The City of Pico Rivera repealed its residency restrictions which prohibited registrants from living in most of that city, on either a temporary or a permanent basis, and the repeal of the city’s restrictions will become effective on July 12, 2018. The City’s repeal followed the filing of a lawsuit in federal district court on February 22, 2018. “The Pico Rivera lawsuit is number 30 of 31 lawsuits filed thus far challenging residency restrictions adopted by cities and counties,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci “The lawsuits have resulted in…
Read MoreCategory: California
CA: Maywood to Consider Repeal of Residency Restrictions
The City of Maywood is scheduled to consider repeal of its residency restrictions during a City Council meeting on July 11. If the City Council approves repeal of the restrictions on that date, a second vote will be required at its next meeting on July 25. “The current residency restrictions in the City of Maywood virtually banish all people required to register from living in that city,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “As a result, Maywood families have been torn apart.” ACSOL notified the City of Maywood in a…
Read MoreCA: In ‘Sex, Crime and Culture’ Class, Students Scrutinize Policies, Practices
[fullerton.edu – 7/3/18] Summer Young, a student working toward a career as a prosecutor, was intrigued by the title of a criminal justice class at Cal State Fullerton: “Sex, Crime and Culture.” “This is a topic that many tend to shy away from,” said Young, who took the course over the summer. “There are too many stereotypes that cloud our judgment of what a person who sexually perpetrates looks and acts like.” The course is led by Alissa Ackerman, an assistant professor of criminal justice and sex crimes researcher who…
Read MoreCA: Dismantling at-risk inmate housing brings hurdles
Special California prisons intended to protect gang informants, disgraced cops and child molesters have become so violent, gang-riddled and crowded that officials are dismantling what’s become the United States’ largest protective custody program. Full Article
Read MoreCA: Senate Public Safety Approves Weakened AB 514 [UPDATED]
[UPDATED 6/29/18 with court decisions regarding cities – see the end of this article] The Senate Public Safety Committee today approved a weakened version of Assembly Bill 514. The original version of AB 514 would have prohibited some individuals convicted of a sex offense involving a minor from living within 1,000 feet of day care centers. The bill would have applied to both registrants on parole as well as registrants not on parole. The amended version of AB 514 does not prohibit any individual convicted of a sex offense from…
Read MoreCA: Lawsuit Challenges New Prop. 57 Regulations
A lawsuit has been filed challenging new regulations issued by the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) that implement Proposition 57. The lawsuit was filed in Sacramento Superior Court on June 25. “In its new regulations, CDCR repeated its original mistake of excluding everyone convicted of a sex offense from the benefits of Proposition 57,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “As recognized by the Court in our first lawsuit, the agency lacks authority to change the public’s decision to provide the benefits of Proposition 57 to everyone convicted…
Read MoreEmotional Support Group Meeting – June 23, Los Angeles
ACSOL will host an Emotional Support Group for registrants and their loved ones on Saturday June 23, 10 a.m. at: ACLU Building 1313 W. 8th Street Los Angeles Free parking is available under the building and there is no charge to attend the meeting. The meeting, which is based upon 12 Step principles, will provide registrants and their loved ones with an opportunity to discuss personal challenges.
