Matt, you work to put repeat sex offenders, including child molesters back into our neighborhoods without properly warning the community. You advocate on behalf of such offenders. You protect them, enable them, and put the public and children at risk. You should not be questioning the morality of anyone.

mmmmmmmmmm  I was hoping some one would write about the differences in the way the courts deal with the males and females in this one.

I KNOW the criminal justice system is immoral. I like this article. It is impossible to get to the truth when people do not trust police or the system. They make things worse and people would much rather handle a situation themselves than turn to that for a solution.

Our family has endured and we are currently living with the unethical and corrupt judical system. Until we get national media attention, the lies will continue. We are living with "False Allegations" unless you have unlimited supply of cash, to retain the best appealate lawyers, your loved one waits for a miracle!! www.truthcafe.net Contact me if you would like to help us get the media involved.

Sincerely, Teri Vanderberg

Dennis, The victims have been heard and have a voice. It's the Adam Walsh Act.

Our hearts break for the true victims. The moral panics and witch hunts that followed these horrific cases are what created Jessica's Law that morphed into the Adam Walsh Act, which created such an imbalance that thousands of innocent or low level offenders have had their lives and families lives destroyed along with their future. This greatly impacts society as the taxpayers money is being wasted on the low level offenders and falsely accused (commonly used as a weapon to destroy in the family courts) while the truely sick, depraved predators go free. 

Arizona and what a culture of abuse of power exists which goes after "easy convictions" with a witch-hunt mentality...  Innocent people's lives are destroyed and that of their children, families, good name and a life-time's worth of earnings, retirement and a grim future.  This outstanding TV investigative reporting puts a face on how it happens.  You decide if you want to visit or live in Maricopa County, Arizona. People are fleeing in droves. The tourist industry is in shambles. The only growth industry in the mass industrial prison complex and the criminal justice system that is fed by law enforcement and County prosecutors.

"The FBI investigates Sheriff Arpaio"

http://www.kpho.com/news/21470567/detail.html

The Sex Offender Registry is a farce and not used at all according to what it was intended.  I recently went to an outdoor concert where many in attendance were intoxicated, enjoying the music and urinating in public.  As I stood there and witnessed this I started to count.  One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.  Seven new names to add to the registry when they are arrested for public urination. A few days later I attended an evening event at our local high school.  Many teenagers holding hands, some kissing behind the trees.  Again, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven....Seven new names to add to the registry for consensual teenage sex that is illegal and underage.  A friend of mine was telling me how her neighbors sisters nephew was in big time trouble.  Seems his friends and him got together one Friday night and playing around on the computer accidentally came across a child porn site. They immediately exited out but one, two, three, four, five, six, seven new names to the registry when they are prosecuted and convicted.  Oh well, doesn't matter that it was by "mistake".  You shouldn't of been on that computer. Oh my, what a shame that Suzy and Johnny are divorcing.  All he wanted to do is see his children but Suzy being so vindictive just isn't going to have it!!! If she can't have Johnny, then his life will suffer FOREVER!!!! Well, she came up with a plan that is perfect! She'll just say Johnny inappropriately touched their daughter, put him in prison and whamo!!! He's in prison, she is free from her ex and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven other people hearing of this perfect get rid of ex scheme are now on the registry.  Dad and his daughter just had a huge fight because she wants to date Tommy and dad refuses to let her.  She'll get even with him.  She calls the cops and says dad "touched" her.  Dad is now in prison, she is pregnant with Tommy's child because she got what she wanted and the registry continues to grow.

This is not a story book, this is reality, this is what the registry is.  It is NOT what it was intended to be, it is NOT working and quite frankly, needs to be abolished completely.  If I am not privy to know that the man next store just got out of prison for armed robbery with intent to kill, if I am not privy to know that the man across the street beat his ex to a pulp and is a schizophrenic sociopath, if I am not privy to know that the woman across the street is a huge heroine dealer than why am I privy to know that Joe Schmo peed in public????

