addressing sex offense issues

Virginia considering registering child sex offenders for life.

Read this article regarding the latest proposed legislation in Virginia to register child offenders for life. Of course this would block them from entering a public school or being around other children. I would agree that if a professional deemed the offender patholigical, then they need to be safely within treatment. But, for a youthful indiscretion, such as mentioned here, a lifetime of shame is hardly the answer for anyone, but even more so for a child. Click here.  

North Carolina is the latest state to take a stand against the Adam Walsh Act

...and its key provision, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). States like New York have already refused to comply, because SORNA’s requirements directly contradict their policy of treating youth offenders differently from adult offenders.

Missouri is working to get it's registry realistic

The legislation would create a graduated scale of sexual offenses for inclusion on the registry. There would be four levels of offenders and it would exempt some from public display on the sex offender website, although information on all persons convicted of sex crimes will be maintained in a database available to law enforcement. Clcik here to read about this proposed bill.

Sex Offenders: The Last Pariahs

"No one can doubt that child sexual abuse is traumatic and devastating. The question is not whether the state has an interest in preventing such harm, but whether current laws are effective in doing so." Roger N. Lancaster is a professor of anthropology and director of the cultural studies program at George Mason University, and the author of “Sex Panic and the Punitive State.” Click here to read the NYTimes article.

Our bloated Sex Offender registry

Society is at a unique point in time. With the recommendations outlined in this paper, society can create a new wave of legislative, community, and organizational policies that can effectively prevent re-offense and engage individuals, families, and communities in primary prevention  To read this article by Diane Dimond, of the Huffington Post, click here.

Studies question effectiveness of sex offender laws

Why would public notification encourage sex offenders to re-offend? Perhaps because they have little else to lose. In particular, notification can make the threat of prison less effective. According to Prescott and Rockoff, their findings suggest that "convicted sex offenders become more likely to commit crimes when their information is made public because the associated psychological, social, or financial costs make a crime-free life relatively less desirable."  Read the entire report by clicking here.

Complying With Walsh Act Costs Ohio $10 Million, November 13, 2011

As the first state to comply with the AWA, Ohio’s problems with constitutionality are an ominous sign for other states. Amy Borror, spokeswoman for the Ohio Public Defenders Office, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that complying with the AWA spawned more than 7,000 lawsuits and increased the workload on sheriff’s offices by about 60 percent. Her office estimates that Ohio has spent at least $10 million just on legal costs defending the AWA. Click here to read this report.

Child Abuse: We’re Making the Problem Worse

Experts say America's approach to sex offenders only increases the likelihood that they will re-offend. Click here to read this.

States Find SORNA Non-Compliance Cheaper, November 7, 2011

Congress passed the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act in 2006, which required states to implement new policies by July of this year or face a financial penalty for non-compliance. Only 15 states did, according to a report by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Why? Click here to read the report.

Sex Offenders: Recidivism, Re-Entry Policy and Facts, November 8, 2011

"Sexual predation is back in the national spotlight since Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State defense coordinator who's accused of sexually assaulting eight boys over 15 years, and two top university officials and has been charged with sexual abuse and covering up the abuse.It doesn't take much imagination to understand the horrors and damage caused by criminal offenders. And it's hard to talk about the facts of any criminal behavior since misinformation is common and ideas contrary to misinformation are quickly associated as soft on crime. The nuances of any criminal behavior are complicated." Click here to read the rest of this report

State Lawmaker Looks at Break with Federal Sex Offender Guidelines, October 20, 2011

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Major changes could be on the horizon for Missouri’s sex offender registry.The state representative leading a committee that is looking into ways of cutting down the size of the state’s sex offender registry says it may make sense for the state to detach itself from federal sex registry rules. Click here to read the rest of this report.

Some Va. sex offenders held long after sentence up,  November 19. 2011

RICHMOND, Va. — Having already served their sentences, hundreds of Virginia sex offenders are held behind bars for months — some for years — while waiting to see whether they'll be sent to a psychiatric center indefinitely, an Associated Press review has found. Judges acting on the requests of both prosecutors and defense attorneys routinely shrug off the legal deadline for making that decision, leaving the inmates in limbo well beyond their designated punishment and without access to the very kind of treatment the state says they may need. Click here to read the article.

they-are-not-all-monsters - Dr. Nancy Irwin's Weblog

Adults fail to intervene and report abuse for a variety of reasons, one of the most salient being denial or minimization of the offense.  This is enabling, and enablers are more culpable than offenders, who can be “crippled” by their  disorder. Enablers do not want the offense to be a reality, and keenly hope that it will just “go away,” particularly if it involves a celebrity or someone we really admire. To read this insightful web blog click here

Man stuck between clashing sex offender registration laws

Kelly Piercy, 62, of Sardis, Ga., spent six years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. He is eligible to be taken off Georgia's sex offender registry, but federal regulations forbid it. "If the state says I'm not a danger, then I should be able to live like a normal person," he said. To read of this man's story and the problems facing ex-offenders trying to reestablish themselves, click here to read the rest of the story. Also read the comments. It seems that the general public is getting tired of the duplicity regarding the registry and the Adam Walsh act.