Source: ussc.gov 11/1/24 The U.S. Sentencing Commission, a bipartisan, independent agency located in the judicial branch of government, was created by Congress in 1984 to reduce sentencing disparities and promote transparency and proportionality in sentencing. The Commission collects, analyzes, and distributes a broad array of information on federal sentencing practices. The Commission also continuously establishes and amends sentencing guidelines for the judicial branch and assists the other branches in developing effective and efficient crime policy. Read the guidelines
Read MoreMonth: October 2024
The War on Halloween
Source: kenklippenstein.com 10/31/24 Halloween is a pretty extraordinary holiday. Think about it. Every year, millions of Americans knock on the doors of total strangers and accept candy from them, almost entirely without incident. For a culture as isolated and mistrustful as ours is, it’s amazing this is even possible. Halloween is a repudiation of the “See Something, Say Something” paranoia fostered by the national security state since 9/11 in particular. Small surprise, then, that these government agencies fearmonger about the holiday, never passing up a chance to ruin the fun. …
Read MoreEvery Halloween, Cops Brag About Arresting Sex Offenders. Here’s What The Arrests Were Actually For.
Source: huffpost.com 10/31/24 HuffPost obtained 37 arrest reports, the overwhelming majority of which show law enforcement officers arresting people for minor technical parole violations. Every year on Halloween, law enforcement agencies throughout the country conduct thousands of random checks on people who are required to register as sex offenders. The sweeps, called “Operation Boo,” typically result in a handful of arrests, which cops tout as evidence of their utility in protecting children from would-be predators. The press has dutifully spread this message: “For the 26th year, ‘Operation Boo’ Keeps…
Read MoreFL: ‘Let Parents Decide’ What Kids Can Do Online, Argue Tech Groups in New Lawsuit
Source: reason.com 10/30/24 The groups are challenging a Florida law that bans some teens from social media. The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice, two prominent tech-industry trade groups, have filed a lawsuit against a Florida statute barring younger teens from social media. Their suit—filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida—cites First Amendment concerns with Florida House Bill 3, which the groups also portray as an imposition on parents’ rights. “Florida House Bill 3 is the latest attempt in a long line of…
Read MoreMO: Janice interviewed on TV news about Missouri sex offenders no longer having to put signs out on Halloween
Source: ksdk.com 10/29/24 ST. LOUIS — This Halloween, Missouri sex offenders won’t have to put a sign on their front door turning people away after a court decision earlier this month. Since August of 2008, registered sex offenders had to put signs on their doors on Halloween saying “No candy or treats at this residence.” Attorney Janice Bellucci represented a Hazelwood man challenging the law. “All the laws have one thing in common, which is they’re based on a myth or misunderstanding that people on the registry actually pose…
Read MoreCA: CDCR Kicks Off ‘Operation Boo’ Halloween Safety Campaign
Source: cdcr.ca.gov 10/28/24 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Halloween is fast approaching, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is helping to keep kids and families safe. Throughout the week, CDCR parole agents will be providing safety tips for trick-or-treaters via social media and as part of a comprehensive parents’ guide on our 2024 Operation Boo webpage. (Follow us on the following social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, X) THE BIGGER PICTURE: Hundreds of parole agents across the state, in collaboration with local law enforcement partners, will conduct compliance checks on sex offender supervised…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Answers to Questions are Only Stop Gap Measures
About a month ago we identified three cases for which we had not yet received an answer. As of today, we have answers to those questions, however, some of those answers have resulted in more questions. First, a federal district court in Missouri has issued its decision regarding Halloween signs. That decision was strong and clear: Halloween signs are unconstitutional. The court even granted a permanent statewide injunction that in essence prohibits law enforcement in the state of Missouri from enforcing the state law that required the Halloween signs. While…
Read MoreAre you the parent of someone forced to register? Please take this survey
Source: Illinois State University Are you the parent of someone forced to register? If so, please participate in a research study conducted by Morgan Zornow under the supervision of Dr. Jessie L. Krienert in the Criminal Justice Sciences Department at Illinois State University. The study examines the stigma faced by parents of those convicted of a sexual offense. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. You must have a child/relative convicted of a sex offense at least three months ago to participate, and you must be 18 years of…
Read MoreIL: How do scores of Chicagoans arrested for sex crimes stay off the sex offender registry once convicted?
