NEW YORK (AP) — Subjecting a sex offender who is no longer imprisoned to “extraordinarily invasive” penile stimulation testing risks violating the premise that even convicts retain their humanity, a federal appeals court said Thursday. The ruling by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan frees ____ ____ of a requirement that he submit to penile plethysmography, a test in which a man’s erectile responses are measured as he is shown sexually stimulating images. Full Article Also: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/35a2e4f39f9147dfa18316e29264e7af/US–Sex-Offender-Stimulation-Test Court Decision (US Court of Appeals – Second Circuit) Commentary
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DE: ACLU Settles Lawsuit Over Sex Offender Residence
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP)- The American Civil Liberties Union has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit challenging a Dover ordinance that prohibits sex offenders from living within 500 feet of day care centers. The ACLU filed the lawsuit in February on behalf of Michael A. Justice, a registered sex offender who began living at his mother’s apartment before the ordinance was adopted. Full Article
Read MoreSex offenders in Oregon: State fails to track hundreds
… Oregon is two years behind entering names into its electronic database of registered sex offenders. It’s so out of date that local police don’t rely on it. Oregon’s public website lists only a fraction — 2.5 percent — of the state’s more than 25,000 sex offenders. So residents can’t really tell who and how many sex offenders are in their neighborhoods. In fact, Oregon has the most registered sex offenders per capita of any state except one, national statistics show. Full Article / Full Coverage – Comments
Read MoreNew Bill in Congress: HR-2083 which contains a very ODD provision affecting more than sex offenders
9-29-2013 Washington DC: Continuing in our effort to review bills in Congress we find something really odd in HR-2083 `Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act’ whose alleged purpose is to screen potential employees of schools, and to re-screen actual employees of schools every five years. Before we get into our issue which revolves around ONE definition in this bill, here is the definition: (2) SEXUAL PREDATOR- The term `sexual predator’ means a person 18 years of age or older who has been convicted of, or pled guilty to, a…
Read MoreTX: Condo Association Fighting To Keep Sex Offender Out
A battle between a sex offender in Austin and a home owner’s association could set a precedent across the state if not the country. The association’s decision to ban sex offenders is now being challenged. A sleepy little community in South Austin is fighting what could be a major case. “I don’t know why this law firm has decided to mount a crusade in favor of pedophiles, but they have,” says Eleanor Rotthoff, a resident of Valley View Village Condominiums The condominium complex voted and amended their homeowner’s association bylaws.…
Read MoreMA: Sex offender’s speech ignites debate over registry system
A high-level sex offender in Belmont, Massachusetts surprised many when he showed up to a town meeting that was held to address concerns about sex offenders like him living in the area. Carl Peterson told those in attendance that he was convicted of sexually assaulting his young niece 12 years ago. The event sparked a debate over possible misconceptions about the ‘sex offender’ label and the efficacy of the registry system. Full Article
Read MoreRSOL Conference Videos
Presentation videos from from the National RSOL Conference continue to be published. Instead of posting them here piecemeal we are linking to the RSOL YouTube Channel. Thanks to RSOL for making these invaluable videos available. The 2013 National RSOL Conference was held in late August in Los Angeles and was hosted by California RSOL. — One of the presenters references an excellent article that was previously listed on this site – it is here again as a reminder. RSOL 2013: “Telling Your Story to the Media” – Article from the Dallas…
Read MoreMO: Sex offender registry – Find better way for offenders
It’s rare to find a progressive trend in our Republican-dominated legislature, but their recent effort (House Bill 301) to downsize Missouri’s “sex offender registry” is laudable, even as Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto is perplexing. Registering “sex offenders” (far too broadly defined) is based on the questionable idea that they are more likely to offend once released — even though a U.S. Department of Justice study of criminal recidivism rates showed many convicted of sex-related offenses had lower rates of re-arrest compared to other criminals. We don’t require armed robbers or other felons…
Read MorePrison Quotas Push Lawmakers To Fill Beds, Derail Reform
After three violent inmates escaped from an Arizona private prison in July 2010, prompting a two-week, multi-state manhunt, state corrections officials demanded improvements and stopped sending new inmates to what they called a “dysfunctional” 3,300-bed facility. Less than a year later, the company that runs the prison, Management & Training Corp., threatened to sue the state. A line in their contract guaranteed that the prison would remain 97 percent full. They argued they had lost nearly $10 million from the reduced inmate population. State officials renegotiated the contract, but ended up…
Read MoreNE: Sex offender restrictions go too far
