Thanks to almost 50 individuals, we did it! We raised $10,175 for the matching grant program in about two weeks. As a result, ACSOL has a total of $20,175 to apply toward significantly increasing the number of registrants who are eligible to petition for removal from the registry. This is not the first step, but it is an important step, in a multi-step process that began about 18 months ago when ACSOL made a presentation to the CA Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB). During that presentation, ACSOL identified several improvements…
Read MoreTag: Janice’s Journal
Janice’s Journal: A Difficult Decision
The vigil planned for Washington, D.C., in March 2023 was my idea. My idea was a vigil that would take place near the date of the 20th anniversary of a terrible mistake made by the U.S. Supreme Court. A mistake that has led to significant harm experienced by at least one million families. A mistake that had led to unemployment, homelessness, vigilante violence and even suicide. The purpose of the vigil was to educate the U.S. Supreme Court and the public regarding the tragedies that have flowed from this decision. …
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Worse Than Murder?
As Executive Director of ACSOL, I listen every day to concerns expressed by registrants and/or their family members. Many of those concerns are focused upon challenges that registrants face in employment and housing. This column does not address those challenges. Instead, it addresses the overarching issue that registrants are often treated worse than individuals convicted of murder. Regardless of the sex offense for which they have been convicted or the number of years that have passed since that conviction. I have known this fact for many years. The most obvious…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: We’ve Got Your Back
The Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL) was created about 10 years ago to protect registrants and their families from a constant and continual assault of new laws that added additional challenges to daily life. The challenges included restrictions on where a registrant could visit, where a registrant could live and whether a registrant could celebrate Halloween. During this 10-year period, ACSOL and its foundation has filed more than 100 lawsuits which have resulted in the repeal or non-enforcement of every presence restriction and residency restriction for registrants who…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Zombies versus Sex Offenders?
A friend recently referred to a TV series, IZombie, as a TV show in which some Zombies are portrayed in a positive light. That is, she said, there are good Zombies and bad Zombies. The idea of a good Zombie piqued my curiosity to the point that I watched three seasons of that TV show. I quit watching the show when I realized I was covering my own eyes for large parts of each episode due to the gory scenes they portrayed. What did I learn from watching three seasons…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Take Your Knee Off of My Neck
I became a grandmother for the first time a week ago. It’s a moment I have been looking forward to, and planning for, many years. Who knew it would take place during a global pandemic and less than a week after the death of George Floyd? Although I am the founder, past President and current Executive Director of the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws (ACSOL), I was uncertain how I would feel about the issue of civil rights for registrants and their families after I became a grandmother. Now…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: The Stage Is Set, But Will the Players Play
California Governor Gavin Newsom has set the stage for the end of in-person registration during the COVID-19 pandemic. He did so by issuing an Executive Order that authorizes and encourages law enforcement agencies to remotely register individuals telephonically and by other means. The reason for these remote procedures, according to the Order, is to protect both law enforcement personnel as well as registrants. We acknowledge that the Governor’s order is a suggestion, not a mandate. There are no penalties for law enforcement agencies that choose to disregard it. But the…
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