Stay blind, stay uneducating and I promise you with every breath I take that you or someone very close to you WILL be on that registry for the rest of their lives and then you will ask yourself "What is this registry about?"  The majority of this registry is not for actual crimes committed but scenario's as described.  So, open your eyes and seek the truth.

I agree with Dennis Cole's take on our prison system . It is so counterproductive to send parolee's whom are charged with a technical violation back to jail ! It happened to a friend of mine recently here in California . He had been brought up on 2 parole violations one was a no show for a drug test (which was on a Sat. & he was working and truly forgot but notified his PO immediately . The second was a" dirty "drug test . This was within a years time , no additional crime committed and all the while had a job since the second day he got out , had bank acct. & credit cards and was managing responsibly as well as an apartment. He was violated and given 90 days in jail and was to do a 90 day drug rehab program following.

He came out of jail with an attitude I call " prison mentality " because he just was not the same person who went in . He lost almost everything but was able to get his job back . He was court ordered to do a 90 day program but was given a list of treatment centers all of  which had at least a 6 week waiting period . Asked his PO for help as he no longer had his apt. and she put him in a " work furlough " halfway house while waiting to go into a rehab. What a freakin joke that was ! The first thing offered to him in there by the fellow participants was drugs and apparently drugs were dealt from in there. The staff did not enforce any of the rules , smoking of anything was done in the bathrooms with no consequence as to the other rules as well. So after two months of waiting still no openings at any of the rehab programs he was violated again for a dirty test . I am not saying he is without fault , but he needed help and asked for it but because of our screwed up prison & parole system he was not able to get it until it was too late. Due to availability of drugs he was using ( but never missed a day of work during this ) he was violated again . This time he was to report to his PO and was given 3 days to get his affairs in order , meaning quit his job and go into a 6mo. to a 1 year program.

I guess this was all too much for him and the fact he was using fueled the insane idea that he would run . He went on the run for about a week until he was caught . Now after that episode he now has been given a year back to prison with no time off for good behavior , no program to attend in prison nor counseling ( which is truly what he needs ) and an in house drug rehab program of what length I do not know to follow upon release.

Now I am not condoning the mistakes he made at all . But now besides losing another year to prison and most likely adopting that prison mentality again. He has lost everything . In my very humble opinion if he had been given access to rehab & counseling to begin with I don't feel he would be where he is right now . So the kind , hardworking , responsible ( which he was prior to the technical violations ) happy person I knew will most likely emerge an angry , uncaring person with a bad attitude in a years time. Did that really have to be ??? Jail is not the answer as even his PO agreed . But our system is broken , flawed and unfair as it is . Who will take on the biggest lobby in California and make positive changes . Your guess is as good as mine and for now it makes me so sad.

Dennis - You are 100% correct when you say this page is in need of a voice for the victims. Now lets include ALL victims. While no one will dispute the fact that crimes against children are among the most heinous of crimes, creating false allegations of sexual assault is just as heinous. More and more people are using allegations of this nature as a means to settle a score with someone. It is an increasing problem that needs to be publicly addressed. Until we create awareness and until people who place these false allegations have the fear of doing real jail time the problem is going to continue. The falsely accused are also victims here and it is imperative that their voices be heard as well. 

MaryJane, You get the point. There is little written about the victims whose lives are destroyed by being falsely accused, and no one wants to hear about poorly written laws that snare the innocent while letting the truly guilty go free. That does concern us all and we're looking for realistic solutions.

See the award-winning documentary "Witch Hunt" the John Stoll story of an innocent man who spent 20 years in a California prison in the witch hunts of the day by a DA still in office today!  

www.witchhuntmovie.com

Dennis, I do see your point in respect to repeat offenders and share your feelings that they should not be given the opportunity to come back into the community if they have proven time and again that they cannot be trusted. That being said, many  repeat criminals continue to commit crimes because they have little or no options. Many come out of jail with nothing. No family, no money, no education. Their criminal record makes it nearly impossible to get a job. Alot of them have difficulty adjusting to life here in the free world. It is important that we give those truly deserving of it the opportunities and the tools necessary to succeed and become better people. And as for the ones who have no desire to change well, advocating for them and wasting opportunities on them only takes away from the ones who really truly are deserving of a second chance. 

