By Sandy . . . Arguments centering around recidivism or reoffense rates are problematic at best and useless at worst. Understanding all of the factors includes the vocabulary and the definitions. Are we talking any offense, including parole violations, that results in a re-arrest, or only a repeat sexual offense? Are we talking re-arrest, re-conviction, or re-incarceration before it is…
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11/21 UPDATE: They now have an addendum at the beginning of the story. This is a step in the right direction, but it still contains misleading and irrelevant material, which I wrote to Ms. Umphress at Amberly Place yesterday and will write Ms. Day and her news editor about. This is what they put. What they wrote is in bold…
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By Sandy . . . The Alpena News, in reporting about the situation in Michigan where deadlines for registry reform set by the court have been ignored by Michigan legislators, used the opportunity to “enlighten” the public with some statistics about persons on the registry. “Data released in May by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics indicates sex offenders are…
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edited 11/12 By Sandy . . . In 1996 the North Carolina General Assembly created the public sex offender registry and established the crimes, the requirements, and the consequences pursuant to it. 2005 is the first year that I am able to verify law enforcement action involving special requirements for those on the registry at Halloween. A piece from Gaston…
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Originally printed 10/10/2013 By Sandy . . . Why advocate for not monitoring registered offenders on Halloween? What’s the harm? I’m so glad you asked. Most Halloween restrictions apply to everyone on the registry or everyone under supervision, whether or not their offenses had anything to do with a child. This broad-brush application is bumping up against constitutional protections. Many…
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By Amanda Claire Curcio . . . Arkansas has about 15,800 registered sex offenders — 526 offenders for every 100,000 residents — the second-highest total in the country based on population, recent national research shows. The manager of the state’s sex-offender registry says the numbers are misleading. “It’s not like we have 16,000 sex offenders roaming loose around Arkansas,” said…
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By Sandy . . . A town in Nebraska, York, has been considering residency restrictions for those on the registry off and on for several years. Recently, prompted by a concerned citizen, city attorney Charles Campbell prepared an ordinance and asked the York City Council to consider it. One of NARSOL’S writers, Mike W., wrote a letter to the editor…
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By Steve Yoder . . . Quentin (not his real name) was convicted eight years ago of child pornography possession in Florida. He served his time and has since moved to another state. But his sentence required his photo and other personal details to appear on Florida’s sex offender registry, and there they will stay for the rest of his life,…
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By Mike W . . . In response to an online media story hyping fear over registered sex offenders voting in schools in New York and “having access” to children, Mike W. wrote and NARSOL sent the following to the journalist and the editor of the news outlet. To: Spectrum News Attn: Editor and Vince Briga RE: Could Sex Offenders…
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By Michael M. . . . The headlines today are full of stories of righteous indignation over immigrant children being separated from their families. While that dilemma is certainly newsworthy, the American public seems largely unaware of the fact that tens of thousands of our own children are being taken from their families each year and tossed into a rapacious legal…
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