February 1: After meeting in the offices of all newly elected members of the state legislature as well as members of the Senate Public Safety Committee, more than 35 ACSOL members concluded their early lobbying efforts on January 31. “We educated the newly elected members and staff regarding the need for a tiered registry based upon empirical evidence as well as the harm that could be caused by prohibiting all registrants from visiting all K-12 schools for all reasons,” stated ACSOL president Janice Bellucci. The ACSOL members were organized into…
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Accepting that others can change is often difficult
Many residents hearing about a sexually violent predator possibly being released from a state hospital to Lincoln want to prevent that move. Having a sex offender living nearby is scary. We want to keep family members safe and protect them from anyone who is dangerous. But how can parents do that if they’re living next to someone who committed horrendous crimes on innocent victims, oftentimes children who can’t defend themselves? Full Article Also see Criminal controversy
Read MoreSan Jose cat killer may have to register as sex offender
A San Jose man who stole, tortured and killed 21 cats more than a year ago and a throng of people who have been closely following the case should learn next month when he’ll be sentenced and whether he’ll eventually have to register as a sex offender. Full Article
Read MoreInglewood City Council Repeals Residency Restrictions
The Inglewood City Council voted in favor of repealing the city’s residency restrictions which prohibited registrants from living in most of that city during its meeting on January 24. The City Council is expected to finalize its decision to repeal the restrictions during its next meeting which is scheduled for January 31. “This is a significant victory for registrants and their families,” stated ACSOL president Janice Bellucci. “No longer will families be separated by a law that failed to increase public safety and yet violated the Constitution.” If the City…
Read MoreACSOL Makes Formal Presentation to CA Sex Offender Management Board
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) made a formal presentation to the CA Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) during the board’s monthly meeting on January 19. In its presentation, ACSOL notified CASOMB that it would lobby on both the tiered registry bill and Senate Bill 26. ACSOL told CASOMB that while the organization supports the concept of a tiered registry, it has several serious concerns about the draft tiered registry bill. One of those concerns is the amount of discretion provided to district attorneys to stop the petition…
Read MoreFullerton, Desert Hot Springs to Consider Repeal of Residency Restrictions
The City Councils of Fullerton and Desert Hot Springs are scheduled to consider repeal or revision of the residency restrictions in those cities on January 17. The residency restrictions in both cities were challenged in federal lawsuits filed in September 2016. According to current law in those cities, registrants are prohibited from permanently residing in virtually all parts of the city. In addition, Desert Hot Springs prohibits registrants from residing in that city on a temporary basis. A total of 18 lawsuits have been filed challenging residency restrictions in the…
Read MoreAdelanto sued over sex offender residency rules
A federal lawsuit challenges the city’s residency restrictions for registered sex offenders, concluding that the local ordinance’s exclusion zones “cover virtually all residential property within the city” and are more stringent than rules by similar municipalities. Filed Dec. 8 in U.S. District Court by Sacramento-based attorney Janice Bellucci, the lawsuit claims Adelanto’s local law violates the 14th Amendment, which ensures due process and equal protection of law, and is unconstitutionally vague. Full Article
Read MoreFIRE DESTROYS SQUAW VALLEY TRAILER WHERE A SEXUAL PREDATOR HAD CONTRACTED TO LIVE
FRESNO, California (KFSN) — The owner of a remote trailer in Squaw Valley was the only one of several hundred properties that were deemed suitable for Jeffrey Snyder to live in. Just days after it was announced the property owner would allow the violent sexual predator to live there the home was destroyed by a fire. Full Article
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: It’s Time to Topple California’s Lifetime Registry
Less than two weeks into the new year, it’s clear that we have a lot of work to do in the State Capitol. We are already facing a bill that would prohibit all registrants, including parents, from visiting all schools for all reasons as well as the promise of a bill that would end the state’s lifetime registry. It is understandable that Senator Connie Leyva would introduce a bill (Senate Bill 26) with a zero-tolerance policy toward registrants on school campuses. After all, the district she represents includes the City…
Read MoreSolving a sex-offender problem that’s already been solved
Politicians have a knack for taking on problems that aren’t really problems, proposing solutions that won’t really do anything and then exaggerating the significance of what they’ve just done. The latest Inland politician to do this is Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, who has introduced the “Keep Kids Safe at School Act,” touted by Leyva and her staff as “important legislation to protect school children from dangerous sex offenders.” Full Article
Read MoreSex offenders are among the most harshly punished criminals in the state, but how often does the punishment fit the crime?
