Today in Texas, former prosecutor and judge Ken Anderson pled guilty to intentionally failing to disclose evidence in a case that sent an innocent man, Michael Morton, to prison for the murder of his wife. When trying the case as a prosecutor, Anderson possessed evidence that may have cleared Morton, including statements from the crime’s only eyewitness that Morton wasn’t the culprit. Anderson sat on this evidence, and then watched Morton get convicted. While Morton remained in prison for the next 25 years, Anderson’s career flourished, and he eventually became…
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NH: Sex Offender Policy: Registries, Residency Restrictions, And Beyond (Radio)
New Hampshire Public Radio – Laws limiting where sex-offenders can live have been used in many towns and states aimed at protecting vulnerable populations, especially children. But a growing chorus of critics from police to civil rights attorneys argues these laws are unconstitutional and even counterproductive. We’ll look at the options that communities have in dealing with this sensitive issue. Radio Show
Read MoreThe Unintended Costs of Bi-Partisanship
Over at the Beast, some whiney old coot has a piece up on a church here in Oregon that caters to sex offenders. Or at least, that’s how the assignment began. As I began researching the story, however, I discovered that the system we have in place for dealing with post-incarcerated sex offenders is shockingly cruel to those who no longer pose a credible threat to society and ridiculously ineffective for those who might. Much of the technical blame can be pinned on two famous bodies of legislation: Megan’s Laws and the Adam Walsh Act.…
Read MoreIs a lifetime of involuntary GPS monitoring constitutional?
When the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that affixing GPS devices to vehicles to track their every move without court warrants was an unconstitutional trespass, the outcome was seen as one of the biggest high court decisions in the digital age. That precedent, which paved the way for the disabling of thousands of GPS devices clandestinely tacked onto vehicles by the authorities, is now being invoked to question the involuntary placement of GPS devices onto human beings. Full Article
Read MoreSex Offender Gets Up to 44 Years in Prison for Stabbing Police Dog
Early last year, I wrote about the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old beloved Police Dog, Rocco. ____ ____, a convicted sex offender, stabbed Rocco during an attempted arrest by the police. He also injured two other human police offers while resisting arrest. Bail was set for 1 million dollars. This week, WTAE Pittsburgh’s Action News reported that ____ was sentenced to 17 years, 9 months to 44 years in prison. The 22-year-old ____ must also serve 8 years of probation following his release. Rocco’s handler, Officer Phil Lerza, was also…
Read MoreFor-Profit Services Eliminate Pesky, Costly In-Person Prison Visits
I was just saying to myself: “Self,” I said, “Our prison system isn’t quite inhumane enough.. What can we do to make prisoners feel even more isolated and hopeless?” And then I read this, and knew I could rest assured that experts were on the case! Full Article
Read MoreGeneral Comments March 2015
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of March 2015. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil.
