Do offender registries make us safer? The Kansas Legislature is tackling that question in the current session with two bills that would reform Kansas’ increasingly complex offender registration requirements. Full Editorial
KS: Offender registry changes needed in Kansas
- ·February 24, 2020
- ·12 Comments
Sounds like Kansas decided to add all felons to its registry to get a bigger piece of the SORNA pie.
Sounds like the Law has been OUT OF CONTROL WHEN IT COMES TO ABUSING POOR/DISADVANTAGED AND DIS INFRANCHISED PEOPLE AND CORRUPT LEGAL PRACTICES ARE A NORM IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND THESE ISSUES HAVE NOT BEEN SERIOUSLY CONFRONTED FOR A LONG LONG TIME !!!
Also, it is well known the Rich & Poweful are heard and Given Special treatment, but who upholds the Poor !
@ Kile: (FYI, comments are harder to read when they are written in ALL uppercase letters.😕)
KS is a midwest version of the Bible belt in their thinking.
If they add others in hopes of getting more of the SORNA pie who aren’t under SORNA crimes, then that’s fraud and abuse; thus illegal. Do these folks report travel?
KS has taken it to a whole new level where it has been in court previously. It pub’d one opinion saying it was a problem and then reversing itself with another. Good synopsis here on the entire deal:
https://josephhollander.com/kansas-supreme-court-invites-clearest-proof-offender-registration-punishes-non-sex-offenders/
If it’s punishment for NON-sex offenders, wouldn’t it also be punishment for sex offenders?? In this context, how could something be both punishment and non-punishment at the same time?
While the purported intent of KORA (and SORNA et alia) is “public safety”, we once again must ask, “Where are the research findings that support this being an effective tool for public safety? Where is the evidence?”
(IMHO, I hope more States choose to go “full KORA” because that will only increase the number of litigants filing legal actions against the Registries.)
The BJI, Bureau of Justice Investigations (iirc), did a 20-year study in New Jersey and discovered the registry did nothing. The study had 10-year stats before the implementation of the registry and 10-year stats after the implementation. Essentially, it was deemed a waste of resources because there wasn’t a difference pre and post implementation of the registry.
Yet, the SCOTUS takes one line out of a magazine, which was unsupported, and makes a ruling based upon that lie.
We’ve yet to re-visit that lie. I would like to re-visit that lie at the SCOTUS level so they can admit their mistake upon an already disgraced community.
@David
The logical thinking you say wouldn’t fly in KS (I’ll save the tornado and not in KS anymore sarcasm) because it truly appears to be a money generating (not necessarily making) scheme regardless. Sharing of already public info by making the public pay for the sharing of it on a registry to augment taxes is apparent here, IMO. I want to know how that is not double taxation of the person (not a fine mind you), which is illegal and unconstitutional, when the info is public already and is being published as public on a website specifically drawn to people forced to register regardless. You can’t raise taxes on farmers in a state that already is strapped for tax money with lower farm income paying what they can. Therefore, the penalty is passed to those who have committed a crime regardless of it.
Do you know if KORA registrants regardless of crime are forced to give 21 day notice or just those convicted of crime which is SORNA related specifically? I know you said “all”. The probably only pass along those who are SORNA related to satisfy gov’t reqs while keeping the others for their own records?
@New person
I’d like to see SCOTUS CJ Roberts take questions from the audience and specifically someone who has been impacted by the registry ask him point blank about the lie they perpetuate from the magazine article and continue to use it in good conscience. If Justice Thomas can overturn himself years later, as we saw yesterday WRT the Chevron defense, then Roberts should too by answering the question and in a case opinion. If I could, I would ask him.
Good Lord, everyone regardless of offense must register every three months and pay a twenty dollar fee each time? I don’t see how they could push and exploit people this far without some serious rebellion happening soon.
KORA requires transients to update their registration every 30 days at a cost of $20 each time. How is charging $240 per year not punishment? Also, all KORA registrant must have a specially-marked Drivers License or ID. And all KORA Registrants must submit 21-day Advance Travel Notificatons.