Source: fox4now.com 4/22/25 CLEWISTON, Fla. — Clewiston passed a new ordinance to push sex offenders farther away from schools. On Monday, city council passed an ordinance requiring sex offenders to live at least 2,500 feet from schools, parks, and playgrounds. Until now, offenders only had to live 1,000 feet away – the minimum state requirement. Clewiston Police Chief Tom Lewis said the city needed to act after seeing more offenders move in – taking advantage of Clewiston’s less strict rules. He said this change brings Clewiston in line with nearby…
Read MoreYear: 2025
Please consider being a member of their newly formed Sentence Impact Advisory Group (SIAG)
Source: United States Sentencing Commission [Janice asks you to seriously consider being a member to have an impact on sentencing] The Commission has a number of existing advisory groups that provide important stakeholder perspective on issues relating to federal sentencing. Most recently, the Commission added an advisory group named the Sentence Impact Advisory Group (SIAG) to bring the perspectives of individuals affected by federal sentencing into the Commission’s work. Click here to go to the list of advisory groups. Scroll down to Sentence Impact Advisory Group to read more Click…
Read MoreCA: Elderly Parole Program Exclusions AB 47 Approved by Assembly Committee
Source: ACSOL The Assembly Public Safety Committee today approved Assembly Bill 47, which if passed, would exclude many people convicted of a sex offense from the Elderly Parole Program. That program currently allows individuals who have spent at least 20 consecutive years in prison and are at least 50 years old an opportunity to be considered for release from prison. No one is automatically released from prison because of the Elderly Parole program. Instead, they must participate in a hearing led by representatives from CDCR. “More than 20 people testified…
Read MoreUPDATE: SORNA Hearing is now July 14
Source: ACSOL A hearing is scheduled on Monday, July 14 at 9 a.m., in federal district court regarding the ongoing challenge to the federal SORNA regulations. Below is Zoom information that can be used to view and/or hear the hearing virtually: Click here for the zoom link Telephone: (669) 254-5252 Webinar ID: 160 816 0971 Passcode: 311094 Important Notice: Recording Is Strictly Prohibited. The hearing is scheduled to be held in: U.S. District Court of California, County of Riverside 3470 12th St Riverside, CA 92501 Judge Jesus Bernal will preside in Courtroom 1. …
Read MoreCA SB 286: The bill excluding violent sex offenders from elderly parole
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — (KBAK/FOX58) California State Senator Brian Jones, the Senate Minority Leader, has voiced strong support for Senate Bill 286, which seeks to exclude some violent sex offenders from being eligible from elderly parole. Jones suggested that the bill should not even require debate, stating, “We should not have to have a Senate bill for this because it should have never been passed in the first place.” Jones emphasized the significance of the legislation, saying, “This is such a major policy change that affects the entire state.” He expressed surprise…
Read MoreIN: New Indiana law tightens restrictions on sex offender relocation
Source: wfft.com 4/21/25 An Indiana bill aimed at strengthening safeguards on where sex offenders can live has been signed into law by the governor. The legislation was authored by state Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn. House Enrolled Act 1687 reinforces probation requirements for sex offenders who want to move to another county. It also adds new factors for judges to consider before approving a relocation. Those factors include whether the offender has close family ties—such as a spouse, parent, or adult child—in the area, along with stable housing and employment opportunities.…
Read MoreThey Served Their Time. But They May Still Die in State Custody.
Source: theappeal.org 4/21/25 In half the country, sex offense civil commitment incarcerates people after they complete their prison sentences. Eliseo Padrón is a 50-year-old Mexican American man from St. Paul, Minnesota. Padrón told The Appeal he grew up surrounded by gang culture. He spent his early adulthood in and out of prison. “Living that lifestyle led to me doing a lot of things that I regret,” Padrón says. He was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in 1995. After he violated his parole terms by returning late to the halfway…
Read MoreMN: More sex offenders reside in Brooklyn Park than other suburbs. The city may limit where they live.
