Fighting for the Constitutional Rights of all American Citizens.
The purpose of RSOL is to end the punitive, public "sex offender" registry, residency restrictions, and civil commitment laws which endanger our society and stigmatize, shame, and unnecessarily ruin the lives of registered children, adults, and family members. We hope to raise critical awareness about legal and social policy in the United States about sex offenders. We believe these policies should change and that thoughtful people will agree when they know the facts. Read our official statement, Reform Sex Offender Laws Now!, which has been signed by academics, professionals, and activists. We are seeking yoursignature and support for our message, too.
Announcements
Reform Advocates Travel to New York
May 10, 2012
The Paula Gloria and Joe Friendly Shows are TV shows on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network a local access media outlet in New York City which reaches some 600,000 homes in urban New York City. Both shows featured three authors of books related to the consequences of life on the sex offender registry-- Ken Kish, author of the book Despised Things, Lynn Gilmore, author of Consensual Consequences and CEO of SOSEN, and Derek Logue, author of Once Fallen and host of www.oncefallen.com
The purpose of the show was to both promote the books written by the various authors, and to raise awareness of the damage caused by the public along with the movement to reform laws targeting those on the public sex offender registry.
Litigation against residency restrictions filed in TX
Mar 27, 2012
On March 26, 2012, a suit sponsored by Texas Voices was filed against the town of Lewisville, TX, by Richard Gladden, attorney, on behalf of the Duarte family, members of TX Voices. The press release by Mr. Gladden gives a fairly thorough synopsis of the suit and the issues. http://texasvoices.org/lawsuit/
"You can be put on the sex offender registry for urinating in public, having consensual sex as a teenager or even for “sexting.” And in California, once you are on the list..." You can view the Reason.TV site here.
Nicole Pittman of Human Rights Watch is making this appeal for interview subjects; her contact info is at the end.
Searching for Interview Subjects …
I am conducting a nationwide investigation for Human Rights Watch on the harmful impact of sex offender registration and notification laws on children. This project will focus on documenting and advocating against the human rights violations that stem from subjecting children to such laws. Three general concerns are:
First, the laws can be overbroad in scope and overlong in duration, requiring child offenders to register who pose no safety risk.
Second, given the easy public access to online sex offender registries, registrants may be subjected to public humiliation, harassment, and violence. In certain cultural or religious communities, the registration requirements can harm a young person’s ability to practice their religion or enjoy their cultural rights.
Third, residency restrictions can have the effect of banishing registrants from entire geographical areas, forcing them to live far from their homes and families. The risk of public humiliation, family separation, and de facto community banishment can be particularly harmful for youth, including by harming the mental health and developmental progress of youth. The subjects I am looking to interview include but are not limited to persons with information relevant to the concerns outlined above who meet the following characteristics and categories;
1. Children (under the age of 18) who have been adjudicated delinquent or convicted as an adult of a sex offense that either;
a. Subjects (or subjected them) to sex offender registration and notification laws. This can include residency restrictions, zoning restrictions, housing restrictions, etc.
b. Were subjected to registration or notification laws but successfully petitioned to get off the registry
c. Were subject to registration and notification laws but aged out of the juvenile justice system and no longer are required to register.
2. Family Members affected by a child relative subject to registration and notification. Family members can also include siblings, cousins, grandparents, aunts/uncles, coaches, clergy, foster parents, teacher, principals, or anyone in a guardian/mentor-like position in the child’s life that was indirectly affected by the child’s registration status.
3. Attorneys representing children in underlying criminal proceedings or adjudications.
4. Government Officials A Government official in this case can be a probation officer, a judge, prosecutor, mandatory sex offender treatment provider, sex offender registration group treatment provider, police officer, interstate compact on juvenile official, etc.
Interviews with a wide variety of people from the above categories is essential to the success of this investigation and publication of findings. Every interviewee will have the right to refuse participation and / or to provide information confidentially.
Please contact me by email or phone with the name and contact information of the potential interviewees. If the subject is homeless or does not have access to email or phone, please contact me so we can discuss alternate ways to reach out to them. My contact information is listed below;
NICOLE PITTMAN, ESQ.
Soros Senior Justice Advocacy Fellow | Human Rights Watch
1441 Sansom Street #729 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102
To date the RSOL Committee of Electors has received only three completed applications for a position on the Admin Team. As we wish to have a pool of qualified applicants from which to select, a new nomination period is being opened in which to place nominations. The new period begins at 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, March 6th, 2012, and closes forty-five days later at 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 20, 2012. Four Admin Team members will be chosen by the Committee of Electors from these nominees and will join the current five members on the board. At this point, all positions are undesignated positions. Once the full board of nine is assembled, officer and committee positions will be decided by the board itself. Nominations are open to all supporters of RSOL.
All names of nominees must be submitted to Robin at Salemredux@gmail.comduring the forty-five day nomination period.
A person may nominate him or herself or someone else. In nominating someone other than yourself, be certain that the person you nominate wishes to serve in the position should he or she be elected. After the name is submitted and acknowledged by Robin, each applicant will be asked to complete the answers to a set of questions and submit them to Robin at the same email address.
RSOL does not condone sexual activity between adults and children in any way, nor does it condone any sexual activities that break laws in any state. RSOL is not affiliated with, nor do we support or condone, NAMBLA, Boychat, Girlchat, or any group with similar positions on age of consent or related behaviors.
Copyright 2007-2012 ReformSexOffenderLaws.Org Group