Read MoreFear Dominates Politics, Media and Human Existence in America—And It’s Getting Worse
People cannot think clearly when they are afraid. As numerous studies have shown, fear is the enemy of reason. It distorts emotions and perceptions, and often leads to poor decisions. For people who have suffered trauma, fear messages can sometimes trigger uncontrollable flight-or-fight responses with dangerous ramifications. Yet over time, many interlocking aspects of our society have become increasingly sophisticated at communicating messages and information that produce fear responses. Advertising, political ads, news coverage and social media all send the constant message that people should be afraid—very afraid. Full Article
Read MoreSex Offender Registries Are Not Really Keeping Your Children Safe: Here’s Why
Since the publication of my blog post “Do Sex Offender Registries Reduce Recidivism?,” a question I have been asked is “Paul, isn’t it a good thing that I as a parent knows who is a sex offender living in my neighborhood so I can tell my child to stay away from that person?” My responses are that such knowledge is only a tip of the iceberg, or telling your child about that individual sex offender is like protecting your child with a BB gun; you might get lucky by using…
Read MoreHave we gone nuts as a society? (Guest Column)
My mother was 15 when she married my dad, who was 19. A month later, he shipped out with the Marines and was gone nearly three years, fighting in the Pacific during World War II. I was born after his return. My parents had a long, happy marriage. That story would turn out differently today. At 19, John fell in love with a girl 15 years old. Her parents were content with their dating until the girl became pregnant. He was arrested for statutory rape, went to jail, was put…
Read MoreTeens Who Sext Are Child Pornographers? (Op-Ed)
Thanks to our mistaken belief that no one under 18 can have any legitimate sexual feelings—and hence any sex they’ve engaged in was coerced and bound to render unspeakable emotional harm—we have laws on the books like this one in Wisconsin, according to USA Today (boldface mine, all mine!): In 2012, state lawmakers passed into law a mandatory, minimum three-year prison sentence for possessing child pornography. Previously, judges had the discretion to order lesser penalties depending on the circumstances. That means a 17-year-old who receives explicit images from a younger friend…
Read MoreSex Offenders Employ Simple Techniques to Change Identity
Sexual offenses – particularly those against children – are among the most reprehensible of crimes. Two techniques that sex offenders use to escape detection from the law are manipulating their ID and residing at addresses other than those reported to authorities, a nationwide study found. Donald Rebovich, Ph.D., professor of criminal justice and executive director of the Center for Identity Management and Information Protection (CIMIP) at Utica College, conducted the study, “Hiding in Plain Sight? A Nationwide Study of the Use of Identity Manipulation by Registered Sex Offenders.” Rebovich worked…
Read MoreDo Sex Offender Registries Reduce Recidivism?
No. Or at least that is what the empirical evidence and research on this issue shows. But that doesn’t mean we should not have them. The fact is that the registries don’t really do anything to improve public safety. They just make people feel safer and in control; unfortunately this is a false sense of security. Full Opinion Piece [Paul Heroux is a state representative from Massachusetts.]
Read MoreCan a Child Be a Sex Offender?
Sitting down with someone branded a child sex offender wasn’t ever how Nicole Pittman imagined she’d be spending her days. Yet in doing that, she’s discovered how nuanced the world of crime and law can be. Full Article Related: Human Rights Watch – Raised on the Registry
Read MoreOp-ed: The sexual violence that has no name
He was my teacher. I was 19 years old and had graduated from high school the year before. I never said no. Legally, the incident was just poor judgment on both sides. Physically, there were no bruises. There was no force. This doesn’t fit the narrative of the girl who got drugged and raped at a fraternity party, nor does it resemble any sort of stereotype about a non-white stranger jumping out of the bushes and attacking the closest white girl. Full Article
Read MoreMonthly Meeting April 11, Lobbying April 13/14 in Sacramento (updated)
California RSOL will return to Sacramento to to conduct a monthly meeting for registered citizens / family members on April 11 and lobby on April 13 and 14 (please note new dates for lobbying). The lobbying effort will focus on creation of a tiered registry as well as opposition to two bills that would allow cities and counties to adopt presence restrictions. “If Assembly Bill 201 and Senate Bill 267 become law, registered citizens would once again be prohibited from visiting cities and counties within the state of California,” stated California…
Read MoreHow I Became a Monster
Hello. I’m a monster. Not just any kind of monster. Vampires and werewolves get to star in movies. They’re monsters, but they can also be heroes. I’m the worst kind of monster. I’m a sex offender. And the worst kind of sex offender. I’m a pedophile. Don’t worry. I’m locked up. I’ve been in a federal penitentiary for almost two years and I’ll be here for at least another seven. No time off for good behavior. Not for monsters like me. When I get out, I’ll be on lifetime probation.…
Read MoreChild porn restitution bill passes Senate, sets minimum damages for victims
A bill named for two women whose childhood images were turned into heinous pornography was handily passed in the Senate on Wednesday. The Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act was approved by a 98-0 vote. The measure gives hope to victims that they will finally be able to win major compensation from any single person who illegally viewed, made or distributed their images. Victims of child pornography and other sexual exploitation “ought to have access to full restitution from any single perpetrator for their losses,” said Senate…
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