Source: startribune.com 4/20/25 Officials question whether residency restrictions in other cities are pushing more registered offenders to Brooklyn Park. Matt Rabe, an inspector with the Brooklyn Park Police Department, answered a call that sparked a lot of questions. Rabe said the caller was trying to place a registered predatory offender in Brooklyn Park after a neighboring suburb had turned them down due to their city’s residency restrictions. Brooklyn Park doesn’t have an ordinance limiting where convicted sex offenders are allowed to live, but is surrounded by suburbs that do. The…
Read MoreACSOL Online Meeting May 17, 2025
You are invited to join ACSOL Executive Director and civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci and an ACSOL board member for our next meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday May 17 online on Zoom beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 PM Eastern, and will last at least two hours. You can use the Zoom app or you can call in using a Zoom phone number. There is no registration needed for this meeting. No government officials are allowed to attend the meetings. This meeting will be recorded. Within…
Read MoreAction Alert: Registrants and supporters please take this survey on the effects of the registry and your unmet support needs
Source: restorativeactionalliance.org [Please consider taking this survey – Janice] We at the Restorative Action Alliance (RAA) request that registrants and eligible loved ones take our Reentry Needs Survey. We are an advocacy and support organization working to end cycles of sexual harm without relying on over-criminalization, inhumane incarceration practices, or the counterproductive registry regime. This Reentry Needs Survey is open to individuals who are: 18 years of age or older, and Have experienced reentry after being convicted for a sexual offense or are currently required to register Participation is completely…
Read MoreGuilty by Association: How Our Convictions Affect Our Families
Source: prisonjournalismproject.org 4/15/25 When a person is convicted, it is easy to forget they are more than a felon. They are someone’s son or daughter. They might even be someone’s father or mother. They are also someone’s friend. A person might be sitting alone at the defendant’s table, but there are more people involved in the aftermath of a verdict. The conviction process affects everyone in a person’s social circle. In October 2021, I pleaded guilty to a sex crime — one count of possession of child pornography. I was…
Read MoreEurope: ETIAS 2026? Start of European Travel Authorization System Delayed Again
Source: natlawreview.com 4/10/25 Implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) has been delayed again. Initially expected to be operational in 2022, ETIAS is now scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026. This delay allows more time for the Entry/Exit System (EES) to be fully implemented, which is expected to become operational in October 2025. ETIAS will be a requirement for non-EU nationals from visa-exempt countries, including the United States, for short-term stays in the Schengen Area. ETIAS is not a visa. Americans will maintain their visa-free…
Read MoreTwo American Registrants Denied Entry to the Philippines
Source: floridaactioncommittee.org 4/15/25 Two American persons forced to register as sex offenders, one for an offense that took place more than two decades ago and one for an offense that took place 36 years ago, were denied entry into the Philippines earlier this month. It’s an unfortunate reminder of how persons forced to register continue to deal with lifelong consequences from decades-old convictions and how the US’s policy of branding passports and sending notice to receiving countries contributes to their banishment. Read the full article
Read MoreAction Alert for CA: Call to oppose Assembly Bill 47
The CA Assembly Public Safety Committee is scheduled to conduct a hearing on April 22 that includes Assembly Bill 47. If passed into law, it would exclude many people convicted of a sex offense from the benefits of the Elderly Parole program. We must oppose this bill! The Elderly Parole program currently provides for the release of individuals who have been in custody for at least 20 continuous years and are at least 50 years provided that certain conditions are met. The program currently allows release of individuals convicted of…
Read MoreFL: USF Reports Residency Restrictions Ineffective
Source: floridaactioncommittee.org 4/13/25 FAC came across the following presentation on a study from the University of South Florida, showing the effects of residency restrictions in Tampa, Florida. The conclusions were that residency restrictions have been ineffective. In fact, recidivism and the number of sexual crimes increased following their implementation. The topic is introduced at 1:09:20 and goes to 2:02:30 Read the report on the FAC website
Read MoreCriminal – Downward variance – Child pornography – Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
Source: masslawyersweekly.com 4/11/25 Where a defendant who pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography was sentenced to time served (21 days) and seven years of supervised release, the defendant must be resentenced because the district court did not adequately explain its basis for granting such an extraordinary downward variance. “Defendant Carlos Vázquez-Narvaez (‘Vázquez’) pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2252A(a)(5)(B). For that offense, the probation office calculated a guideline sentencing range of fifty-one to sixty-three months of imprisonment…
Read MoreMO: Amid Calls to Reform Bail, Judges in St. Louis Embrace Ankle Monitors
Source: nytimes.com 4/10/25 Proponents say the devices have helped address inequities in the criminal justice system. But many defendants have experienced unintended consequences. In the heat of an argument last spring, Khyla Mason raised a handgun into the air on a neighbor’s porch. She was acting in self-defense, she said, and never fired, but the confrontation was captured on video, and some children were nearby. Ms. Mason wound up in a St. Louis jail charged with unlawful use of a weapon. Just a few years ago, someone facing the same…
Read MoreGuyana: No Hiding Place: Sex Offender List to Go National in Guyana.
Source: thestkittsnevisobserver.com 4/10/25 Public meetings are now happening in Guyana as the government plans to update the Sexual Offences Act. The goal is to give better protection to victims and handle sexual violence cases more effectively. The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is asking people and organizations to share their ideas on a new draft law called the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2024. Civil society groups are especially encouraged to send in their suggestions. New sex offender database proposed One of the main ideas in the draft law…
Read More