When objectivity is not the objective, the ultimate judgment is anyone’s guess. For those who have traveled down a lengthy rabbit hole doubling as a discussion on social media, it is known that more times than not the net result is a lot of subjective thinking; a lot of hyperbolic venting; and a lot of deconstructive fulminating. For each assertion of rational thought there are myriad baseless proclamations. (Read Lisa Anne Zilney’s article, “Guilt by Association: Labeling Research-Based Policy Suggestions as ‘Pro-Offender” for proof of that.) And while that can…
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Janice’s Journal: Mourning the Loss of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
After a long battle with cancer, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died yesterday. She and her wisdom will be missed profoundly. As a civil rights attorney, an appellate court judge and a U.S. Supreme Court justice, Ginsburg could be counted on to understand the plight of the underdog. She also understood that being an underdog does not mean you have no rights. Ginsburg is best known for fighting for, and then protecting, the rights of women. She is less known for her position on registrants. Yet buried in…
Read MoreSeventh Circuit Examines Lifetime GPS Tracking of Sex Offenders
[courthousenews.com – 9/18/20] CHICAGO (CN) — The Seventh Circuit on Friday weighed the intrusiveness of a Wisconsin statute that institutes lifetime GPS monitoring of certain convicted sex offenders against the necessity of preventing further offenses from that particular class of criminals. The underlying suit was first filed as a federal class action by eight registered sex offenders in March 2019. They argued that a 2017 statutory interpretation by former Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel that broadened the class of sex offenders subjected to lifetime GPS monitoring after the completion of…
Read MoreUT: Officials consider streamlining Sex Offender Registry, using better data
State officials are considering changes to the sex offender registry, starting with deeper data gathering to determine whether it is safe for more offenders to be removed from the system after long-term treatment and no repeat crimes. Full Article
Read MoreSacramento In-Person Emotional Support Meeting Resumes Sept 24
The in-person support group meeting in Sacramento resumes 9/24. The group is from 6:30 to 8 pm every Thursday. Please email [email protected] for more information.
Read MoreFAC: WI: Homeless person required to register as a sex offender killed
[floridaactioncommittee.org – 9/17/20] A 54 year old person required to register as a sex offender was found dead with “suspicious head injuries” according to the Madison Wisconsin Police, A local alderman is calling for the closure of these “homeless encampments”, but fails to recognize that persons forced to register are generally not allowed in most shelters, are subject to restrictions on housing and are chronically unemployed or unemployed because of the stigma of being registered. Homeless encampments are their only option. Read the full article
Read MoreCA: Number of Registrants Decreases Slightly
The number of Californians who are required to register has decreased slightly, according to a report made during today’s meeting of the California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB). The CASOMB reported earlier this year a total of 109,627 registrants and today the board reported that there are about 500 few registrants. Specifically, the board reported today that there are 109,178 individuals who are required to register in the state of which 81,778 live in the community, that is, are not in custody. Of that total, there are 18,116 individuals who…
Read MoreCA Supreme Court Schedules Prop. 57 Oral Arguments on Oct. 7
The California Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments in the case, In re Gadlin (S254599), for October 7 starting at 9 a.m. The Gadlin case is the first in a series of cases challenging regulations issued by the California Department of Corrections (CDC) that implement Proposition 57. At issue in this case is whether CDC can deny early consideration for parole to individuals who were previously convicted of a sex offense but are currently in custody for a non-sex offense. CDC requested review of the case after an appellate court decided that…
Read MoreCA: New California law to make it easier for former inmate firefighters to turn pro
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new bill Friday that will accelerate the process for expunging the felony records of formerly incarcerated volunteer firefighters. The new law is designed to make it far easier for them to earn an emergency medical technician certification, the first step in becoming a professional firefighter in most cities and counties. Full Article From AB 2147: 1203.4b. (a) (1) If a defendant successfully participated in the California Conservation Camp program as an incarcerated individual hand crew member, as determined by the Secretary of the Department of…
Read MoreCO: The Onerous Burdens of Sex Offender Registration Are Not Punishment, the 10th Circuit Rules. They Just Feel That Way.
