Thursday, May 02, 2013
Text alerts if sex offenders go near schools
"SEX criminals could be given electronic tags that can alert police if they go near schools or parks.
Humberside Police have been piloting the tags, which use satellite tracking to monitor offenders' movements 24 hours a day.
Officers in Hull and the East Riding have three of the tags – one for high-risk sex offenders and two for prolific criminals including burglars.
Detective Inspector Darren Webb, who has led the trial, said it has been so successful he is recommending the force buys more of the tags, which cost £2,400 a year."
http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/alerts-sex-offenders-near-schools/story-18868153-detail/story.html#axzz2SC1JzPrv
11:46am Wednesday 1st May 2013
Sussex Police defends decision to buy GPS locators for dementia patients
"Gill Stoneham, from Fishbourne in Chichester, who has dementia, started using the Mindme locator after a neighbour found her disorientated and trying to cross the busy A27 roundabout. Gill Stoneham, from Fishbourne in Chichester, who has dementia, started using the Mindme locator after a neighbour found her disorientated and trying to cross the busy A27 roundabout.
Sussex Police have defended their decision to buy GPS locating devices to trace dementia patients amid calls from some elder care campaigners for their withdrawal.
The force bought six battery-powered locators as part of a bid to save money and time spent on searching for missing dementia patients."
http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10391634.Sussex_Police_defends_decision_to_buy_GPS_locators_for_dementia_patients/
Majority of 'deprivation of liberty' cases unreported, says report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22026308
Barbaric? No, electronic tags are a godsend for Alzheimer's sufferers - and for their carers
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2317963/Barbaric-No-electronic-tags-godsend-Alzheimers-sufferers--carers.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490
May 2, 2013
Victim’s Rights v.Villain’s Rights.
"Down in deepest Surrey, U.K, police are also preparing to use GPS trackers without the sanction of a judge. To track sex offenders you wonder? Nope. Drug dealers? Nope. Entirely innocent citizens – in the name of saving money.
Fed up with the expense of ‘police time and resources’ involved in finding elderly vulnerable citizens, who, by definition, are fully deserving of care under the much vaunted ‘care in the community’ programme, they propose to fit them with GPS tracking devices. A mere £100 each. This is not, they stress, the same as tagging criminals, for ‘electronic tags are worn round the ankle, these devices are worn round the waist or the neck….’
Presumably it is only a short step to implanting such a device, for that is ‘obviously different’ to an electronic tag which can be removed after a set period! If we accept implants for the elderly, ‘for their own good’, why not children? Who can ignore the danger children face in today’s paedophile filled world? If all children are implanted – then it is merely a matter of waiting 20 years before you have adults who are so implanted…
No lawyers have been outraged. Any more than they were outraged when it was revealed that thousands of vulnerable people have been deprived of their liberty ‘for their own good’ without any authority, simply because they wished to go somewhere and care staff either didn’t want to go with them or were too under staffed to spare the time.
This morning there are emotive articles saying what a ‘good thing’ this new technology is, that it will allow families and carers to give ‘more freedom’ to dementia sufferers. That might be a valid argument had the dementia sufferer given their permission in advance to be tracked in this way, in the same manner that you could give a lasting power of attorney to someone to allow them to make other decisions for you and avoid the Court of Protection. That hasn’t happened."
http://www.annaraccoon.com/politics/victims-rights-v-villains-rights/
Friday, 3 May 2013
Pay For The Privilege To Be Persecuted
May 02, 2013 at 4:06 PM
Michigan sex offenders would pay annual registry fee under Senate-approved bill
"LANSING, MI – People listed on Michigan’s sex offender registry would pay an annual fee of $50 under terms of a bill overwhelmingly approved by the state Senate.
Current state law calls for offenders to pay the $50 fee only when they are first registered. Senate Bill 221 would make that an annual payment.
The bill approved by the Senate on a 33-2 vote Thursday is now headed to the House for its consideration.
The change would be a boost to the fund that helps establish, run and enforce the sex offender registry. Current law raises about $160,000 a year through the fees. That could increase to up to $700,000 a year if the fees were annual, according to an analysis from the Senate Fiscal Agency."
http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/05/michigan_sex_offender_registry.html
Michigan Senate OKs annual sex offender fee
http://www.freep.com/article/20130502/NEWS06/305020102/Michigan-lawmakers-sex-offenders-annual-fee
Michigan sex offenders would pay annual registry fee under Senate-approved bill
"LANSING, MI – People listed on Michigan’s sex offender registry would pay an annual fee of $50 under terms of a bill overwhelmingly approved by the state Senate.
