While covering a rally where sex offenders were protesting the International Megan’s Law, I got a chance to talk to some registered citizens, as they prefer to be addressed. They shared some details about what life looks like when your name comes up on Megan’s list. Full Article
Read MoreCategory: California
Fontana School Board votes to prohibit all access to registered sex offenders on campuses
The Fontana Unified School District Board of Education approved two motions on Wednesday, Sept. 14 to prohibit access to registered sex offenders on campuses as both volunteers and visitors. Full Article Related http://www.pe.com/articles/sex-813398-board-school.html http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/09/15/parents-outraged-to-find-out-bill-passed-in-2014-allows-sex-offenders-on-school-campuses-with-principals-permission/
Read MoreRegister by October 24, 2016 to vote in the election on November 8, 2016
You can register and vote in California . . . Even if you have to register pursuant to Penal Code section 290 Even if you are currently on felony or misdemeanor probatio Even if you are post-release community supervision (Realignment) or federal probation Even if have been to prison for felonies in the past, whether or not you have received a Certificate of Rehabilitation or Pardon Even if you are currently in jail. In many cases, you can register and vote by mail Questions? Find more information on voting with…
Read MoreBrock Turner, Bill Cosby driving California sex-crime lawmaking
After decades of tough-on-crime policies that swelled California prisons to the point that they had to be depopulated under a Supreme Court order, support has mounted for rethinking criminal punishment. Full Article
Read MoreSex offender registries face scrutiny after Turner’s release
When ex-Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner became a registered sex offender for life last Tuesday, he joined a nationwide list of registered sex criminals that has grown dramatically in recent years to more than 800,000. Even some who have denounced Turner’s six-month jail sentence as too lenient for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman question whether he should spend his life with the stigma and onerous restrictions of a registered sex offender. Full Article
Read MoreBrock Turner’s real sentence: A lifetime as a sex offender
The outpouring against Judge Aaron Persky’s lenient six-month sentence of Stanford swimmer Brock Turner is symptomatic of a societal change — attitudes unsupported by realities. It’s the “I know what I feel and don’t bother me with any facts” refrain, and it’s scary. Full Article
Read MoreBig headlines make bad laws (Opinion)
When horrific and ugly crimes make headlines, politicians like to seize the opportunity — to make their own headlines. So when Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky sentenced former Stanford student Brock Turner, now 21, to six months in jail — he served only three months — for sexually assaulting a woman who was too inebriated to consent to sex in 2015, California lawmakers did not hesitate. The same California Legislature that just passed the Restorative Justice Act, which touted alternatives to incarceration, shamelessly passed two tough-on-crime laws. Both are now…
Read MoreCDCR Agrees to Drop Halloween Sign Requirement
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has agreed to permanently eliminate on a statewide basis its requirement that registrants post a sign on their residences on Halloween. This agreement is the result of a lawsuit filed in 2015 by California RSOL and two individual plaintiffs in San Diego and Los Angeles. “In the past, CDCR placed registrants they supervised and their loved ones in danger of significant harm, even death, by their requirement that registrants post a sign on their residence on Halloween,” stated ACSOL president Janice Bellucci.…
Read MoreRate of Re-Offense Drops Again
According to a new report from the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the rate of re-offense for registrants on parole declined again in 2015. This is the third consecutive reduction in the rate of re-offense reported by the CDCR. The new CDCR report states that the rate of re-offense for registrants on parole was .6 percent in 2015. That rate compares to CDCR reported rates of .8 percent in 2014, 1.8 percent in 2013 and 1.9 percent in 2012. “The CDCR reports debunk the myth that registrants have…
Read MoreTeam finds Sacramento County sex offenders living with minors
A special Sacramento County law enforcement team recently visited dozens of homes looking for sex offenders who might be in violation of their registration requirements. Full Article
Read MoreSenate Appropriations Committee Stops AB 2569
The Senate Appropriations Committee stopped Assembly Bill (AB) 2569 which would have reduced the number of registrants who are not listed on the Megan’s Law website. The bill, which was authored by Assembly Member Melissa Melendez, was previously passed by the full Assembly. “AB 2569 was stopped by the efforts of registrants, family members and supporters who wrote letters, made phone calls and testified,” stated ACSOL President Janice Bellucci. “The halting of this bill before it could be considered on the Senate floor is a significant victory.” The initial bill…
Read MoreActivists asking if police will be charged in sex scandal
Activists and relatives of a teenage woman at the center of a San Francisco Bay Area police sex scandal say they want to know if any of the more than two dozen law enforcement officials implicated earlier this year will face criminal charges. The woman, who turned 19 on Thursday and says she works as a prostitute, told The Associated Press that she informed internal affairs investigators months ago that she had sex with three Oakland police officers and a Contra Costa County deputy before her 18th birthday. Full Article
Read MoreCalifornia DOJ Agrees to Correct Megan’s Law Profiles
The California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) agreed yesterday to correct more than 90 percent of individuals’ profiles on the state’s Megan’s Law website which lack the date of conviction. The agency’s agreement is the result of a lawsuit filed by CA RSOL in November 2015. “The lack of a conviction date coupled with an individual’s current photo on the Megan’s Law website profiles led many potential employers, landlords and others to assume that the offense for which individuals were convicted occurred recently,” stated ACSOL President Janice Bellucci. “There are…
Read MoreSex offenders would have to disclose email addresses and usernames under bill sent to governor
Sex offenders would be required to report their email addresses, usernames and other Internet identifiers to law enforcement under a bill California state senators sent to the governor Wednesday. Full Article SB 448
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Waiting for Justice
As summer comes to an end, we are waiting for justice. We are waiting for a judge’s decision in our challenge to the International Megan’s Law. We are waiting for cities to eliminate residency restrictions. We are waiting for a tiered registry bill to be introduced in the California state legislature. Why does it take so long? Why can’t judges, city officials and state legislators stop the punishment of registered citizens NOW? Perhaps it’s due to habit. For many people, including judges and elected officials, have adopted the habit of…
Read MoreTustin City Council Begins Repeal of Residency Restrictions
The Tustin City Council, in a vote of 4 to 1, voted yesterday in favor of repealing the city’s residency restrictions which prohibit registered citizens from living in most of that city. The only “no” vote was cast by Mayor John Nielsen who did not explain his vote. This is the first of two steps required by the City Council to repeal the restrictions. The second step is expected to be taken at the next City Council meeting which is scheduled for September 6. “This is a significant victory for…
Read MoreMurrieta Residency Restrictions Stopped Again
A federal judge issued a Preliminary Injunction (PI) on Monday that stops enforcement of residency restrictions in the City of Murrieta. The judge’s decision, in effect, continues a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) she issued about three weeks ago. Although the PI applies only to the plaintiff in this case now, its effect is expected to be extended to all registrants at a later time. “This is a significant victory for registrants and families living in the City of Murrietta,” stated attorney Janice Bellucci. “It is unfortunate that the City did…
Read MoreCalifornia gang database plagued with errors, unsubstantiated entries, state auditor finds
A California gang database maintained by law enforcement agencies is rife with unsubstantiated entries, names that should have been purged long ago and glaring errors, a state audit released Thursday found. Full Article
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