In the past few years, the growth of incarceration and the inequality perpetuated through the US carceral system have become common topics of discussion and debate among academics, politicians, and the general public. Perhaps nowhere are these debates more salient than in the state of California, which houses the largest incarcerated population in the United States. In the most recent election, five out of 18 California ballot propositions addressed topics directly or indirectly related to incarceration; including the death penalty, felony sentencing, and ammunition possession. It seems we may finally…
Read MoreBill Would Ban Adults Without Kids from Playgrounds
A City Councilman in Los Angeles, Mitch O’Farrell, has proposed a bill to keep playgrounds “free of creepy activity” by not allowing anyone unaccompanied by kids to enter one. Shamefully, that is already the rule here in my burg, New York City. This has lead to the arrest of two women who dared to eat donuts on a playground bench in Brooklyn (exposing kids to potential predators AND processed food!), and to the ticketing of seven guys who were playing on chess tables too close to a Mahattan playground (tables…
Read MoreSLO YMCA trying to keep out sex offenders
The San Luis Obispo County YMCA is attempting to prevent sex offenders from accessing its gym. [KSBY] Starting in 2017, the YMCA will conduct background checks on all members and applicants. The local YMCA will use the National Sex Offender Registry to check for offenders who could be working out at the gym. Full Article
Read MoreState owes counties millions in sex offender legal costs
California must reimburse its counties for the legal costs involved in determining whether sex offenders who have completed their prison terms should be sent to mental hospitals, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday. A lawyer for local governments said the statewide cost would be about $25 million a year for the reimbursements, which the state stopped paying in July 2013. Full Article
Read MoreL.A.’s proposed ban on single adults near playgrounds is fear-based policy making at its worst
In an attempt to make Los Angeles parks seem super safe, City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell has proposed barring adults unaccompanied by children from entering playgrounds. It’s an effort, he said, to keep city parks “free of creepy activity.” Full Article
Read MoreCA Sex Offender Management Board Releases Video
The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) has released a 7-minute video that dispels many myths regarding registrants and replaces those myths with facts. The video includes on-camera statements from CASOMB members including representatives of the California Department of Justice, the Los Angeles Police Department and treatment providers. According to the video, not all registrants are the same and the majority of registrants are “very unlikely” to commit a subsequent sex offense. In fact, the rate of re-offense for low-level offenders is less than one percent. The video also highlights…
Read MoreACSOL Board of Directors Determines Initial Positions on Tiered Registry Bill
The Board of Directors for the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) has determined its initial positions on the Tiered Registry Bill. The determinations were made during the board’s meeting on December 8. “After careful consideration of input from registrants, family members and supporters, the ACSOL board of directors has decided that the organization supports the concept of a tiered registry based upon empirical evidence,” stated ACSOL president Janice Bellucci. “The board of directors also decided to oppose the Tiered Registry Bill in its current form because it is…
Read MoreSenator Leyva Introduces Bill to Keep Registered Sex Offenders off School Campuses
On the first day of the 2017-2018 legislative session, Senator Connie M. Leyva (D-Chino) today introduced important legislation to protect school children from dangerous sex offenders. Specifically, SB 26 would prohibit registered sex offenders from entering school campuses in California. Full Article Related Bill Info Sen. Leyva Announcement
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