[counterpunch.org] Attitude, far from being “everything”, is simply an offshoot of the self-identity. People are constantly changing their self-identities, either to project the desired image or to gain personal growth. How do you perceive yourself? How much do you accept what other people want of you? Do their perceptions of you match what you want to portray? The men and women on sex offender probation have no choice about their identities. They are sex offenders, solely and clearly. Questions about perception and portrayal are nice but hardly applicable. Other people…
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The New Unconstitutionality of Juvenile Sex Offender Registration: Suspending the Presumption of Constitutionality for Laws that Burden Juvenile Offenders
In Smith v. Doe, the Supreme Court held that Alaska’s sex offender registration and notification statute did not constitute punishment and was therefore not susceptible to challenge under the Ex Post Facto Clause. In reaching that conclusion, the Court looked to the seven factors articulated in Kennedy v. Mendoza-Martinez. To evaluate those factors, the Court applied a presumption of constitutionality, conducting the sort of narrow factual inquiry characteristic of rational basis review. Since Smith, courts have disagreed as to whether sex offender laws are punitive when applied to juveniles, and the Supreme Court…
Read MorePA: Clarity on sex offenders: U.S. Supreme Court appeal needed for state ruling
The state Supreme Court has thrown into question the registration of as many as 4,500 sex offenders statewide. The case giving rise to the ruling originated in Cumberland County, and officials there have 90 days to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. They should file the appeal to gain clarity on two important questions: At what point are sex offenders unjustly punished and to what extent should communities be informed about potentially dangerous people in their midst? Full Editorial
Read MoreMost would prefer to die than be regarded as a child molester
[purityofheart.org] Many people would prefer to die than live a lengthy existence regarded as a child molester, a brand new psychology study reveals. Experts repeat the survey by researchers in Florida, New York, and Australia highlight how strongly humans worry about their status. Plus they claim it might reveal why online bullying can drive youthful individuals to depression, suicidal ideas, or perhaps to place their own existence. The research, printed now, comes among a significant push to curb youthful suicide, as figures in the CDC reveal rates have bending among…
Read MoreNew documentary explores the false freedom of life on parole
There’s a story the mainstream media trumpets most loudly when it comes to parole, and it’s a frightening one: A violent criminal is released from prison, and within weeks or months of their release, a heinous, tragic crime is committed again. The lesson this story teaches the public is toxic, and largely inaccurate. When the only stories of parole we tell are those that end in bloodshed, “getting out on parole” becomes synonymous with fear, and imparts the idea that no one should ever receive parole. Read more
Read MoreLife as a Registered Sex Offender: What Is It Really Like?
This article is split into three parts: offense and registration; family, friends, and romance; and work and recovery. Part one, with questions on the offense and the registration process, is presented below. Full Article
Read MoreGeneral Comments August 2017
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of August 2017. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read More176 sex offenders, mostly Americans, barred from entering PHL in first half of 2017- BI
[GMA News Online] The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has barred nearly 200 foreign sex offenders from entering the Philippines during the first six months of the year. Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the 176 foreigners were denied entry due to their record as registered sex offenders (RSOs) or individuals convicted or are wanted for sex crimes in their home countries. Read more
Read MoreWant to Shrink Our Prisons? Fix Probation and Parole | The Crime Report
In our nation’s expanding discussion about eliminating mass incarceration, advocates, researchers and the media are missing a major contributor to incarcerated populations and a partial deprivation of liberty in its own right. Mass supervision through probation and parole. Read more
Read MoreAnimal Abusers Will Now Be Registered Like Sex Offenders
Tennessee: Consider this a win for animals all over the country. For every abused puppy, abandoned kitten, or medically tested bunny, this is a win. No question. A new law is growing in popularity across the country, and it’s something everyone can agree on. A number of United States jurisdictions have implemented an animal offenders registry, which will publicly reveal the names of known animal abusers in the area, similar to how sex offenders are registered. Read more
Read MorePatient is a sex offender with a tracker on his ankle
When I received shift report for my very ill, bed-bound patient, the RN giving report pointed out the tracker affixed to his anklet. She had admitted him a few hours earlier and did not know the details and there was nothing noted in his chart. Before she left, she looked online and he is a convicted sex offender (lewd and lascivious with a minor under the age of 14). Is it appropriate to add this new information (pedophilia) to your shift report? To his chart? Discussion on Nursing Forum
Read MorePA: Ruling raises questions about sex offender registry’s future
Changes are coming to Pennsylvania’s sex offender registry as a result of a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision issued this week, but experts say it’s unclear exactly how they will play out. Full Article
Read MoreSex offender consequences in the Supreme Court – what’s ahead?
“The Supreme Court’s Mixed Signals in Packingham” is the title of a thoughtful comment by Bidish Sarma analyzing the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Packingham v. North Carolina, recently published on the American Constitution Society website. (An early analysis of the Packingham decision by Wayne Logan appeared on this site on June 20.) Mr. Sarma proposes that “the time has come to ask whether society’s ‘war’ on sex offenders who have already completed criminal sentences has gone too far.” Full Article
Read MoreMO: Court backs confining sex offenders indefinitely
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a state law allowing sex offenders to be committed indefinitely to mental institutions after prison is constitutional. Full Article
Read MoreAirbnb uses background checks to weed out sex offenders
… With so many guests coming in and out of neighborhoods there are concerns about criminals, including sex offenders renting homes next to families who do not know the sex offender is there. Tennessee law requires sex offenders to register with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office within 48 hours of “establishing a physical presence at a particular location.” If that person is only in town for 24 hours, they could fly under the radar. Full Article
Read MoreDOJ urges SCOTUS not to review Sixth Circuit panel decision finding retroactive application of Michigan sex offender law unconstitutional
As reported in this post from last summer, a Sixth Circuit panel concluded in Does v. Snyder, No. 15-1536 (6th Cir. Aug. 25, 2016) (available here), that Michigan’s amendments to its Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) “imposes punishment” and thus the state violates the US Constitution when applying these SORA provisions retroactively. Michigan appealed this decision to the US Supreme Court, and SCOTUS in March asked for the US Acting Solicitor General to express its views on the case. Yesterday, the Acting SG filed this brief with SCOTUS stating that in “the view of the United States, the…
Read MoreHouston federal judge revokes sex offender’s naturalized citizenship
A federal judge this week approved an order revoking the naturalized citizenship of a Harris County man convicted of a sex offense more than 20 years earlier, one of a growing number of immigrants stripped of citizenship in a push that began in the final years of the Obama administration. Full Article
Read MoreSex offender rules need to be revisited (Letter to the Editor)
Surely there needs to be a lot of changes made in the sex offender registry. I heard about a man in his early thirties who committed some sort of a sex crime. This young man wanted to become a male nurse. But because of his record, he could not get into nurse’s training. He paid an attorney $2,000 for his service, but his case is still pending. It went all the way to the governor two years ago, and the governor has not taken action to seal his records. This…
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