a law after it’s passed by the two houses of the legislative branch and signed by the president. Unfortunately for Gundy, things are no longer so straightforward. The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) set up a national…
Read MoreFL: Police Now Shuffling Tent City Sex Offenders Around Miami-Dade
[miaminewtimes.com – 5/24/18] In 2009, California artist Scott Gairdner made the “Sex Offender Shuffle,” a viral video parodying Miami-Dade’s treatment of sex offenders. With a catchy beat and ’80s-style cinematography, the four-minute spoof of the 1985 Chicago Bears’ “Super Bowl Shuffle” mocked the way sex offenders are shuffled from one location to another under the guise of public safety. Nine years later, the sex offender shuffle is playing out in real life in Miami-Dade. After being forced to leave a longtime encampment near Hialeah, a group of homeless sex offenders…
Read MorePost-Prison Purgatory
[theinvestigativefund.org – 5/23/18] At Coalinga State Hospital, located in a desolate, dusty part of California’s Central Valley, 200 miles north of Los Angeles, 37-year-old Cory Hoch stands out. He’s well liked by other patients, and his dry sense of humor and lively intelligence come across almost immediately. His feathered earring and neon-green sneakers infuse some color into the surroundings, while his khaki scrubs identify him as a patient. Since the age of 19, Hoch has lived most of his life in some form of cage. He is one of the…
Read MoreRegistry Matters Episode 25 – Why GPS monitoring should be 1 of the 7 deadly sins
[narsol.org – 5/22/18] Why GPS monitoring should be 1 of the 7 deadly sins A malfunction in the charging could land you in jail. No access to power? Could land you in jail. Poor cell signal? Could result in being detained while proof is obtained. You could spend a week or more in jail for an unspecified violation. Spending time in jail could lose you your job which can lead to loss of housing. The GPS.gov website cites a 16’ radius of accuracy in the best conditions. Read more and…
Read MoreWhat People Get Wrong About ‘Political Will’
[governing.com – May 2018] At a recent Governing roundtable, I heard once again that the failure to act on a serious public problem was due to a lack of “political will.” Hearing this from people who are wise and good public officials always leaves me a little annoyed. I agree with David Roberts of Vox, who wrote, “To me, it has always sounded like the political equivalent of the Force in the Star Wars movies. It explains everything and nothing.” When you hear a public official or pundit say that…
Read MoreA Flurry of Bills Followed Larry Nassar’s Conviction. Here’s Why That’s a Problem.
[injusticetoday.com – 5/24/18] The history of child sex abuse legislation in the United States follows a well-worn pattern: a chilling incident rouses public anger and fear, to which lawmakers respond with expansive, emotionally charged legislative action. The 1994 Jacob Wetterling Act, the first law to establish federal guidelines requiring states to implement sex offender registries, was named after an 11-year-old Minnesotan who was kidnapped and murdered by a suspected pedophile. Megan’s Law, mandating public notification about registered sex offenders when deemed necessary, was introduced directly in response to the brutal…
Read MoreNV: Giunchigliani amendment exempted teachers from bill expanding sex offender reporting laws
[rgj.com – 5/23/18] Democratic governor hopeful Chris Giunchigliani, a former teacher and state lawmaker, helped hollow out a proposed law that would’ve required teachers who have sex with an underage student to register as sex offenders. Then-Assemblywoman Giunchigliani — an ex-teachers union boss who in January won an endorsement from the Nevada State Education Association — waited until the second-to-last day of the 2005 legislative session to submit an amendment that scuttled a proposed expansion of sex offender reporting laws. Her last-minute revision came less than two weeks after the…
Read MoreMO: Missouri Supreme Court disciplines prosecutor who criticized letter writers in the press
[missourinet.com – 5/23/18] The Missouri Supreme Court has sided with a disciplinary counsel in deciding that Platt County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd violated rules of professional responsibility. Missouri Supreme Court – Image courtesy of Missouri Courts Zahnd publicly criticized letter writers who expressed support for a man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting one of his daughters. In doing so, the high judges determined that Zahnd engaged in prejudicial conduct meant to embarrass the letter writers and fined him $750. The state Disciplinary Counsel had asked for stiffer penalties, including a…
Read MoreMI: Michigan lawmakers advance legislation on mandated reporters
[mytwintiers.com 5/23/18] LANSING, Mich. (AP) – Sports coaches, the types of paid employees who allegedly learned Larry Nassar was molesting gymnasts and other athletes before the sexual abuse scandal broke, would still not be required to report such suspected abuse to the authorities under a watered-down proposal to expand Michigan’s mandatory reporting law. A state House committee on Wednesday passed a bill that would add physical therapists, physical therapist assistants and – in a reversal from a day earlier – athletic trainers to the list of mandatory reporters. But it…
Read MoreOH: Evading Justice: How some accused rapists in Cuyahoga County avoid the sex offender registry
The sex offender registry is an important tool that tracks those convicted of sexual assault to keep the public safe. A 5 On Your Side six-month-long investigation uncovered a loophole that allows many accused rapists to evade the registry. https://www.news5cleveland.com/longform/evading-justice-how-some-accused-rapists-in-cuyahoga-county-avoid-the-sex-offender-registry
Read MoreIs The “First Step Act” Real Reform?