Online sex offender registries, which all 50 states maintain as a condition of federal funding, stigmatize the people listed in them long after they have completed their sentences, creating obstacles to housing and employment while exposing registrants to public humiliation, ostracism, threats, and violence. Three years ago, a federal judge ruled that such consequences amounted to cruel and unusual punishment of three men who challenged their treatment under Colorado’s Sex Offender Registration Act. Last week a federal appeals court overturned that decision, saying the burdens imposed by registration do not…
Read MoreKat’s Blog: Nevada’s “Self-Pay” Ruling
With every state having its own registry, its own frequently amended and expanded rules, it’s difficult enough for registrants to keep up with what’s going on in their own state, never mind other states. In case you missed it, here’s a gem of a ruling from Nevada that became effective on 6/5/19, that once again reaches into the wallet of registrants and also appears to give sole power over whose wallet is emptied, to the Chief of the State Board of Parole Commissioners. Nevada Senate Bill 8: The State Board…
Read MoreOffenderWatch and Advocacy Nonprofit Zandoli USA Join Forces to Track Sex Offenders in the Caribbean
[prnewswire.com – 9/15/20] ARIMA, Trinidad and Tobago, Sept. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — OffenderWatch the leading sex offender registry management solution for law enforcement, and the Caribbean Committee Against Sex Crimes (CCASC), an initiative of nonprofit Zandoli USA, today announced a joint mission to deliver a network of sex offender registries across the 15 nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that seeks to track sex offenders throughout the Caribbean and eventually across the world. “With this partnership, we hope to deliver a comprehensive network of shared sex offender registries in all the countries of the Caribbean so that offenders are accounted for and children are saved,”…
Read MoreKamala Harris Refused To Enforce Tough Sex Offender Law While California AG
[thepatriotsreport.com – 9/13/20] Since former Vice President Joe Biden chose California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, the latter has faced intense scrutiny over her controversial record as California’s attorney general. Harris’ record on sex crimes was especially awful. Nowhere is this better shown than in a 2015 legal opinion in which Harris ordered the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to stop enforcing residency restrictions that prohibited sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks. Harris’ decision resulted in the undoing of a key provision…
Read MoreFAC: MI: Sex offender registry months out-of-date, but little action from lawmakers… so what?
[floridaactioncommittee.org – 9/14/20] A local Michigan news paper ran this story yesterday, which spoke about the state of Michigan’s sex offender registry and how out of date and inaccurate it is. Essentially, since U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland declared parts of the State’s registry unconstitutional, Michigan has not been enforcing it. That means information on 44,000 people on their list has not been updated in months. Old information still appears online, new information has not been added. And things appear to be in limbo until their legislature can pass a…
Read MoreNew ACSOL Challenge for Donations
There is a new ACSOL challenge for donations. A registrant who asked to be called “Anonymous” is offering a 2-for-1 challenge up to $2,500. That is, he is willing to donate $2 for each $1 donated by someone else. Donations are to be used to oppose the recently proposed SORNA regulations. “We greatly appreciate Anonymous and his offer to donate up to $2,500,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “We will not receive that donation, however, until and unless others donate a total of $1,250.” The recently proposed SORNA regulations…
Read MoreCASOMB to Meet Virtually on September 17
The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) will meet virtually on September 17 starting at 9:30 a.m. and the public is welcome to attend that meeting. In order to attend, you will need to sign up on the board’s website at www.casomb.gov. Once there, click on the “Meetings” tab and sign up. The board will confirm that you have been signed up and even ask if you have a question for the board. Although the board typically meets on a monthly basis, it has not met for several months. Therefore,…
Read MoreCA: Newsom signs SB 145 intended to end discrimination against LGBTQ people in sex crime convictions
[latimes.com – 9/11/20] SACRAMENTO — Discrimination against LGBTQ people in sex crime convictions will be outlawed under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom late Friday evening. The measure, Senate Bill 145, will amend existing state law that allows judges to decide whether an adult convicted of having vaginal sexual intercourse with a minor should register as a sex offender in cases in which the minor is 14 years or older and the adult is not more than 10 years older than the minor. Currently, adults who are convicted of having…
Read MoreCA: In effort to change sex-crimes law, Newsom’s LGBTQ rights record faces a test
[latimes.com – 9/11/20] SACRAMENTO — A California bill intended to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ people in sex crime convictions has captured the attention of Republicans and far-right conspiracy theorists, who are demanding a veto from Gov. Gavin Newsom and say state Democratic leaders are putting teenagers at risk. The measure, Senate Bill 145, would amend existing state law that allows judges to decide whether an adult convicted of having vaginal sexual intercourse with a minor should register as a sex offender in cases in which the minor is 14 years or older…
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