[prisonpolicy.org – 2/6/20] No need to wait for pandemics: The public health case for criminal justice reform We offer five examples of policies that could slow the spread of a viral pandemic in prisons and jails – and would mitigate the everyday impact of incarceration on public health. by Peter Wagner and Emily Widra The United States incarcerates a greater share of its population than any other nation in the world, so it is urgent that policymakers think about how a viral pandemic would impact people in prisons, in jails,…
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Should the United States Use Chemical Castration For Sex Offenders?
[thelibertarianrepublic.com – 3/7/20] The term “castration” brings a chill to every man. The idea of having your ‘junk’ cut off is horrifying. It’s barbaric. Castration is like the archaic practice of locking someone in stocks or something that would be seen in a third world country, but not the United States But it’s not. It is used in our modern world, including America. Not only do many other countries have castration laws, but several of our states do as well. Even as recent as last year, states have been approving…
Read MoreScotland: Policing humour is no joke
[spiked-online.com – 2/27/20] Police Scotland are up to their old tricks again. It was revealed last week that they are logging jokes made on the internet because someone, somewhere, might have had their feelings hurt. A freedom-of-information request by The Times showed that more than 3,300 ‘non-crime hate incidents’ – that is, offensive remarks, including jokes on social media – have been stored on a police database somewhere north of Hadrian’s Wall over the past five years. Hundreds of Scots were placed on the insidious database last year alone. When…
Read MoreKat’s Blog: If Not You, Then Who?
If asked, would you join a lawsuit as a “John Doe”? Recently I was asked that question by a registrant who was in the process of having to consider just that. It seems sort of fickle that we’re at a point where registrants are encouraged to come out of the shadows, to stand up and speak up to get laws changed, but at that same time they’re often anonymous “John Doe’s” in lawsuits fighting against registry rules. From the gist of what I’ve read, modern lawsuits revealing the identity of…
Read MoreMI: Ypsilanti adds ex-offenders as protected class in nondiscrimination ordinance
[mlive.com – 3/4/20] YPSILANTI, MI – People with felony convictions cannot be discriminated against in Ypsilanti in a new addition to the city’s non-discrimination ordinance that passed Tuesday. Ypsilanti City Council voted unanimously to make ex-offenders a city-protected class at its meeting on March 3. Elected officials said the move will help returning citizens reintegrate into society and address racial disparities. Speakers during public comment said felony convictions are particularly challenging to finding employment and housing after returning from prison or parole. Several said a felony conviction can often act…
Read MoreMany CA Registrants Eligible to Vote
The State of California allows many, although not all, registrants to vote in every election (local, state, federal). There are three basic criteria to determine a person’s eligibility to vote: (1) U.S. citizenship, (2) at least 18 years old on election day, and 3) not currently found mentally incompetent. There are additional eligibility criteria for individuals who have been convicted of an offense, including a sex offense. “It is important that registrants know their voting rights,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “In the past, some government employees have wrongly…
Read MoreFL: Ban on sex offender appeal jail release passes Florida House
[news-journalonline.com – 3/3/20] A bill that would bar judges from granting bail to someone appealing a conviction of a sex offense against a child is moving smoothly through the Florida Legislature. Rep. Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, introduced the bill after outrage last year led by Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood and others when Mark Fugler was released while he appealed his conviction and 15-year prison sentence for sex crimes involving a child. Leek’s bill adds sex crimes against children to the list of offenses for which judges cannot grant supersedeas…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Have You Noticed?
Have you noticed there is a change in the relationship between the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) and the National Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws (NARSOL)? We hope so. Because the change in that relationship is the result of both hard work and a change in focus. In order to fully understand the significance of what is happening now, it is important to know a little about the past….including the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good is that NARSOL began almost 15 years ago and…
Read MoreACSOL Meeting in Berkeley on Saturday, March 7
Please mark your calendars for ACSOL’s upcoming meeting in Berkeley: Saturday, March 7 10 a.m. Finnish Hall (upstairs meeting room) 1970 Chestnut Street Berkeley Attendance is limited to individuals required to register, family members, and friends. Media, law enforcement, parole, etc. are not allowed to attend meetings. The meetings start at 10 am and last about 2-3 hours. Topics of conversation include information about ACSOL’s advocacy as well as current topics and pending legal action. Please Show up, Stand up, and Speak up!