Editorial, 9/19: The village board of Alexandria got some valuable advice from the ACLU about its proposed ordinance that would establish new restrictions on where sex offenders could live. The board ought to take heed. Following the ACLU’s recommendations could help the board steer clear of legal travails. The desire to protect children is understandable. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it. The legal restrictions the board is considering go too far. Full Article September 2013 Alexandria Nebraska Town Board Meeting on Youtube
Read MoreMA: I’m the Level 3 Sex Offender All Of You Have Been Talking About
The tall, middle-aged man strode to the microphone in front of approximately 100 citizens in the Belmont High School auditorium Thursday night, Sept. 19. Wearing loose-fitting jeans, a T-shirt and unbutton shirt combo over a slight paunch, the man could be anyone of thousands of parents or guardians ready to speak about school fees, the latest round of test scores or if the town can afford a new High School. He was anything but. “My name is ____ ____. ‘I’m the level 3 sex offender all of you have been talking about,”…
Read MoreRSOL Conference 2013 – Mary Sue Molnar: Introduction to Support Groups
Mary Sue Molnar of Texas Voices For Reason and Justice talks about her experience and the formula for successful support groups for ex-offenders. Phil Taylor also contributes his experience. – “Introduction to Support Groups” Recorded Friday August 30, 2013 in Los Angeles at the RSOL Annual National Conference. More RSOL Conference Workshop / Presentation Videos [hana-flv-player video=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFW_JftJK-o” width=”400″ height=”240″ description=”” player=”5″ autoload=”true” autoplay=”false” loop=”false” autorewind=”true” /] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFW_JftJK-o
Read MoreRSOL Conference 2013 – Clare Ann Ruth-Heffelbower: Restorative Justice and Sexual Offenders
Keynote Speaker Clare Ann Ruth-Heffelbower speaks on “Restorative Justice and Sexual Offenders” during the RSOL Conference in Los Angeles last August. More RSOL Conference Workshop / Presentation Videos [hana-flv-player video=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjUDF7isgbM” width=”400″ width=”240″ description=”” player=”5″ autoload=”true” autoplay=”false” loop=”false” autorewind=”true” /]
Read MoreNY: County outsources sex offender monitoring to advocacy group
… Suffolk County on Long Island allows a victims’ advocacy group, Parents of Megan’s Law, to monitor sex offenders. The measure was approved unanimously in February of this year and is being heralded by lawmakers as a cost-effective way to keep the community safe. Parents for Megan’s Law is a nonprofit organization that will receive close to $1 million a year to implement the new sex offender monitoring law. The employees who undertake the monitoring of sex offenders are civilians. Full Article
Read MoreOK: Supreme Court rules on sex offender lawsuit [updated with decisions]
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Supreme Court says people convicted of sex crimes in other states are not required to register as sex offenders in Oklahoma if the convictions occurred before the Legislature passed a sex offender law and if they completed their sentence, probation or parole before Nov. 1, 2005. The justices ruled that two men convicted of sex crimes in other states were not offered the same protection under the law as people convicted of sex crimes in Oklahoma. Full Article Case Information http://law.justia.com/cases/oklahoma/supreme-court/2013/108819.html http://law.justia.com/cases/oklahoma/supreme-court/2013/108797.html
Read MoreNC: District Attorney accused of violating sex offenders rights
WENTWORTH – Is the Rockingham County District Attorney violating the constitutional rights of sex offenders? Someone seems to think so.A lawsuit, filed in August, claims Rockingham County District Attorney Phil Berger Jr., N.C. Governor Pat McCrory, N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper and every other district attorney in the state did. “It is a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality on registered sex offenders being banned at certain locations,” attorney for the plaintiff Glenn Gerding said. Full Article
Read MoreFBI Releases 2012 Crime Statistics
The FBI estimated that in 2012, the number of violent crimes increased 0.7 percent, according to the figures released today. However, property crimes decreased 0.9 percent, marking the 10th straight year of declines for these offenses, collectively. The 2012 statistics show that the estimated rate of violent crime was 386.9 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants, and the property crime rate was 2,859.2 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants. While the violent crime rate remained virtually unchanged when compared to the 2011 rate, the property crime rate declined 1.6 percent. Full Article
Read MoreWomen Against Registry: It’s Time
It’s Time! Women Against the Registry has taken notice that the ACLU of Alabama filed a federal lawsuit against Etowah County Sheriff Todd Entrekin and two officers in the department, for “unannounced, random, and suspicion-less” searches of the home of a registered sex offender. The women of W.A.R. believe that it’s time for ACLU national and ALL state chapters to take action to protect the rights of registered citizens and their families. Too many laws and restrictions have made it virtually impossible for anyone on the public registry to find…
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