Last August I wrote a blog piece on the Women Against Registry website regarding homeless registrants living in city parks and on the beaches of Oahu. At that time, the island seemed to be doing just fine without any presence or residency restrictions. Hawaii is one of 20 states that doesn’t have restrictions. Back then, Hawaii’s public defender, Jack Tonaki made this comment “the island is so small, residency restrictions would make it impossible for registrants to find housing.” As far as I can tell, the island hasn’t grown in…
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HI: Proposal would put tough restrictions on where sex offenders can live
A proposal before lawmakers would make it illegal for any registered sex offender to temporarily or permanently live within 1,000 feet of a school, childcare facility, playground or park. Full Article Also see HI: Dozens of sex predators registered as living in Oahu parks
Read MoreHI: Dozens of sex predators registered as living in Oahu parks
Hawaii’s sex offender registry is meant to keep people safe by requiring convicted sex criminals to submit their address to an online database. On the site, the public can check to see if a sex offender lives nearby. But a Hawaii News Now investigation has revealed some alarming gaps in the system, including vague addresses and dozens of convicted sex predators living places where you hope children can be safest. Full Article
Read MoreHI: Cause of Action for Shaming Sex Therapy May Not Accrue Until after Release from Prison
[prisonlegalnews.org 6/7/18] On August 29, 2017, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held “it may be reasonable for an incarcerated individual who is told she must resurface past sexual trauma to overcome them to rely on these assurances, and to view associated feelings of emotional distress as normal, contractive responses incidental to the healing process.” In its ruling, the appellate court found it was error to deny a request to amend a complaint to allege the plaintiff was not aware she had been “injured by the therapy program until sometime…
Read MoreHI: 1 in 5 Big Island sex offenders noncompliant with registry requirements
Almost one in five Big Island sex offenders is noncompliant with state sex offender registry requirements. As of Sept. 11, 73 of 402 “covered offenders” — those required to register — weren’t in compliance with the state’s registry law, according to figures from the Department of the Attorney General’s Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center. That’s more than 18 percent. Full Article
Read MoreHI: This Program Offers Sex Offenders Second Chances — And It’s Working
One day back in 2003, ____ ____ sat in a room at the Kulani Correctional Facility, listening to a recording of a frantic 911 call. A woman was on the line, clearly in distress: Her house was being broken into. Terrified, she was hiding in a closet and begging for help — but to no avail. A man soon broke in, raped the woman and killed her. ____, who had been locked up for seven life sentences — including one for a rape conviction — says listening to the recording…
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