Read MoreJoin RTAG’s conference call about possible changes to Angel Watch and Guardian Angel
[registranttag.org – 2/28/20] ALL are invited to hear Update to RTAG’s and Matt Ameika’s Mexican law firm efforts to effect the Angel Watch notification system and Mexico’s parallel Guardian Angel program. We have the acquired 5 Amparo (Remedy) cases to hopefully make changes to immigration procedures. Furthermore, the Mexican courts have recently established that the Mexican constitution and legal rights take priority over international agreements. We have also begun a process of engaging Mexican judges and government officials. Finally, we will discuss plans going forward. Paul Rigney and Matt will…
Read MoreKat’s Blog: App. Goes to Disturbing Lengths to Catch Predators
Good Morning America has run two recent segments on a parental control phone monitoring app. called Bark. For a fee, the tech company advertises that it’s app. can monitor your children’s social media online activities for signs of potentially dangerous situations such as cyber-bullying, adult content, sexual predators, drug use, depression, suicidal ideation, threats of violence and other assorted issues. Understandably, the online world can be a dangerous place, so some parents might choose to monitor their children’s computer activities by paying a tech company to act as “big brother”,…
Read MoreMI: State of Michigan set to pay $80M to settle sex abuse suit with former juvenile offenders
[detroitnews.com – 2/27/20] The Michigan Department of Corrections will pay $80 million to settle a lawsuit with former juvenile offenders who claimed they were sexually abused in Michigan prisons between October 2010 and February 2020, state officials said Thursday. Pending final approval April 9, the state will pay $25 million immediately, $15 million by October, $25 million by October 2021 and $15 million by October 2022. Buy PhotoMichigan officials have settled a sexual abuse lawsuit filed by former juvenile offenders for $80 million. (Photo: Daniel Mears, The Detroit News) State corrections officials and Attorney…
Read MoreMI: Forum: Re-examine child sexual abuse policy
[record-eagle.com – 2/26/20] Kristen Burgess took a courageous step forward (Record-Eagle, Jan. 5) to shed light on the community’s response to intrafamilial sexual abuse. When I started my career in 1987, there were “family-centered” programs for parents who decided not to divorce after intrafamilial child sexual abuse. Families were ordered into long-term programs supervised by the Family Courts. Offenders served time in jail and were slowly reintegrated into the family if agreed upon by all involved. As research demonstrated the impact of child sexual abuse on victims in adulthood, the…
Read MoreFL: Department of Juvenile Justice refuses to accept 15-year-old charged with possession of child pornography
[palmcoastobserver.com] In 2018 under the direction of Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office began participating with the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force consists of state and local law enforcement who are dedicated to developing effective responses to the online enticement of children by sexual predators, child exploitation, and child obscenity and pornography cases … Lashbrook identified a residence in Daytona North that was actively engaging in the manufacturing and distribution of child pornography. On Jan. 23, the FCSO Major Case Unit, as…
Read MoreUT: Topless Utah Stepmom Pleads Guilty To Avoid Sex Offender Registry
[reason.com – 2/26/20] Faced with the possibility of being placed on a sex offender registry for 10 years, Utah’s Tilli Buchanan has instead pleaded guilty to lesser charges after being prosecuted for appearing topless in front of her stepchildren. Read the full article
Read MoreBrian Banks to Speak at ACSOL Conference
Brian Banks, who was convicted of a crime he did not commit and who experienced five years in prison as well as the punishment of being required to register as a sex offender, has agreed to speak at this year’s ACSOL conference on Friday, May 29. Banks will join his attorney Justin Brooks, leader of the CA Innocence Project, in a joint presentation about the legal fight that ended in Banks’ removal from the registry as well as exoneration. Sign up today to hear them speak! Both Banks and Brooks…
Read MoreTime to Purge Bloated Sex Offender Registries
[creators.com – 2/22/20] Those who fight for a more equitable way to keep track of sexual predators won a big victory in Michigan last week. That is a state with some 44,000 names on its sexual offenders registry. U.S. District Court Judge Robert Cleland put his foot down and gave the Michigan legislature 60 days to rewrite its current “unconstitutional” registry statute. Last spring, Cleland set a 90-day deadline for lawmakers to rework the law, but he was ignored. This time, he’s serious. Everyone agrees we need to keep track…
Read MoreIN: Bill extending sex crimes statute of limitations advances to full House
[theindianalawyer.com – 2/21/20] “How many more victims will there be?” Dawn Price, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, posed that question before the Indiana House Courts and Criminal Code Committee on Wednesday while testifying in support of legislation that would extend the amount of time victims have to prosecute their perpetrators. Price shared her story of being molested and raped as a child by her adoptive father until she was nearly 13 years old. When Price, then a minor, told her mother what was happening, no action was taken. Even…
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