By Sandy . . . Two unique opportunities are available within the upcoming weeks for gaining valuable insight into our advocacy and its intersection with the criminal justice system.
The first of these is the Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice Symposium being held on Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota. Registration information and the day’s schedule are available here. Registration is available for the entire day as well as for individual sessions. NARSOL’s Minnesota contact will be in attendance, and he is taking several therapists and several individuals who are on the registry there.
The title of this year’s program is “Residency Restrictions: Wise or Unwise?” and with Dr. Jill Levenson and Dr. Eric Janus being featured speakers, we can be quite sure of the answer. An additional treat in the program is Patty Wetterling. Initially responsible for some of the laws that still plague us today, Mrs. Wetterling has in recent years become an outspoken opponent of the sexual offense registry and especially of residency restrictions.
On March 8 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in room 133 of the SSB building of the Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Guy Hamilton-Smith is presenting a seminar titled, “Sex Offender Registries in the Era of #MeToo: Failed Policies and New Directions” from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.
Refused permission to take the bar exam in Kentucky due to a previous sexual offense conviction and his status as a registrant, graduate law student Guy has emerged as a cutting-edge voice for more effective sexual offense laws and policies. He is now a legal fellow for the Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Our advocacy is fortunate to have such accomplished and notable individuals as those participating in these educational initiatives.
Sandy, a NARSOL board member, is communications director for NARSOL, editor-in-chief of the Digest, and a writer for the Digest and the NARSOL website. Additionally, she participates in updating and managing the website and assisting with a variety of organizational tasks.