The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) is dedicated to protecting the Constitution by restoring the civil rights of registrants and their families. In order to achieve that objective, ACSOL will educate and litigate as well as support or oppose legislation.
Important News / Announcements
Janice's Journal
General News Feed
13
Mar
2020
By now we are all on coronavirus overload. It’s a serious pandemic. We hear about it all day long, watch newscasts of cruise ships that are forbidden from docking, parked out in the ocean, passengers awaiting clearance or confinement. Citizens around the world are wearing face masks and hand sanitizer is selling for $200 a bottle on eBay. There’s a new danger in our...
[sorstudy.org] [Note from Janice: I can attest that this is a legitimate study] We are looking for research participants who can help us learn about important issues related to sex offense registries. We are collecting anonymous information from people required to register. WHO? You are eligible to participate in this study If you are 18 or older, and are required to register on a sex...
[narsol.org - 3/11/20] Fresno County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted this week to repeal an ordinance that restricts how close convicted sex offenders can live near schools and parks — a policy California’s Supreme Court found unconstitutional. The move by Fresno County also includes a settlement with a Sacramento-based attorney who sued over the law. The county has joined other localities across the state who...
[prisonpolicy.org - 2/6/20] No need to wait for pandemics: The public health case for criminal justice reform We offer five examples of policies that could slow the spread of a viral pandemic in prisons and jails - and would mitigate the everyday impact of incarceration on public health. by Peter Wagner and Emily Widra The United States incarcerates a greater share of its population...
[thelibertarianrepublic.com - 3/7/20] The term “castration” brings a chill to every man. The idea of having your ‘junk’ cut off is horrifying. It’s barbaric. Castration is like the archaic practice of locking someone in stocks or something that would be seen in a third world country, but not the United States But it’s not. It is used in our modern world, including America. Not...
06
Mar
2020
[spiked-online.com - 2/27/20] Police Scotland are up to their old tricks again. It was revealed last week that they are logging jokes made on the internet because someone, somewhere, might have had their feelings hurt. A freedom-of-information request by The Times showed that more than 3,300 ‘non-crime hate incidents’ – that is, offensive remarks, including jokes on social media – have been stored on...
06
Mar
2020
If asked, would you join a lawsuit as a “John Doe”? Recently I was asked that question by a registrant who was in the process of having to consider just that. It seems sort of fickle that we’re at a point where registrants are encouraged to come out of the shadows, to stand up and speak up to get laws changed, but at that...
[mlive.com - 3/4/20] YPSILANTI, MI – People with felony convictions cannot be discriminated against in Ypsilanti in a new addition to the city’s non-discrimination ordinance that passed Tuesday. Ypsilanti City Council voted unanimously to make ex-offenders a city-protected class at its meeting on March 3. Elected officials said the move will help returning citizens reintegrate into society and address racial disparities. Speakers during public...
05
Mar
2020
The State of California allows many, although not all, registrants to vote in every election (local, state, federal). There are three basic criteria to determine a person's eligibility to vote: (1) U.S. citizenship, (2) at least 18 years old on election day, and 3) not currently found mentally incompetent. There are additional eligibility criteria for individuals who have been convicted of an offense, including...
The November 2020 ballot in California will include an initiative that would significantly weaken three recent criminal justice reform measures -- AB 109, Prop. 47 and Prop. 57. Included in the ballot initiative is a major change to the definition of the term "violent felony," which is used for sentencing and other purposes. Specifically, the California Criminal Sentencing, Parole and DNA Collection Initiative would...
[news-journalonline.com - 3/3/20] A bill that would bar judges from granting bail to someone appealing a conviction of a sex offense against a child is moving smoothly through the Florida Legislature. Rep. Tom Leek, R-Ormond Beach, introduced the bill after outrage last year led by Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood and others when Mark Fugler was released while he appealed his conviction and 15-year...
03
Mar
2020
Have you noticed there is a change in the relationship between the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) and the National Association for Rational Sex Offense Laws (NARSOL)? We hope so. Because the change in that relationship is the result of both hard work and a change in focus. In order to fully understand the significance of what is happening now, it is...
02
Mar
2020
Comments that are not specific to a certain post should go here, for the month of March 2020. Contributions should relate to the cause and goals of this organization and please, keep it courteous and civil. This section is not intended for posting links to news articles without additional relevant comment.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) will request review by the California Supreme Court of their most recent loss in a Proposition 57 case, ACSOL v. CDCR. That loss took place on Feb. 13 when the Third Appellate District Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court's decision that determined CDCR's regulations implementing Prop. 57 were unlawful. CDCR's deadline for requesting the Court's...
02
Mar
2020
Why did California destroy research into a group of people it says are dangerous enough to be locked up indefinitely? In late 2006, a public defender went before a Napa County judge to argue for his client's freedom. ____ _____, a 49-year-old man, had been detained for seven years at Atascadero State Hospital under a 1995 California law authorizing "civil commitment" of people who...
01
Mar
2020
Please mark your calendars for ACSOL’s upcoming meeting in Berkeley: Saturday, March 7 10 a.m. Finnish Hall (upstairs meeting room) 1970 Chestnut Street Berkeley Attendance is limited to individuals required to register, family members, and friends. Media, law enforcement, parole, etc. are not allowed to attend meetings. The meetings start at 10 am and last about 2-3 hours. Topics of conversation include information about...
[registranttag.org - 2/28/20] ALL are invited to hear Update to RTAG’s and Matt Ameika’s Mexican law firm efforts to effect the Angel Watch notification system and Mexico’s parallel Guardian Angel program. We have the acquired 5 Amparo (Remedy) cases to hopefully make changes to immigration procedures. Furthermore, the Mexican courts have recently established that the Mexican constitution and legal rights take priority over international...
Good Morning America has run two recent segments on a parental control phone monitoring app. called Bark. For a fee, the tech company advertises that it’s app. can monitor your children’s social media online activities for signs of potentially dangerous situations such as cyber-bullying, adult content, sexual predators, drug use, depression, suicidal ideation, threats of violence and other assorted issues. Understandably, the online world...
27
Feb
2020
[detroitnews.com - 2/27/20] The Michigan Department of Corrections will pay $80 million to settle a lawsuit with former juvenile offenders who claimed they were sexually abused in Michigan prisons between October 2010 and February 2020, state officials said Thursday. Pending final approval April 9, the state will pay $25 million immediately, $15 million by October, $25 million by October 2021 and $15 million by October 2022. Buy...
27
Feb
2020
[record-eagle.com - 2/26/20] Kristen Burgess took a courageous step forward (Record-Eagle, Jan. 5) to shed light on the community’s response to intrafamilial sexual abuse. When I started my career in 1987, there were “family-centered” programs for parents who decided not to divorce after intrafamilial child sexual abuse. Families were ordered into long-term programs supervised by the Family Courts. Offenders served time in jail and...