Read MoreCA: California moving to “evidenced based” policies for Sex Offenders
[UPDATED LINKS 6/23/18] [floridaactioncommittee.org – 6/21/18] California, which has the largest sex offender registry in the US, has been taking steps in the right direction over the past couple of years. The State recently migrated towards a “tiered” system that would allow some registrants (those deemed “lower” risk to re-offend) to be removed from the registry eventually. While the plan wasn’t perfect, because it tiered people based on offenses rather than actual risk, California is now seeking to enact a new bill to help them introduce empirical evidence into their…
Read MoreCA: Senate Public Safety to Consider Residency Restrictions Bill on June 26
The Senate Public Safety Committee will consider Assembly Bill 514 during a hearing on June 26. If passed, the bill would prohibit some people convicted of a sex offense involving a minor age from living within 1,000 feet from a day care center or a family day care home. The bill is the result of significant changes to a previous bill focused on medical waste that was introduced by Assemblyman Rudy Salas, a Democrat from Bakersfield. “This bill would not achieve its stated purpose of increasing public safety,” stated ACSOL…
Read MoreACSOL Conference Attracts More than 170 People from 14 States, Identifies Future Opportunities in 2019
More than 170 people required to register, their loved ones and supporters from 14 states attended the second annual ACSOL conference in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 16. The conference included four plenary speakers as well as 12 workshops. “We shared information, energy and support during the conference,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “We also provided essential tools for daily living to people required to register as well as their loved ones.” After a warm welcome from ACSOL President Chance Oberstein, plenary speaker Laurie Jo Reynolds opened…
Read MoreCA: Louis Theroux’s LA Stories: Among the Sex Offenders
[documentaryvine.com – 2012] In 2012 legendary British documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux relocated his family to Los Angeles after deciding that he needed a break from London. choosing Los Angeles for the lifestyle and the generally good weather. The BBC rented him a small old office in Hollywood which was originally built by Charlie Chaplin. and Louis and a small team set about developing a mini-series set in Los Angeles. The result is the three part series Louis Theroux’s LA Stories. Among the Sex Offenders is the third of the three…
Read MoreCA: The pressure for tough sentences
[newsday.com 6/8/18] A story that sparked outrage over sexism, privilege and lenient treatment of sexual violence two years ago resulted in what many consider a victory for justice and for women. California Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who was excoriated for giving a six-month jail sentence to Brock Turner, a former Stanford University athlete convicted of sexually assaulting and attempting to rape an unconscious, severely intoxicated woman, was stripped of his office by a recall vote on Tuesday as a result of a campaign led by Stanford law Professor Michelle…
Read MoreCA: Registrant on Parole Challenges Social Media Ban
A lawsuit was filed today in federal court on behalf of a registrant who is on parole in order to challenge a parole condition that prohibits him from accessing all social media. Defendants in the case include the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the Secretary of CDCR and his parole officer. “Many registrants on parole are unlawfully being denied access to social media,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “The courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have determined that similar denials violate the First Amendment.” The plaintiff in…
Read MoreCA: Federal Court Denies State Hospital’s Motion to Dismiss
[ACSOL – 6/6/18] A U.S. district court today denied a Motion to Dismiss filed by Coalinga State Hospital. Because of the denial, a lawsuit filed on behalf of two patients at that hospital will continue. “Today’s decision is a significant victory for hundreds of registrants who are also patients at Coalinga State Hospital,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “The claims of the plaintiffs regarding retaliation for the exercise of their First Amendment rights are similar to claims that could have been made by many others.” In today’s decision, the…
Read MoreCA: Judge Aaron Persky recalled over Brock Turner sentencing
[abc7news.com – 6/6/18] SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — Voters have recalled Judge Aaron Persky from office after he sentenced a former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexual assault to a short jail sentence instead of prison. Persky sentenced Brock Turner in June 2016 to six months in jail instead of prison after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman outside a fraternity house. The recall campaign launched shortly afterward. The campaign gained national prominence after the victim’s powerful courtroom statement lamenting her treatment by the judicial system was circulated…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Voting Rights Act for Registrants May Be Required
Today is election day. Today California voters will cast their ballots in a primary election that determines the nomination of candidates for offices from Insurance Commissioner to U.S. Senator as well as the outcome of several ballot propositions. Because it is a mid-term election, the percentage of people expected to vote is low, perhaps as low as 30 percent. Missing from the number of people who vote today, however, may be many registrants, some of whom have been misinformed and told that they are not eligible to vote. For example,…
Read MoreCA: Superior Court Judges Limits Residency Restrictions to Parolees
A California Superior Court judge has ruled that residency restrictions may only be applied to registrants while they are on parole. This ruling, issued in Norwalk Superior Court yesterday, is consistent with a ruling made by a federal judge in late 2017. “These court decisions are important because they clarify that cities may not impose residency restrictions against registrants who are not on parole,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “In addition to limiting the application of residency restrictions to parolees, we are also claiming that the restrictions violate the…
Read MoreCA: California Program to Help Homeless Vets Excludes Sex Offenders
[floridaactioncommittee.org – 3/31/18] It sounds like a great program. Homeless military veterans who have been sleeping in their cars and risking arrest for violating a new law making it illegal to sleep in your vehicle in a residential area overnight, can now park their vehicles in the VA parking lot and get a good night’s sleep and access to bathrooms. According to California Radio Station WMOT, “Last month, a non-profit group called Safe Parking L.A. partnered with the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer 10 parking stalls for vets to…
Read More