Hearing Dates Set for AB 558 and SB 421

I am so scared of AB 558. It will be the end of my life if it passes.

Janice, should we also come to the AB 558 hearing?

If we had done as I have pushed here for years, and instead of this harsh and I would say unconstitutional (as cruel and unusual punishment for those in tier 1 and even 2, and probably even all the rest) tier bill instead pushed for conforming California law to the federal requirements of who must register and for the minimum times in the federal law, we would not have to deal with the threat of 558 — because ALL those people threatened by it would not even have to register any more, as the federal government does not require registration for those offenses. (And of course, that would also take them out of the federal IML law, and all the other disabilities of registration.)

It could have been a simple and sellable approach, pointing out it would be giving relief only to the lesser offenses whom the public does not even know must register and doesn’t care about — but we don’t seem to really want to eliminate registration, even for lesser offenses, we simply want to lessen it a little, or just the time frame, for some, but not too lessened, since we are pushing in the tier bill to make mere misdemenants register for at least 10 years and maybe more — and that actually INCREASING the time they must register from 7 year to 10 years for some of those offenses that now can stop with a COR after 7 years!

In fact, under the tier bill, those who have been able to stop registering because they have a COR at 7 years will now have to start registering again and wait until they reach 10 years of registration — and that in California — and then ask for permission to end again, and hope they do not get a challenge. (Just like happened twice before, when relief from registration that was earned and obtained as part of 1203.4 relief was later taken away and people were required to start registering again. Except, those people don’t necessarily know that and will find out the hard why by getting arrested at some point. They might have had only a year of registration originally, then the 1203.4 relief — but under this tier plan, they will have to do 9 more years of registration before they can even ask for relief — because the tier bill requires you prove registration, not simply show offense-free time from last offense; the tier bill requires that you complete a sentence rather than show good conduct.) We LIKE this, so much so that we are pushing for it — instead of the much easier and more definitive approach I have proposed here for years and this group has ignored, an approach that would allow us to turn all our guns at the federal government and become a real force for registrants in all the states.

We have failed to lead the conversation and point it in the proper direction. We let the prosecutors have complete control of it, and they have done so with gusto and evil intent and design of the bill.

I mailed my “Please oppose AB 558.” letters to the Senate Public Safety Committee members today and I phoned each of them as well. I encourage everyone to do the same. Please everyone: let’s overwhelm them with an avalanche of letters and calls! We’ve done it before let’s do it again!

I just wanted to re-post this as written by pgm111 since this is a better place to post this. Thanks pgm111, I will use this (with some changes) to send my letters. It is always best to customize all cut and paste letters just a little.

Lake County, CA added note: (Send to each public safety member above, if one of these members is in your district, you can email or call them also. I also suggest you put “Public Safety Committee” (with Chair/Vice Chair title if appropriate) on the address label of each letter as that will increase the chances that they will consider (read) you letter since it is policy in State and Federal government not to read or respond to letters from anyone not directly in their district). Normally when politicians receive letters from non-constituents, they look up your address and forward it to your representatives office.

June 23, 2017

Great news! Now it is time for a full court press to make SB 421 a reality. Below is a copy and paste of my letter to California senators.

Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr.
Capitol Office, Room 2117
P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento, CA
94249-0059

Re: SB 421 – Tiered Registry Bill

Dear Chairman Jones-Sawyer,

I strongly urge you to vote YES on Senate Bill 421. Here is why:

1. According to the California Depart of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the recidivism rate for sex offenders is 0.8% over a five year time scale.

2. 95% of all sex crimes are committed by family members, teachers, coaches and clergy – not people on the sex offender registry.

3. The current registry scheme provides public with false sense of security and does not serve the interests of protecting the public.

4. A tiered registry system would actually increase public safety and make more efficient use of scarce law enforcement resources

It is now time to reform California’s archaic sex offender registry. A yes vote on SB 421 will help achieve that laudable goal.

Thank you.

Full Name
Street address
City, CA ZIP

🛫 Okay, I’m heading to Sacramento! 👍