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On Resilience: In the criminal system, having your life constrained and restricted, even after your sentence is over, has become a fact of life

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Source: inquest.org 10/26/23 Often people will say that when you leave prison you should try to forget it, walk away, and never look back. Fair enough: Anyone would wish to forget the horrors they had endured while in prison. But that’s simply not possible. People walking out the door of prison into the free world are resilient, remarkable beings who have survived the dehumanizing drama of life behind bars and managed to walk out alive. A testimony to the human spirit. But though they are resilient, they never forget the…

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Missouri TRO Challenged by Attorney General

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The Attorney General of Missouri has filed a motion for emergency stay that, if granted, would allow the government to enforce a state law that requires registrants in that state to post a sign on the front door of their homes on Halloween.  This motion was filed in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals after business hours on Friday. According to this motion, the federal district court lacks jurisdiction to issue a statewide Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).  The motion then requests the appellate court either to stop the TRO completely…

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Canada: Liberal bill updating sex-offender registry in response to court decision becomes law

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Source: ctvnews.ca 10/27/23 OTTAWA – A Liberal bill that adds victims’ input to the process for publication ban decisions and changes how the national sexual offender registry works has received royal assent. The new law requires judges to ask prosecutors if they have sought a victim’s input when seeking a publication ban, and requires victims’ preferences about receiving information about their case after an offender’s sentencing to be entered into the record. It also adds new entries to the list of offences that can result in someone being added to…

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ME: Registrant falsely accused of mass murder because he has the same name

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Source: usatoday.com 10/26/23 The claim: Image shows suspect in Maine shooting, previously arrested for child pornography An Oct. 26 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) includes a photo of a man it claims is the suspect in a mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, that left 18 people dead. “Lewiston Maine Mass Shooting Suspect Robert Card Has Been Previously Arrested For Child Pornography & Is A Registered Sex Offender Who CAN NOT LEGALLY POSSESS A FIREARM!” reads part of the post.  The post garnered nearly 30 shares and more than 350 comments…

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Federal Court Grants TRO Stopping Halloween Sign Requirement for Registrants in Missouri

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A federal court today granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that, in effect, stops a Halloween sign requirement for all registrants in Missouri.  Specifically, the court order rules that state and local governments in Missouri “are temporarily enjoined from enforcing” the Halloween sign requirement.  The court order leaves in place additional Halloween requirements such as turning off all outside residential lighting after 5 p.m. on Halloween. “This is a significant victory for registrants in Missouri,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci and lead counsel in the lawsuit.  “They will not…

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GA: If I Join a Church After Prison, How Much of My Past Is Safe to Disclose?

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Source: filtermag.org 10/25/23 Last Sunday, I tried to work up the courage to go to church. I did some Googling of the churches sprinkled around the Georgia county where I currently live. There are dozens; I could take my pick. But when I think about meeting a new congregation, I freeze. Do I introduce myself as trans? As someone who just got out of prison? As a registered sex offender? Or do I make up some story that’s easier? In September I was released, after 13 years in Georgia Department…

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FL: Accused sex offender released back into community after being found incompetent to stand trial

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Source: wftv.com 10/23/23 PINE HILLS, Fla. — A community learned on Monday that an accused repeat sex offender will be released back into their community, again. Channel 9 first reported on 56-year-old Joseph ____ since 2020. ____ has recently been found incompetent to stand trial and is not currently facing time for any of his charges.  In the courtroom, parents of the alleged victims were livid. They did not want him to be released anywhere near their daughters, who he’s accused of attacking in Pine Hills.  Deshawn Browdy spoke in…

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ACSOL Online Meeting November 18, 2023

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Please join ACSOL Executive Director and civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci for our next meeting.  The meeting will be held on Saturday November 18, online on Zoom beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 PM Eastern, and will last at least two hours. You can use the Zoom app or call in using a Zoom phone number. There is no registration needed for this meeting. You can use the Zoom app to see Janice and choose to show or hide yourself, or you can use the Zoom phone number to call…

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GA: Want to avoid sex offenders in your neighborhood this Halloween? Read this before trick-or-treating

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Source: fox5atlanta.com 10/23/23 There are over 24,500 registered sex offenders in the state of Georgia. Only some of them have to follow a special set of rules on Halloween.  Those who are on parole or probation must: Turn off all outside lights Not decorate their home for the holiday, or pass out candy Not answer the door, unless it’s for a law enforcement officer or an emergency responder In the past, the Atlanta Police Department has sent parole officers to visit the homes of sex offenders throughout the night to…

