[radionwtn.com – 10/20/20] The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) is responsible for the supervision of more than 3,800 registered sex offenders. TDOC’s mission is to enhance public safety for all Tennesseans including our most vulnerable citizens – our children. That’s why the department launches a special operation this time of year called, Operation Blackout. According to Assistant Commissioner of Community Supervision Lisa Helton, “Operation Blackout provides all registered sex offenders under the supervision of the Tennessee Department of Correction with additional restrictions during a time when families and children might be…
Read MoreYear: 2020
LA: Court strikes Louisiana’s ‘Sex Offender’ ID requirement
[startribune.com – 10/20/20] NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana’s requirement that people convicted of certain sex crimes carry a state-issued ID card with the words “SEX OFFENDER” printed on it in orange capital letters is unconstitutional, the state’s Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The 6-1 ruling upholds a decision by a state judge in Lafayette who last year threw out a charge filed against a man who altered his card to remove the label. State attorneys had argued that the state had a legitimate interest in having the information on the ID card:…
Read MoreLA Times Op-Ed: Polly Klaas was our sister. We don’t want unjust laws to be her legacy
[latimes.com – 10/18/20] To many people, the face of Polly Klaas is a reminder of a horrific moment in our nation’s history. For us — her sisters — Polly’s face represents a constellation of childhood memories that remain precious to us today. Those memories ended abruptly on Oct. 1, 1993, when a man followed Polly home from the park and took her from our bedroom. … To us, the trauma of Polly’s death was made all the more confusing and frightening by the media frenzy surrounding it. As children, we…
Read MoreNARSOL LIVE Virtual Litigation Summit is November 19 & 21
[Recommended by ACSOL] The online NARSOL LIVE Litigation Summit is November 19 & 21, 2020. It will feature dynamic attorney presenters like Paul Dubbeling, Erica Dubno, Aaron Marcus, Adele Nicholas, Paul Reingold, and Mark Yurachek speaking on the hottest topics in registry and sexual offense litigation. Reserve your spot today! NARSOL members who sign-up prior to midnight October 31st will qualify for a Members-only Earlybird Special 10% discount! Watch for the special discount code in your email! Read more and register
Read MoreIA: New tool to monitor registrants: License Plate Reader Contract Approved in Davenport, Iowa
[ govtech.com 10/15/20] While the devices are touted as investigative tools — helping to locate stolen cars, missing persons and the like — privacy and civil rights advocates say the technology also raises concerns around misuse and surveillance. (TNS) — Davenport City Council members on Wednesday unanimously approved a contract that will give Davenport police an enhanced tool for tracking stolen vehicles, wanted criminals and abducted children. The little-noticed, high-speed cameras mounted on police cars, road signs, bridges and poles photograph thousands of plates per minute. The devices convert each…
Read MoreMy Son is No Sex Offender
My 33-year-old son, Adam, is a registered sex offender in the state of Illinois. Because of this, our entire family exists in the netherworld of the registry. The federal laws mandating a publicly available sex-offender registry were passed in the mid-1990s with the purpose of notifying communities about “sexually violent predators” living in their neighborhoods. But my son is not violent nor is he a predator. My son was convicted of a single, non-violent misdemeanor. He was never in trouble before, and he’s never been in trouble since. There are…
Read MoreACSOL Urges “NO” on Prop. 20, “YES” on Prop. 17
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) urges registrants, their families and supporters to vote “NO” on Proposition 20 and to vote “YES” on Proposition 17. Both propositions are included on the November 2020 ballots. If passed, Proposition 20 would significantly increase the number of violent felonies from 27 to 51, resulting in harsher sentences and longer prison terms. Of that total, the number of violent sex offenses would also increase significantly from 9 to 14. In addition, Proposition 20 would require the collection of DNA from individuals convicted…
Read MoreACSOL and Allies Submit Formal Response to Proposed SORNA Regulations
[ACSOL] Today 10 legal professionals from six different states submitted a formal response to the U.S. Department of Justice regarding proposed SORNA regulations that could adversely affect the daily lives of almost one million people required to register as a sex offender. The response is 36 pages long and includes a request that the federal agency issue revised regulations and allow for additional comments from the public in the future. “ACSOL and its allies have prepared a comprehensive response to the proposed SORNA regulations,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. …
Read MoreNY: Appeals Court hearing oral arguments online Oct 13 on continued detention of former sex offenders after release
[nycourts.gov] These appeals were filed by level three sex offenders to challenge their indefinite detention in prison or prison-based residential treatment facilities (RTFs) after their prison terms expired or they were granted parole. All three offenders were subject to post-release supervision (PRS) and were held past their release dates by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) when they were unable to find housing that complied with the Sexual Assault Reform Act (SARA), which bars certain sex offenders from residing within 1,000 feet of any school grounds (Executive Law…
Read MoreFL: Reentry Task Forces Recommends a Stop to Residency Restrictions for Sex Offenders
