By Roger Lancaster . . . The criminal justice reform bill, hopefully dubbed the First Step Act, represents a real accomplishment — a positive development in otherwise conservative times. It is all the more remarkable that a reactionary president, who ran a tough-on-crime campaign, is now poised to sign the bill. But let’s not overstate matters. The bill essentially tweaks an otherwise…
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By Ivan Moreno (AP) . . . A registered sex offender forbidden from visiting his severely ill 9-year-old son filed a lawsuit Friday against Wisconsin Children’s Hospital, arguing its visitation policy is “cruel and causes unnecessary harm to families and innocent children.” Security guards escorted Stuart Yates from the building Tuesday, five days after his son was hospitalized with a…
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By Andy S. . . . We are in the era of the podcast! It is a very exciting time. It’s like a DVR for audio (and video) programs. The days of waiting until the exact day and time for the program to begin are no longer. This is a gold mine of educational opportunities. While you’re riding the bus…
Read MoreBy Robin . . . The National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (NARSOL), in collaboration with its foundation and legal fund, Vivante Espero, has filed an amicus brief on behalf of the defendant-appellee, Marc A. Pepitone, in an important case before the Illinois Supreme Court concerning parks and premises restrictions against “child sex offenders” (720 ILCS 5/11-9.3 (f)). NARSOL…
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By Olivia Covington . . . Three convicted Boone County sex offenders can return to their church congregations after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined that churches are not considered “school property,” so state statute cannot prohibit the offenders from going to church, even when children are present. The appellate court handed down that decision Tuesday in John Doe 1, et al.,…
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By Olivia Covington . . . Shortly after the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act went into effect in Indiana in 2015, the unlawful entry by a serious sex offender statute, which prohibits certain sex offenders from accessing school property, also became law. Now, those two statutes are at odds with each other as the Indiana Court of Appeals decides whether…
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By Lenore Skenazy…. The woman who looked to be about 60 walked up to the podium and spoke in a quiet voice. She was at a St. Louis synagogue that was hosting an evening of presentations about the sex offender registry. I spoke, too. But this mom’s story has haunted me in the weeks since. I asked for a copy…
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By Sandy…. In the wake of the release of long-time incarcerated convicted sexual offender and former priest Paul Shanley, journalists are rushing to find a different angle to present the situation. Elaine Thompson found an excellent one. The focus is on another convicted offender, former attorney Joel Pentlarge who, since he has been released, has done everything he could to…
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By Josh Gravens and Jennifer Long…. Mr. Weiner, … While you could teach me about being a politician, I can teach you about being a conscious citizen. You know all about being a policy maker; I can tell you the part that you don’t know: what it is like to be on the receiving end of bad policy, policy only looking…
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(From the Dobbs Wire) Win in Wisconsin: A federal judge struck down a Pleasant Prairie ordinance restricting where individuals forced to sign the sex offense registry can live, ruling the ordinance unconstitutional. Laws like this are euphemistically known as ‘residency restrictions,’ but their purpose is banishment. Officials in Pleasant Prairie, short on humanity, had made just about the entire town…
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