With the support of Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and voters, California is preparing to overhaul decades-old determinate-sentencing laws and make thousands of nonviolent inmates eligible for early parole…. With the department planning to start determining parole eligibility on July 1, a civil rights group claims in state court that prisons officials cunningly tweaked the voter-approved measure and are planning to categorically exempt inmates incarcerated for nonviolent crimes that require them to register with the state as a sex offender. Source Related Newly Filed Lawsuit Challenges CDCR Regs for Prop 57
Read MoreCategory: California
Newly Filed Lawsuit Challenges CDCR Regs for Prop 57
A lawsuit was filed on April 27 challenging regulations recently issued by the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) which prohibit the beneficial effects of Proposition 57 from applying to anyone convicted of a sex offense. Those benefits include shorter prison terms that result from earning credit for good behavior as well as participation in rehabilitative, educational and career training programs. “Most registrable sex offenses are not violent offenses according to existing state law,” stated attorney Janice Bellucci. “Therefore, CDCR’s regulations have no legal foundation and are unlawful.” The lawsuit, filed in…
Read MoreSenate Committee Passes Tiered Registry Bill (SB 421)
The Senate Public Safety Committee passed the Tiered Registry Bill (Senate Bill 421) in a hearing during which three members of the Committee agreed to co-author the bill. The bill is now co-authored by Committee Chair Sen. Nancy Skinner as well as Committee Members Holly Mitchell and Joel Anderson. During the hearing, a total of 47 people spoke in favor the Tiered Registry Bill including representatives from the ACLU, Equality California, Root & Rebound and the Friends Committee. “Today’s victory is based in large part upon the registrants and family…
Read MoreSenate Committee Approves SB 26 With Amendments
The Senate Public Safety Committee today approved Senate Bill 26 with the promise that it would be further amended. The approval came despite the testimony of more than 40 people, including registrants and family members, who spoke in opposition to the bill. As currently written, Senate Bill 26 would require all registrants who are parents to be supervised by a school official while visiting a school campus for any reason including parent-teacher night, athletic events and graduation. In addition, individuals convicted of 10 offenses, including some misdemeanors, would be permanently…
Read MoreSupport for Tiered Registry Bill Growing
Support for the Tiered Registry Bill (SB 421) is growing both in the form of letters of support as well as a new co-author, Republican Senator Jeff Stone of San Diego. “The growing support for the Tiered Registry Bill is evidence that it is time to stop the state’s lifetime registry for all,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “It is time for California to join 46 states in the nation through adoption of a tiered registry.” Letters of support from law enforcement include letters from the CA Police Chiefs…
Read MoreNew bill could change way sex offenders are registered
Some sex offenders could soon lose their lifelong registration in the state of California. That’s if a new bill headed to the California Senate is signed into law. Full Article
Read MoreNew Author Announced for Tiered Registry Bill
Senator Scott Wiener (Democrat, San Francisco) has agreed to author the Tiered Registry Bill. As part of that decision, the Senator gutted a prior bill he previously introduced, Senate Bill 421, and amended that bill with the language of the original Tiered Registry Bill. “We thank Senator Scott Wiener for his courage in deciding to be the new author of the Tiered Registry Bill,” stated Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “His decision could increase public safety by making more efficient use of government resources.” The Tiered Registry Bill recently attracted the…
Read MoreAssembly’s Public Safety Committee Passes AB 558
The Assembly’s Public Safety Committee today passed Assembly Bill (AB 558). If this bill becomes law, individuals convicted of misdemeanor sex offenses as well as those convicted of similar offenses would be added to the public Megan’s Law website. The Committee vote was made after testimony in opposition to the bill from the ACLU, ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci and 17 ACSOL members. The sole member of the Committee who voted against the bill was Bill Quirk who said that the registry is already too long to be useful. Before…
Read MoreTemecula City Council Repeals Residency Restrictions
The Temecula City Council, in a vote of 4 to 1, approved the repeal of the city’s residency restrictions during its regularly scheduled meeting on April 11. The repeal is to take effect immediately and no further City Council is required. According to a city staff report, the city’s decision to repeal was based upon a March 2015 decision by the California Supreme Court which determined that blanket residency restrictions applied to all registrants, regardless of offense or the amount of time passed since the conviction, violated the Constitution. The City…