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Philippines: American sex offenders denied entry into Philippines at NAIA

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Source: palawan-news.com 10/22/23 Two convicted American sex offenders were denied entry into the Philippines by the immigration bureau at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) this week. They were identified by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) as Eric Blair ___, 57, who arrived at NAIA Terminal 1 on October 19, aboard a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight from Los Angeles, California, and Marlon ___, 57, who arrived on a PAL flight from Honolulu on October 20. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said on Saturday that Smith is a registered sex offender (RSO) in…

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MO: Briefs Filed Regarding Request to Stop Missouri’s Halloween Sign Mandate

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Source: ACSOL Briefs have been filed by both parties, in support of and in opposition to, a motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).  If the motion is granted, registrants in Missouri would not be required to post signs on the front door of their homes on Halloween. Plaintiff’s reply brief was filed today as required by the court.  That brief focuses on the fact that the sign mandate violates the First Amendment because it is compelled speech, required by the government and objected to by the registrant.  The brief…

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CA: Trial Date Set for Case Involving Attempted Offenses

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Source: ACSOL A trial date has been set in a pending case that challenges the tiering of individuals convicted of an attempted offense.  The date for the bench trial (no jury) is March 25, 2024.  The trial will be held in Los Angeles Superior Court, Department 76, starting at 8:30 a.m. and is expected to last no longer than one day.   The California Department of Justice (CA DOJ) is currently assigning individuals convicted of an attempted offense to the same tier as individuals completed of a completed offense.  As a…

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FL: Residents want ‘clustered’ sex offenders out of Tampa neighborhood

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Source: fox13news.com 10/20/23 TAMPA, Fla. – After more than two years of delays, Tampa city council members on Thursday finally received a report on the housing of sexual predators who are currently ‘clustered’ in the V.M. Ybor neighborhood.  … “Commencing in 2009-2010, multiple properties on Nebraska Avenue underwent rapid transformations, becoming high-density hubs for newly released sex offenders, predators, and felons. This resulted in a concerning surge in V.M. Ybor’s sex offender and predator population. Despite initial opposition, the situation persists, prompting the need for critical intervention. One glaring issue is the Department of Corrections’ ongoing…

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GA: Do These Sex Offender Employment Restrictions Make Sense to Anyone?

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Source: filtermag.org 10/19/23 In the month since I was released from Georgia Department of Corrections custody, I’ve been offered four different jobs. I could have been an account lead at a prominent insurance agency; a receptionist at the same agency, different location; an accountant at another insurance agency; and a paralegal assistant at a law firm. I submitted each offer to my local sheriff’s department, where each was promptly rejected. It appears there are only two available positions in the entire county I’d be allowed to work, one of them…

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CASOMB Expands Recommendations for Tier Reductions

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The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) today approved tier reductions for those convicted of three offenses — Penal Code Sections 288.2, 288.3 and 288.4 — who are currently assigned to Tier 3 which requires lifetime registration.  All three offenses involve either the sharing of harmful material with a minor of arranging a meeting with a minor. “This is a remarkable and positive recommendation for CASOMB to make,” stated ACSOL Executive Director Janice Bellucci.  “The board based its decision upon the reason for one of their previous decisions, that is,…

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Sex Offender Registry Requirements Across the United States

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Source: Probation Information probationinfo.org Can a registered sex offender go on vacation? Does a sex offender have to register if they visit a different state? It depends on the state, and how long the registrant will be there. Some jurisdictions require registrants to notify authorities immediately, while others allow limited stays without requiring registration. Registrants currently under supervision usually need permission from their Parole or Probation Officer before traveling and should always consult their supervising officer. This comparison chart is intended to be a quick reference guide to compare the…

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An 18-Year-Old Had Consensual Sex With a 16-Year-Old. He Went to Jail for 6 Years

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Source: yahoo.com 10/18/23 When Henry was 18, he had sex with a 16-year-old he met on a dating app who said they were 18 too. The 16-year-old’s parents found out, summoned the cops, and Henry was charged with a sex offense. He took a plea: no jail time, and seven years on the sex offense registry. Henry’s story is one of about 60 that appear in a new book by sociologist Emily Horowitz: From Rage to Reason: Why We Need Sex Crime Laws Based on Facts Not Fear. If you…

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