Current state law calls for offenders to pay the $50 fee only when they are first registered. Senate Bill 221 would make that an annual payment.
The bill approved by the Senate on a 33-2 vote Thursday is now headed to the House for its consideration.
The change would be a boost to the fund that helps establish, run and enforce the sex offender registry. Current law raises about $160,000 a year through the fees. That could increase to up to $700,000 a year if the fees were annual, according to an analysis from the Senate Fiscal Agency."
http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/05/michigan_sex_offender_registry.html
Michigan Senate OKs annual sex offender fee
http://www.freep.com/article/20130502/NEWS06/305020102/Michigan-lawmakers-sex-offenders-annual-fee
Thursday, 2 May 2013
More Signs Of Sanity
Posted on: 6:35 am, May 1, 2013 updated on: 06:54am, May 1, 2013
Mo. lawmakers consider bill to remove some sex offenders from registry
"JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Currently most people found guilty of committing a sex crime have to register on the sex offender registry for the rest of their life. Whether they were found guilty of public indecency or committed rape, sex offenders are lumped together.
Missouri lawmakers want to change that.
On Tuesday, the House passed a bill that would allow sex offenders to petition to get their name off the list after a certain number of years. Those convicted of lesser sex offenses like fondling, public indecency or possession of child pornography could petition to get off the list in five years.
Those convicted of moderate crimes like having sexual contact with minors could petition to get off the list in 10 years. And those convicted of rape and other violent sexual crimes could petition to get off the list in 25 years."
http://fox4kc.com/2013/05/01/mo-lawmakers-consider-bill-to-remove-some-sex-offenders-from-registry/
Tiered sex offender registry bill approved by Missouri House
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/378462/3/Bill-would-create-tiered-sex-offender-registry
Jeff City Beat: Possible break for sexual offenders
http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20130504/NEWS/130509490/1001/NEWS
May 6, 2013
Missouri Kids First won’t support bill that makes changes to sex offender registry (AUDIO)
"Legislators have been working for several years on restructuring the state’s sex offender registry, saying it’s unnecessarily penalizing many people who are not a risk to society. One group speaking out against a bill that’s been taken up and passed by the House is Missouri Kids First.
“With the sex off registry, our opinion of Rep. Hinson’s bill is that it just goes too far,” says spokeswoman Emily Van Schenkof. “It goes too far and there are actually a number of troubling elements in it. We really recognize that there are some people on the sex offender registry that don’t belong it … my concern is that … this bill goes really far in letting a lot of people off that list who really are absolutely a public safety risk.”"
http://www.missourinet.com/2013/05/06/missouri-kids-first-wont-support-bill-that-makes-changes-to-sex-offender-registry-audio/
Then again ...
Posted on: 9:19 pm, May 6, 2013, by Mark Meredith, updated on: 10:16pm, May 6, 2013
Law considered to make it harder for sex offenders to remove names from registry
"DENVER — It’s a list that’s meant to protect communities and punish convicted sex offenders [!!!???] but some believe it’s too easy for former criminals to remove themselves off the state registry.
“It mortifies me and it terrifies me,” said Marilyn Spittler in an interview with FOX31 Denver after learning her ex-husband, a convicted sex offender wanted to remove his name of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s public list.
Spittler contacted KDVR after learning Jeff LeClere, who was convicted of a sex crime in the 1990s, had petitioned Douglas County in April to remove his name from the state offenders list through a judge’s permission.
“I was shocked. I had no idea that it was even possible to petition the court,” Spittler said after learning about her ex-husband’s request. The request though, according to data from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, may be more common than many people are aware."
http://kdvr.com/2013/05/06/law-considered-to-make-it-harder-for-sex-offenders-to-remove-names-from-registry/
Sex offender reform heads to Senate floor
http://mankatofreepress.com/local/x508496552/Sex-offender-reform-heads-to-Senate-floor
Mo. lawmakers consider bill to remove some sex offenders from registry
"JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Currently most people found guilty of committing a sex crime have to register on the sex offender registry for the rest of their life. Whether they were found guilty of public indecency or committed rape, sex offenders are lumped together.
Missouri lawmakers want to change that.
On Tuesday, the House passed a bill that would allow sex offenders to petition to get their name off the list after a certain number of years. Those convicted of lesser sex offenses like fondling, public indecency or possession of child pornography could petition to get off the list in five years.