Thanks Camille....I must admit that it wasn't until my own family became victims of false allegations that I truly became aware of just how huge of a problem this is. And the system that we rely on to bring forth justice is the very system that is treating the falsely accused so unfairly. I am discovering more and more each day just how corrupt D.A's offices can be and am shocked at how their "win at all cost" attitudes has countless innocent men and women behind bars. This is unacceptable and we truly need change in the system.

"Cole focuses much of his story on the glaring racial disparities in our prison system and the role of race and socioeconomic inequality in our government's refusal to act. “If white male babies faced anything like such prospects, the politics of crime would look very different,” he writes."

No doubt if white female babies faced anything like such prospects, the politics of crime would look very different too as our criminal justice system is a sexist as it is racist.

Try reading WHEN SHE WAS BAD: HOW AND WHY WOMEN GET AWAY WITH MURDER by Patricia Pearson. It's an eye opener.

http://www.amazon.com/When-She-Was-Bad-Innocence/dp/0140243887/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257280778&sr=8-1

Let's talk facts and logic here. Although many more cases are reported, the number of cases that are classified as "substantiated" has remained steady or dropped slightly (Besharov, 1990; Ceci and Bruck, 1995).  Nonetheless, the number of arrests for sexual offenses has increased markedly, from approximately 159,200 in 1976 to more than 247,000 in 1991 (US Department of Justice, 1978, 1992). Assuming that Kessen (1965), Besharov, (1990), Ceci and Bruck, 1995 are correct and the number of actual reports of child maltreatment has remained the same or slightly decreased since 1965, then all of the reported incidents of child maltreatment above the red line represent the number of reports that created wrongful convictions per year.  A substantial increase which is corroborated by the U.S. Dept. of Justice report above. What this means is that 5,853 innocent men are convicted for child maltreatment every year.

One of the things that really boils my blood are these talking heads on television who tell their viewers that the recidivism rate for sex offenders is astronomical, yet they offer no proof of their claims. Well here is the proof and it comes from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service operated by the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics.

"This report presents, for the first time, data on the re-arrest, reconviction, and re-imprisonment of 9,691 male sex offenders, including 4,295 child molesters, who were tracked for 3 years after their release from prisons in 15 States in 1994.

The 9,691 are two-thirds of all the male sex offenders released from prisons in the United States in 1994. The study represents the largest follow-up ever conducted of convicted sex offenders following discharge from prison and provides the most comprehensive assessment of their behavior after release. Highlights include the following: Within 3 years following their release, 5.3 percent of sex offenders (men who had committed rape or sexual assault) were rearrested for another sex crime; on average the 9,691 sex offenders served 3 1/2 years of their 8-year sentence; compared to non-sex offenders released from State prisons, released sex offenders were four times more likely to be rearrested for a sex crime; the 9,691 released sex offenders included 4,295 men who were in prison for child molesting." Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released From Prison in 1994 by Patrick A. Langan Ph.D.; Erica L. Schmitt; Mathew R. Durose, November 2003.

From: http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=198281

So there you go. Now compare the above with these recidivism statistics for other crimes, again from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics:

Of the 272,111 persons released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, an estimated 67.5% were rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within 3 years, 46.9% were reconvicted, and 25.4% re-sentenced to prison for a new crime.   The 272,111 offenders discharged in 1994 accounted for nearly 4,877,000 arrest charges over their recorded careers.   Within 3 years of release, 2.5% of released rapists were rearrested for another rape, and 1.2% of those who had served time for homicide were arrested for a new homicide.   Sex offenders were less likely than non-sex offenders to be rearrested for any offense –– 43 percent of sex offenders versus 68 percent of non-sex offenders.   Sex offenders were about four times more likely than non-sex offenders to be arrested for another sex crime after their discharge from prison –– 5.3 percent of sex offenders versus 1.3 percent of non-sex offenders.(Note: That's 1.3 percent of non-sex offenders who become sex offenders on a new charge.)

