From the small town (pop. 2,000+) of Sardis, Mississippi came a Christmas Story with a happy ending, sort of. Michael Clay Saripkin, a registrant, served as the Grand Marshal of the Sardis Christmas parade Dec. 11 2018. According to the news article most of the residents of Sardis have no problem with a man with a past being named Grand Marshal by the town’s Chamber of Commerce. And isn’t that the way it should be, because everyone has a past. The facts of Mr. Saripkin’s case can be read on…
Read MoreMore News
Reminder of NARSOL’s helpline open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
For everyone who may be feeling more lonely and depressed as Christmas draws nearer, NARSOL wishes to remind you of our fully staffed helpline opening at 7 a.m. eastern time on Christmas Eve. The volunteers who will be manning the lines all have intimate knowledge of what being on the registry is like and how difficult holidays can be, and they are happy to “be there” for anyone who needs a listening ear. Here are the details: The holiday helpline will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. eastern…
Read MoreWhy Should Feminists Be Against the Sex Offender Registry?
In October, the Supreme Court heard a case that was painfully ironic, considering the Kavanaugh hearings the nation had just been subjected to: a challenge to the United States’ extremely restrictive sex offender registry laws. While opinions on the case Gundy v. United States, which challenges the Attorney General’s ability to retroactively impose registry requirements, have yet to come out, debate around sex offender registries is particularly important in the wake of #metoo. Established in the ‘90s following several high-profile rapes and murders of children, the sex offender registry used…
Read MorePayPal Account for ACSOL Restored
The PayPal account for the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) was put on hold for about a week, but has been restored. According to PayPal representatives, the IRS is responsible for the hold which affected ACSOL as well as thousands of others. “ACSOL’s PayPal account was unable to accept donations, either on a one-time or a monthly basis, from December 15 through December 20,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “PayPal has informed us that donations made starting today (December 21) will be accepted.” Due to the hold…
Read MoreInterpol Response re. Green Notices
Submitted by Steve: Some off you are aware that I sent in a inquiry to Interpol that questioned their standards for issuing green notices…well I got a response back from Interpol, Lyon Paris (Yes the mothership AJ) In my letter I stated that I have not yet had a green notice issued against me (haven’t travel abroad yet) but asked the question are they appealable. I pointed out to them that the US government does not assess any Registered Sex Offender for dangerousness they just send out blanket notices to Interpol.…
Read MoreMS: Mississippi Town Chose Sex Offender as Its Christmas Parade Grand Marshal
[newsweek.com – 12/17/18] Residents of small town in Mississippi said they do not care that its Christmas parade grand marshal has been listed on the sex offender registry in two different states. Michael Clay Saripkin, a convicted sex offender, served as grand marshal of the Sardis Christmas parade on December 11. Some residents of the Mississippi town told local media that they saw no problem with Saripkin’s role in the Christmas parade. Carolyn Whaley, owner of The Eclectic Emporium on Main Street, told WMC that everyone in town knew Saripkin…
Read MoreRonald L. Book: I thought sexual abuse only happened to other people’s children. Then I woke up.
[usatoday.com – 12/10/18] Nearly 17 years ago, I woke up from a nightmare I didn’t realize I was in. If you’re a parent whose child has suffered sexual abuse at the hands of someone you know and trust, you will understand what I mean. Sitting in a family counselor’s office, the world as I knew it came crashing down as I learned that my eldest daughter, Lauren, had been sexually, emotionally and physically abused nearly every day from the ages of 12 to 16. I worked hard to provide my…
Read MoreMN: Judge strikes down city ordinance restricting sex offender housing
[startribune.com – 12/18/18] A Hennepin County judge has struck down an ordinance in Dayton, Minn. that restricts where sex offenders can live in the community, saying the measure is trumped by state law. The far-reaching ordinance barred convicted sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of any school, day care provider, park, playground or public bus stop — even a pumpkin patch or apple orchard — within the city of Dayton, a rural community of about 5,000 residents northwest of the Twin Cities. The measure was hastily passed by the…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Registry Continues to Grow by Leaps and Bounds
The registry continues to grow by leaps and bounds. In fact, the registry grew by almost 5 percent during the past 12 months. That means there are currently more than 912,000 people on the registry in the U.S., an increase of 42,001, according to The Dobbs Wire. The recent increases in the number of people on the registry are not uniform throughout the nation. In fact, the number of registrants decreased in the states of Vermont and Kentucky as well as in the District of Columbia. But in the vast…