Read MoreCA Sex Offender Management Board Issues Annual Report
Adopting a tiered registration policy and changing California laws is the “highest priority” of the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB), according to its newly released annual report. In order to achieve that result, CASOMB has engaged in an “evidence-based public education campaign”. CASOMB views the current system of registering all sex offenders for a lifetime as “hugely burdensome and ineffective” and recognizes that “not all offenders are the same.” The board believes that a tiered registry would remove “sex offenders who pose a negligible to no risk of reoffending”…
Read MoreSenate Schools Bill (SB 26) Amended – HEARING April 25
HEARING DATE: April 25 – Senate Public Safety Committee at 8:30 a.m. in Room 3191 (as of 4/8) Sen. Connie Leyva has amended again Senate Bill 26 (SB 26) which would affect whether and when registrants could visit school campuses. As amended, the bill would require registrant parents to be supervised by a school official when they visit a school campus. In addition, the bill would limit visits by registrants who are not parents to times when students are not present. “The bill, as amended, would harm children by effectively denying…
Read MoreInternet Exclusion Bill (AB 558) Hearing Scheduled on April 18
The internet exclusion bill, AB 558, is scheduled to be considered by the Assembly Public Safety Committee on April 18. The committee hearing will begin at 8:30 a.m. in Room 126 and include consideration of more than 30 pending bills. “This bill must be stopped,” stated ACSOL executive director Janice Bellucci. “If the bill becomes law, families will be harmed and victims will be re-victimized.” AB 558 was previously scheduled for a hearing on March 28, however, the bill was pulled from consideration by its author. The Assembly Public Safety…
Read MoreSen. Lara Pulls Tiered Registry Bill (SB 695)
Senator Ricardo Lara, the primary author of the Tiered Registry Bill (SB 695), has pulled that bill from further consideration. The bill had been scheduled to be heard by the Senate Public Safety Committee on April 18. The bill could continue if either co-author Holly Mitchell agrees to serve as the bill’s sole author or a new author is identified. In order to remain viable, the bill must be heard by the Senate Public Safety Committee during its hearing on April 25. Related California state Sen. Ricardo Lara announces he’s…
Read MoreSenate Committee Approves SB 26
The Senate Education Committee today unanimously approved Senate Bill 26. The bill will next be heard by the Senate Public Safety Committee on April 18. The Committee made its decision despite testimony from ACLU lobbyist Natasha Minsker, civil rights attorney Nicole Pittman and ACSOL board member Roger Hunnicutt. During their testimony, the individuals expressed significant concern regarding how the bill will harm juveniles as well as registrants who are parents of school children. “The Education Committee today made a grave mistake that will harm children,” stated ACSOL executive director Janice…
Read MoreHype over substance in bill on sexual predators
Keeping dangerous sexual predators off school grounds is important. Fortunately, there are already laws in place which do that. But that didn’t stop Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, from trying to score easy political points by prohibiting sex offenders from schools. Full Article
Read MoreAmended Senate Bill 26 to be Heard on March 29 [updated with Education Committee Member List for calling]
Senate Education Committee Contact info below! Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Senate Bill 26 has been amended and is now scheduled for a March 29 hearing by the Senate Education Committee. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. and be held in Room 4203 of the Capitol Building. “Similar to the original version, the amended version of Senate Bill 26 is inconsistent with state law and would banish registrants who are the parents of school children from the grounds of their child’s school when pupils are present,” stated…
Read MoreCalifornia Lawmakers Want To Treat Juvenile Offenders Like Children
California should start treating juvenile offenders more like children, state lawmakers said Monday as they promoted bills that they said reflect research showing that children’s brains are different from adults. Full Article
Read MoreCA: State high court upholds post-prison rules for sex offenders
Sex offenders in California who have completed their prison sentences must comply with strict monitoring conditions while on probation, including undergoing lie-detector tests about their conduct and receiving treatment from therapists who can reveal their secrets to a probation officer, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday. Although offenders must take part in the lie-detector interrogation and therapy, none of their answers can be used to file or prove new criminal charges against them, the court said. The goal, instead, is to monitor the former inmates and prevent future crimes, the…
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