Those convicted of moderate crimes like having sexual contact with minors could petition to get off the list in 10 years. And those convicted of rape and other violent sexual crimes could petition to get off the list in 25 years."
http://fox4kc.com/2013/05/01/mo-lawmakers-consider-bill-to-remove-some-sex-offenders-from-registry/
Tiered sex offender registry bill approved by Missouri House
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/378462/3/Bill-would-create-tiered-sex-offender-registry
Jeff City Beat: Possible break for sexual offenders
http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20130504/NEWS/130509490/1001/NEWS
May 6, 2013
Missouri Kids First won’t support bill that makes changes to sex offender registry (AUDIO)
"Legislators have been working for several years on restructuring the state’s sex offender registry, saying it’s unnecessarily penalizing many people who are not a risk to society. One group speaking out against a bill that’s been taken up and passed by the House is Missouri Kids First.
“With the sex off registry, our opinion of Rep. Hinson’s bill is that it just goes too far,” says spokeswoman Emily Van Schenkof. “It goes too far and there are actually a number of troubling elements in it. We really recognize that there are some people on the sex offender registry that don’t belong it … my concern is that … this bill goes really far in letting a lot of people off that list who really are absolutely a public safety risk.”"
http://www.missourinet.com/2013/05/06/missouri-kids-first-wont-support-bill-that-makes-changes-to-sex-offender-registry-audio/
Then again ...
Posted on: 9:19 pm, May 6, 2013, by Mark Meredith, updated on: 10:16pm, May 6, 2013
Law considered to make it harder for sex offenders to remove names from registry
"DENVER — It’s a list that’s meant to protect communities and punish convicted sex offenders [!!!???] but some believe it’s too easy for former criminals to remove themselves off the state registry.
“It mortifies me and it terrifies me,” said Marilyn Spittler in an interview with FOX31 Denver after learning her ex-husband, a convicted sex offender wanted to remove his name of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s public list.
Spittler contacted KDVR after learning Jeff LeClere, who was convicted of a sex crime in the 1990s, had petitioned Douglas County in April to remove his name from the state offenders list through a judge’s permission.
“I was shocked. I had no idea that it was even possible to petition the court,” Spittler said after learning about her ex-husband’s request. The request though, according to data from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, may be more common than many people are aware."
http://kdvr.com/2013/05/06/law-considered-to-make-it-harder-for-sex-offenders-to-remove-names-from-registry/
Sex offender reform heads to Senate floor
http://mankatofreepress.com/local/x508496552/Sex-offender-reform-heads-to-Senate-floor
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
May Also Defeat The Purpose Of The Registry Itself
May 01, 2013
Child safety activist questions the wisdom of sex offender laws
"An early advocate of sex offender registration laws has expressed doubts about the increasing severity of such laws in recent years.
Eleven-year-old son Jacob Wetterling made national headlines after he was abducted at gunpoint in 1989 and never seen again. In the years following the abduction, Jacob's mother, Patty Wetterling, was instrumental in the widespread enactment of sex offender registration laws in the United States. In a recent interview, however, Wetterling explained her growing concerns about how these laws have evolved and the negative impact they may be having on public safety -- as well as on many of the individuals required to register as sex offenders. Given Wetterling's personal history, her criticisms of the current sex offender laws carry particular weight.
The Jacob Wetterling Act
The Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Act was passed in 1994, requiring each state to maintain a registry of convicted sex offenders and their whereabouts after they are being release from prison. At first, the law allowed states to decide for themselves whether to make the information in the registry publicly available. Two years later, however, Congress passed an amendment, known as Megan's Law, which requires states to notify community members when a registered sex offender moves into an area.
As described by City Pages, an alternative news weekly in Minnesota, Wetterling's home state, early sex offender registration laws were vastly different from those in effect today, and their application was substantially more limited. In their original form, sex offender registration laws were to be used only by law enforcement as a tool for narrowing down potential suspects. Over time, however, these laws have grown increasingly punitive and expansive in their scope -- to such an extent that Wetterling herself has grown increasingly critical of them."
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1218886
Child safety activist questions the wisdom of sex offender laws
"An early advocate of sex offender registration laws has expressed doubts about the increasing severity of such laws in recent years.