Read MoreUT: Social work expert disagrees with federal law enforcers about sex offender treatment
[deseretnews.com – 12/15/18] A University of Utah social work professor and therapist disagrees with the state’s top federal law enforcement officials’ assessment that treatment for child sex offenders doesn’t work. Rob Butters, who has also worked as a probation officer, said it’s unfortunate they made the statement in a public forum because “it’s simply not true.” “We know that treatment works a lot better than incarceration,” he said. “Prison doesn’t make people better. It just keeps them incapacitated.” U.S. Attorney John Huber and FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Barnhart…
Read MoreMI: This Proposed Michigan Law Would Treat Parents Who Use Drugs Like Sex Offenders
[filtermag.org – 12/12/18] Sex offender registries and notification laws have proliferated in the name of protecting women and children, despite the fact that the evidence does not show that they prevent sex crimes. In fact, some evidence suggests that notification laws—which require that registry information be made available to the broader public—may increase recidivism and overall rates of sex crime. Even so, the State of Michigan seems poised to add a public, online, and searchable child abuse registry modeled on the sex offender registry. “Wyatt’s Law,” which passed the Michigan…
Read MoreAction Alert: ACSOL Organizing State Capitol Meetings (February 5)
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) is organizing meetings in the State Capitol with newly elected members of the Assembly and Senate in Sacramento on Tuesday, February 5. Training for the meetings will be held at the ACSOL offices located at 1215 K Street, 17th Floor, starting at 9 a.m. “Registrants, family members and supporters are encouraged to join ACSOL in these meetings,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci. “The meetings are a unique opportunity to educate elected officials and their staff about the facts regarding registrants including…
Read MoreWA: Sex offender records request raises safety, First Amendment questions
Attorneys fighting a request to release the names of all level 1 sex offenders in Cowlitz County are making a novel — and perhaps long-shot — legal argument to the state Court of Appeals. Judges should take into account the motives of Kelso resident Curtis Hart, a sex offender vigilante who filed a state public records request for the list of offenders’ names months ago, a motion to the Washington Court of Appeals argues. Full Article
Read MoreOR: Dad who attacked sex offender in court won’t face charges
Charges have been dropped against the father who attacked a former pastor during a federal court proceeding. Full Article
Read MoreKat’s Blog: The Registry “Jingles” Away With Your Money
The holidays, a time of giving. But for registrants, that “giving”, goes on all year. Registrants fork over payment for all sorts of fees all year long. Registry fees, polygraphs fees, assessments, “sex offender” treatment fees, etc. These fees are not inexpensive and if you are unfortunate enough to have to register in December and take a polygraph in December and pay for treatment in December, you’re left with empty pockets come Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. Here’s an approximate total of the yearly “giving” cost for new registrants on probation:…
Read MoreAK: Cyrano’s Theatre Co. will drop an actor who is a registered sex offender after social media backlash
[ktuu.com 12/11/18] A registered sex offender who performs with Cyrano’s Theatre Co. will no longer be acting with the company. Jenson Seifert lists Cyrano’s as his employer on the state’s sex offender registry. He is a former teacher at Birchwood Christian School who was charged, and later served time, for sexually abusing a minor. At the time, police accused him of molesting a 14-year-old boy repeatedly, including while he was a chaperoning a youth outing. Cyrano’s says Seifert has been a performer with the company for about a year and…
Read MoreProposed 2019 Amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines [open to public comments!]
[ussc.gov – 12/13/19] During a public meeting this morning, the U.S. Sentencing Commission voted to publish for comment proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines, including a proposal concerning how sentencing courts determine if a prior conviction is a “crime of violence” under the guidelines. (Read proposals and press release.) Today’s proposed amendment would enable the sentencing courts to consider the conduct that formed the basis of the offense of conviction as well as the elements of the statute of conviction. The Commission is requesting input on this proposal and the…
Read MoreACSOL Emotional Support Group in L.A. on Sat, December 22
ACSOL will conduct an Emotional Support Group for registrants and their loved ones on Saturday, December 22, beginning at 10 a.m. at: ACLU Building 1313 W. 8th Street Los Angeles Free parking is available under the building and there is no charge to attend the meeting. The meeting, which is based upon 12 Step principles, will provide registrants and their loved ones with an opportunity to discuss personal challenges. We look forward to seeing you there! Click here for a schedule of emotional support group meetings in 2018 (usually the…
Read More