Source: nbcchicago.com 10/22/24 When John heard the news on a recent Friday, it hit him hard: Elliott ____, a former Chicago public schoolteacher and John’s former colleague, had been arrested and charged with three counts of child exploitation, after allegedly exposing himself to three girls – ages 10, 9, and 7. Eight years ago, John – who does not want to be identified by his real name – was one of more than two dozen victims recorded by Elliott after he hid a motion-activated camera in an employee bathroom at…
Read MoreMT: Montana’s Porn Age Verification Law Is Headed to Court
Source: reason.com 10/23/24 “Invoking the innocence of children is not…a magic incantation sufficient for legislatures to run roughshod over the First Amendment rights of adults.” It seems that a puritanical wave is sweeping the country as state governments increasingly try to make it more difficult to access pornography from within their borders. A lawsuit is challenging one of those laws, and this week, a federal judge allowed it to continue. Montana is one of multiple states in recent years to pass a law requiring pornographic websites to verify users’ ages. Under Senate…
Read MoreEnough With the Sex Offender Registry
Source: filtermag.org 10/23/24 Law enforcement has done a good job of portraying recidivism as a kind of unfortunate tendency some people just can’t help. Rarely do media and pop culture indicate that a parole violation can mean the state equivalent of the FBI taking you into custody without warning because you were using an adult webcam site while inside your own home. Christy paroled out of Georgia Department of Corrections custody in September 2023, after about 13 years of incarceration stemming from survival sex work. Being forced to register as a sex offender comes with an…
Read MoreFL: 47 Sex Workers and 96 Clients Arrested in Florida ‘Human Trafficking’ Sting/Sham
Source: reason.com 10/21/24 Polk County, Florida, continues to be one of the worst offenders for sham efforts to combat human trafficking. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) is publicizing “Operation Autumn Sweep” as a “human trafficking operation” that netted 157 arrests, including 25 arrests of illegal immigrants. But the vast majority of those arrested are accused not of anything the average American would view as trafficking. Instead, they were allegedly either soliciting prostitution or offering to commit prostitution. After posing online as either (adult) sex workers or prospective customers, cops…
Read MoreCA: Public opposition thwarts success of sexual predator placement program, state says
Source: dailybreeze.com 10/21/24 Public opposition is making it difficult to reintroduce sexually violent predators into California communities even though they have undergone post-prison treatment that makes them much less likely to reoffend, according to a new state audit. The 57-page audit released last week said it can take months or even years to find community housing for SVPs, as sexually violent predators are called, after they have finished treatment through California’s conditional release program. … California designates those convicted of specific sexually violent crimes who also have significant mental health…
Read MoreEmpowering Voices: Building Hope and Taking Action – Danell at ACSOL – W.A.R. Meeting on Oct 22
Source: Women Against Registry (W.A.R.) We hope you will join us for a WAR Room Zoom meeting: Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024 5 PM PT, 8 PM ET, 7 PM CT, 6 PM MT Click here to sign up now Our guest this week is going to be a special treat! Danell is a dedicated advocate for registered citizens, currently serving as the Advocacy Director on the Florida Action Committee (FAC) Board and recently appointed to the ACSOL Board of Directors. With a background in political science, real estate, and cancer…
Read MoreACSOL Online Meeting November 23, 2024
MD: 13-year-old boy charged for sex offense on University of Maryland campus
Source: dcnewsnow.com 10/18/24 [ACSOL note: this shows the need to educate children in how to avoid violating the law] COLLEGE PARK, Md. (DC News Now) — A 13-year-old boy was charged with a sex offense at the University of Maryland (UMD), police said Thursday. … A student told police that around 11 a.m., she was walking in that area when a “young male” walked up to her and started to ask her questions. She said that during that conversation, the boy touched her inappropriately before running away and leaving down…
Read MoreKY: AG defending state law requiring child sex offers to use full name on social media
Source: amnews.com 10/17/24 As a parent, I’m grateful to my own State Senator, Lindsey Tichenor, and Kentucky’s legislators who are protecting our children from predators,” Coleman stated. “This statute doesn’t ban any speech, but it simply empowers kids and their parents to know who may be lurking in the shadows of the internet. The law clearly passes constitutional muster, and we hope the Sixth Circuit will quickly allow it to take full effect.” The brief noted, “The law is therefore little different than sex-offender registry laws, whose constitutionality is not…
Read MoreMO: Attorney General Files Notice of Appeal in Missouri Halloween Case
Source: ACSOL The Missouri Attorney General filed a notice of appeal today notifying a federal district court in Eastern Missouri that they will seek review of that court’s decision by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. The district court’s decision permanently prohibits enforcement of a state law that requires registrants in Missouri to post a sign on their residence on Halloween. “We are not surprised that the Attorney General has filed a notice of appeal in this case,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “The filing of this notice, however,…
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