Tag: reform sex offense laws

9-Year-Olds Are Being Forced to Register as Sex Offenders. That Might Finally Change.

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Source: slate.com 2/1/22 It’s hard not to get emotional about child sexual abuse. The thought of anyone hurting a child in this way is so egregious that it’s no wonder society has thrown its support behind a robust criminal justice response, including lengthy prison sentences and the registration and public notification of people convicted of this type of sex crime. But what happens when the perpetrator of child sexual abuse is also a child? This isn’t a thought experiment. In the United States, up to 70 percent of sexual offenses…

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UT: Senator will not pursue sex offender registry amendment removing the term “sex offender” and some presence restrictions

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Source: kslnewsradio.com 1/6/22 SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would have proposed changes to the Sex Offender Registry in Utah will not move forward in the 2022 legislative session after all.  Sen. Michael Kennedy, R-Alpine, initially filed SB0052 late in 2021. It would have potentially allowed registered sex offenders to go to places like schools and parks, if they are with an adult. The bill would also have replaced the term “sex offender” with registrant. Read the full story  

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AZ: Arizona’s Sex Offender Laws: Recommendations for Reform

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[Tamara Rice Lave in arizonastatelawjournal.org – 1/13/21] In this Article, I consider ways in which Arizona’s laws regarding sex offenders should be reformed. I begin by focusing on laws that are designed to deal with the danger posed by convicted sex offenders: registration requirements, residence restrictions, and civil commitment. I contend that the state has overstated the risk posed by convicted sex offenders and that the laws meant to control them may do more harm than good. Next, I turn to police sexual violence. I argue that the state needs…

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LA Times Op-Ed: Polly Klaas was our sister. We don’t want unjust laws to be her legacy

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[latimes.com – 10/18/20] To many people, the face of Polly Klaas is a reminder of a horrific moment in our nation’s history. For us — her sisters — Polly’s face represents a constellation of childhood memories that remain precious to us today. Those memories ended abruptly on Oct. 1, 1993, when a man followed Polly home from the park and took her from our bedroom. … To us, the trauma of Polly’s death was made all the more confusing and frightening by the media frenzy surrounding it. As children, we…

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How Big Money Stymies S.O. Reform

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[narsol.org – 6/30/18] By Michael M . . . When SORNA (Sex Offender Registration Notification Act, aka Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006) required the states to establish comprehensive minimum standards for their state sex offender registries, it created an unfunded mandate that left many states scrambling to comply or lose Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funding from the federal government. Many states did not have sufficient funds earmarked for the creation of a whole new bureaucracy, especially one that depends so heavily…

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