[from the last page] We affirm the findings of the OPPAGA that “many studies have established that sex offenders who maintain stable employment, housing and family relationships have significantly lower recidivism rates” as well as the numerous studies which conclude that SORRs undermine successful reentry of returning citizens, while doing nothing to promote public safety. For that reason, we make the following recommendations: 1) Legislation should be enacted that would pre-empt the patchwork of county and city SORR ordinances in favor of the State’s SORR Statute (F.S. §775.215). 2) Counties…
Read MoreACSOL Declares Virtual Conference a Success
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) conducted a successful two-day virtual conference on October 10 and 11. The conference featured plenary speakers such as criminal justice professor Dr. Alissa Ackerman, civil rights attorney Marcus Allen and Justin Brooks of the Innocence Project. The conference also featured panel discussions regarding the federal government’s proposed SORNA regulations, challenges faced by family members, the LGBT community, and travel restrictions. “More than 240 people signed up for this year’s conference,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “Although it was ACSOL’s fourth annual…
Read MorePublishing Registered Sex Offenders’ Home Addresses Before Halloween Is Gratuitous, Unethical, and Reckless
[reason.com – 10/10/20] Every year in the run-up to Halloween, Patch publishes maps showing the homes of “registered sex offenders” in various cities. Ostensibly, this information is aimed at helping parents who worry that their children might be molested while trick-or-treating. But research shows that such fears have no basis in reality, and these stories—like the warning signs and restrictions imposed by local police prior to Halloween—mainly serve to stigmatize people who have already completed their sentences, along with their spouses and children, who have committed no crimes at all.…
Read MoreCA Supreme Court Considers Prop. 57 Case
[ACSOL] The California Supreme Court today listened to oral arguments in the first in a series of cases regarding the implementation of Proposition 57 by the California Department of Corrections (CDC). At issue in all of those cases is whether CDC’s regulations could lawfully exclude anyone convicted of a sex offense from its major benefit, that is, early parole consideration. The registrant in today’s case is Gregory Gadlin who is currently in state prison after being convicted of an offense that does not require registration. However, Gadlin is required to…
Read MoreOregon Voices Submits Formal Response to Proposed SORNA Regulations
[oregonvoices.org] Oregon Voices, an organization devoted to support and advocacy for individuals and families affected by the sex offender registry, submitted yesterday its formal response to the proposed SORNA regulations issued by the federal government last month. Below is an excerpt from that response and a link is provided after the article to the organization’s full response. “We commend Oregon Voices for formally responding to the proposed SORNA regulations,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “ACSOL and its allies will submit its response next week prior to or on the October…
Read MoreDeadline is this Wednesday for ACSOL Oct. 10-11 Online Conference Signup!
For years you may have wanted to attend ACSOL’s conference to get all that great information and infusion of hope, but couldn’t afford the travel or hotel costs. This is your chance! The entire conference is being transmitted live through the Internet! But your chance to attend live ends this Wednesday night! For technical reasons, anyone who signs up after Wednesday will not be able to attend live, although you and all other conference attendees will be emailed links to recordings of the conference. Sign up today for just $25!…
Read MoreTX: Beeville optometrist (!) appointed by Gov. Abbott to Texas sex offender treatment council
[caller.com – 10/1/20] AUSTIN – Beeville optometrist Elizabeth Perez Aliseda has been appointed to the Texas Council on Sex Offender Treatment by Gov. Greg Abbott. Aliseda owns Mira Vision Boutique in Beeville. She is also a member of the Texas Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association and a former president of the Coastal Bend College Foundation and the Beeville Rotary Club. Read more about this appointment of an optometrist who will manage sex offender treatment
Read More“Your Life on the List”: A Survival Guide for those Forced to Register Upon Release
Derek W. Logue of OnceFallen.com Since 2015, OnceFallen.com has provided the Informational Corrlinks Newsletter (ICoN) and other prisoner outreach services. In an effort to provide numerous resources for prisoners, those new to life on the registry, and those potentially facing life on the registry (many of whom may not have access to the Internet), OnceFallen has compiled the best information from our website and past issues from the ICoN and created “Your Life on the List”, a registry survival guide. Your Life on the List covers many of the most…
Read MoreAssociation for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) Report concludes SORNA does not achieve its goals
[atsa.com – 10/1/20] PURPOSE OF THIS PAPER [from the web page]: Registration and community notification with international adoption of these policies expanding to other countries in subsequent years. Federal and local laws in the U.S. and other Western countries require persons who have been convicted of a sexual crime to register their living location and other personal information with a local law enforcement agency on a regular basis. This requirement varies in its duration, but in many cases can continue for the rest of the registrant’s life. For the majority…
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