Eleven-year-old son Jacob Wetterling made national headlines after he was abducted at gunpoint in 1989 and never seen again. In the years following the abduction, Jacob's mother, Patty Wetterling, was instrumental in the widespread enactment of sex offender registration laws in the United States. In a recent interview, however, Wetterling explained her growing concerns about how these laws have evolved and the negative impact they may be having on public safety -- as well as on many of the individuals required to register as sex offenders. Given Wetterling's personal history, her criticisms of the current sex offender laws carry particular weight.
The Jacob Wetterling Act
The Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Act was passed in 1994, requiring each state to maintain a registry of convicted sex offenders and their whereabouts after they are being release from prison. At first, the law allowed states to decide for themselves whether to make the information in the registry publicly available. Two years later, however, Congress passed an amendment, known as Megan's Law, which requires states to notify community members when a registered sex offender moves into an area.
As described by City Pages, an alternative news weekly in Minnesota, Wetterling's home state, early sex offender registration laws were vastly different from those in effect today, and their application was substantially more limited. In their original form, sex offender registration laws were to be used only by law enforcement as a tool for narrowing down potential suspects. Over time, however, these laws have grown increasingly punitive and expansive in their scope -- to such an extent that Wetterling herself has grown increasingly critical of them."
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1218886
It Is More Than Even Evil Speech
April 30, 2013 at 8:11 AM, updated April 30, 2013 at 8:13 AM
Is Sex Offender Registry evil gossip or public safety? Ethics and Religion Talk
"This week's Ethics and Religion Talk considers whether Michigan's Sex Offender Registry is an appropriate public safety tool or a form of evil gossip.
“Given that a sex offender registry list does not give a lot of useful information about the individuals on the list and, in fact, may give false and misleading impressions about them, is it ethical to keep such a list and make it public?"
Rabbi David Krishef consults an attorney in this week's column, then shares his thoughts along with the Rev. David Christian.
Given that the Public Sex Offender Registry is the law in Michigan, I consulted an attorney, Susan Gellman, who has experience working with sexual offenders and practicing in constitutional law. Here's her response:
"We don't have registries for arsonists, con men, thieves or even killers. Having them for sex offenders is based on pandering to people's emotional but irrational feelings, not facts or probabilities.""
"The Sex Offender Registry might be ethical if it only listed individuals who have been determined by a professional to constitute a high risk to society. Only a small percentage on the list (pedophiles [sic]) have a high recidivism rate [sic]. The vast majority, however, have a recidivism rate comparable to or less than that of other crimes.
"The Sex Offender Registry, as currently constituted, lumps all sex offenders together as if they all pose the same risk. A sexual predator is placed alongside a 17-year-old who had consensual sexual relations with a 15-year-old. The average person who doesn't read the list carefully or understand the nature of the degrees of the offense is likely to think that everyone on the list is a danger to society. In this Internet era, the reputation of a person on the registry, even one who has served his time and properly repented, will be forever smirched. This is lashon hara, evil speech."
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/01/ethics_and_religion_talk_1.html
Is Sex Offender Registry evil gossip or public safety? Ethics and Religion Talk
"This week's Ethics and Religion Talk considers whether Michigan's Sex Offender Registry is an appropriate public safety tool or a form of evil gossip.
“Given that a sex offender registry list does not give a lot of useful information about the individuals on the list and, in fact, may give false and misleading impressions about them, is it ethical to keep such a list and make it public?"
Rabbi David Krishef consults an attorney in this week's column, then shares his thoughts along with the Rev. David Christian.
Given that the Public Sex Offender Registry is the law in Michigan, I consulted an attorney, Susan Gellman, who has experience working with sexual offenders and practicing in constitutional law. Here's her response:
"We don't have registries for arsonists, con men, thieves or even killers. Having them for sex offenders is based on pandering to people's emotional but irrational feelings, not facts or probabilities.""
"The Sex Offender Registry might be ethical if it only listed individuals who have been determined by a professional to constitute a high risk to society. Only a small percentage on the list (pedophiles [sic]) have a high recidivism rate [sic]. The vast majority, however, have a recidivism rate comparable to or less than that of other crimes.
"The Sex Offender Registry, as currently constituted, lumps all sex offenders together as if they all pose the same risk. A sexual predator is placed alongside a 17-year-old who had consensual sexual relations with a 15-year-old. The average person who doesn't read the list carefully or understand the nature of the degrees of the offense is likely to think that everyone on the list is a danger to society. In this Internet era, the reputation of a person on the registry, even one who has served his time and properly repented, will be forever smirched. This is lashon hara, evil speech."
http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/01/ethics_and_religion_talk_1.html
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