[themarshallproject.org 5/22/18] The First Step Act, which passed the House of Representatives Tuesday, has been a hot-button topic for Congress. It addresses the dire need for rehabilitative services in the federal prison system, proves there is strong bipartisan support for at least modest criminal justice reform and underscores a strategic debate that has split the Democratic Party. What is the First Step Act? The bill, sponsored by Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, and Doug Collins, a Georgia Republican, seeks to add educational and vocational training and mental health…
Read MoreCA: Tobin Resigns from CA Sex Offender Management Board
Tom Tobin, CEO of Sharper Future, has resigned from the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) where he served as Vice Chairman for more than two years. Although no reason was given for his resignation, a growing number of complaints had been made that his participation on the board was at least an appearance of a conflict of interest because the company he leads provides counseling services to registrants. Sharper Future is a subdivision of Pacific Forensic Psychology Associates, a California corporation, which Tobin also leads. Both organizations have been…
Read MoreNY: ‘We Just Want Our Community Back:’ Long Islanders Upset Over ‘Clustering’ Of Ex-Cons In Residential Neighborhoods
[newyork.cbslocal.com 5/21/18] GORDON HEIGHTS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Just how much can one community take? There are multiple neighborhoods in New York where the state has clustered paroled ex-cons, and innocent families are paying the price. A 26-year-old mother accused of trying to kill her baby earlier this month created anguish in her Suffolk County community. Her lawyer claims she was mentally ill and a victim of human trafficking, while others say she was an interloper moving from house to house on a notorious street in a hamlet that borders Coram…
Read MoreAL: Governor ceremonially signs juvenile sex offender bill
[wbrc.com 5/21/18] MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) – Monday, Gov. Kay Ivey put her signature on a score of legislation. Although the signing was just for the camera (the laws were already signed in private about a month ago), it still had a special meaning for the Cook family. “Amazing, it was the biggest blessing for us to experience this today,” Kristina Cook said. Ivey put her signature on a bill that will require each school district to come up with rules on how to deal with juvenile sex offenders. The bill…
Read MoreLife on the List: Why Reporters Should Stop Using “Predator”
[floridaactioncommittee.org 5/22/18] “The anonymity of the Internet has allowed predators to easily hide or misrepresent themselves.” – ABC News, August 2017 “Concerns about sexual predators have led communities in 30 U.S. states to adopt laws limiting where registered sex offenders can live.” – Reuters, November 2015 “Convicted Sexual Predator Allowed to Stay in Hotel During Cancer Treatments” – WFTV 9, May 2017 In May, the AP Stylebook changed its guidelines for how reporters should refer to people with substance abuse problems. “Avoid words like alcoholic, addict, user and abuser unless…
Read MoreAustralia: What impact do public sex offender registries have on community safety?
[aic.gov.au 5/22/18] Abstract: Sexual offending has a significant impact on victims and can cause considerable angst within the community. The effective management of sex offenders in the community is of paramount importance. This paper reviews the latest empirical evidence from Australia and overseas regarding the effectiveness of public and non-public sex offender registries. Results show that while public sex offender registries may have a small general deterrent effect on first time offenders, they do not reduce recidivism. Further, despite having strong public support, they appear to have little effect on…
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