MO: Letters: Readers discuss Luke Heimlich

[amp.kansascity.com – 7/2/19] It seems as if every time the name Jason Kander appears in any newspaper, it is qualified with “rising star” or some similar phrase that provides Kander with more credibility than just using his name would. Are reporters allowing publicity managers to direct their writing, or are all reporters just really taken with him? The last Missouri candidate with an ego similar to Kander’s had to quit his office. Allow Kander to earn his respect. Don’t anoint him. Read more  

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For formerly incarcerated, little room in Airbnb’s sharing economy

[usatoday.com – 6/28/18] Airbnb doesn’t care about people like me. I learned this the hard way a few months ago when I tried to find accommodation in Washington, D.C. After chaperoning two busloads of youth from New York City for the March for Our Lives, I decided to stay a couple more days. The other chaperones agreed to ride the bus back to New York City with the kids, and I logged into my new Airbnb account for the first time to find a place to spend the night. Soon…

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NY: Ruling Appears To Give Sex Offenders A Pass On Facebook

[wwnytv.com – 6/29/18] It’s a case out of Essex County called the People v. Ellis. “Their decision was that Facebook accounts did not have to be registered if you are a sex offender,” said Leanne Moser, Lewis County District Attorney. New York state law requires sex offenders to register their Internet providers and any Internet identifiers that they use, but the court in Essex County decided Facebook is not either of those. Right now, courts in the north country have to follow the ruling, unless there is another contrary ruling…

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NE: Nebraska FEARLESS the subject of newly-published article: creation and how it helps registered citizens and their families

[nebfacts.blogspot.com – 6/26/18] Nebraskans Unafraid’s FEARLESS is the subject of a newly-published research paper. The paper, written by Lisa Sample, Brooke Cooley, and Tusty ten Bensel, looks at the creation of FEARLESS and how it helps registered citizens and their families. Here is the abstract from the article. The term sex offender carries expectations that include a continuous level of sexual criminal risk and untreatable mental health conditions that govern sex offending behaviors. These role expectations by the public can socially isolate individuals who have been convicted of a crime…

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VA: Longer sentences for violent sex predators

[fredericksburg.com – 7/2/18] THE Commonwealth of Virginia recently announced plans to expand a facility that treats convicted sex offenders who have served their prison sentences, but are considered too dangerous to release back into the community. It is alarming that the center has already exceeded its initial residency projections just 10 years after opening in 2008. The Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation in Burkeville will increase its current capacity from 258 to 450 beds to make room for former inmates classified as sexually violent predators (SVPs). The $110 million project…

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