Tell me people, do the statistics justify the paranoia?

What happens in regard to this subject is what is happening right now. You take an incident like Garrido, adult sex offenders regardless of their crime becomes viewed in the same light they are viewing him. That's called stereotyping and it's a form of prejudice and bigotry. Something like Garrido happens  and a cry for stiffer sex offender laws goes out to which politicians are all too happy to oblige because it gets them votes.

it has been said here that the lives of the victims are for ever destroyed by the actions of their perpetrators. While I will admit their lives may be  forever changed, I do not believe that their lives are forever destroyed. To accept that a person's life is forever destroyed implies that a given person is unable to move beyond and overcome the incident. If this truly is the case then there is something wrong with the coping powers of that individual, which has nothing to do with the event that happened to them. Life is not all sweetness and light. There's nothing safe about being alive because with each breath comes the possibility that your life will end. The truth is planet Earth is a thoroughly violent place and it's not likely to change anytime soon. The only thing we can do is  accept it, get used to it and move on. There is no other option. So I don't buy the idea that people can't overcome sexual abuse. People endure far worse in prisoner of war camps and they overcome it just fine.

The sex offender registration database is unconstitutional. The US Constitution specifically states, "Congress shall enact no law creating a class of people."  By creating the sex offender registration database Congress and state government has created a class of people. They're called sex offenders. The only thing that is missing here are yellow armbands with the word Juden written on them. The sex offender registration database has been abused by prosecutors and now includes people who have had no contact with another human being in the commission of their crime. The result is that the sex offender registration database has now become bloated with people who are not dangerous to the public. The purpose of the sex offender registration database was to monitor serious sex offenders not to keep track of people who have been arrested for public urination, mooning and streaking. As an adjunct the sex offender registration database has now been provided to the public via the Internet. This has resulted in the public being given the ability to know when a sex offender is living as a next-door neighbor, which has resulted in a tremendous amount of paranoia. There are no rules regarding the release of a convicted murderer concerning where he can live after his release, but there are for sex offenders. Think about this for a moment. The general public would rather live next door to a person who might kill them than live next to a person who might have sex with them. Does this position make any sense?

Few people know how very bad these laws have become under the Bush administration. The dangerous combination of unscrupulous, opportunistic politicians, drama-driven, sound-bite “news” people like Nancy Grace-types at Fox plus overly zealous states attorneys wanting to make a name for themselves all came together under the Bush administration. Then add in the mix one or two horrific child abduction/slaying cases and stir. There is no other crime where a few cases that everyone is angry about could be used to change the laws so that NOW the large majority of people on the sex offender registry are not dangerous, and especially are not dangerous to children.
The term sex offender is so diluted now, it's hard to know if the man (usually) who you see on the registry is a truly dangerous Gerrido or a guy who got caught urinating on the road, or a 19 yrs. old who have very consensual sex with his 15 yr. old girlfriend, or though sleazy, the man who had sex with an underage prostitute who lied about her age and looked and acted older. All (and more of these types) are on the registry along with the burgeoning numbers of teens or even adults who unknowingly downloaded porn that has child (15, 16 yr. old sex girls) porn included. Would most men care what age the girl is if they're looking at porn and she LOOKED of age and was enticing. There are so many of these on the registry, it is disgusting. And for those fanatics who ASSUME that anyone who downloads porn and it has sexy 15 yr. olds (or even younger Tracey Lord types) and they are just getting prepared to rape children, I say “hogwash”, you're nuts and get a grip on reality. There is a huge difference between looking at a 7 or 8, or 9 year old child sexually and a teenager who looks ready and posed voluntarily. These laws need to be changed !!!
They are just out of control.
For anyone who wants to learn more and especially to help, go to http://www.reformsexoffenderlaws.org/
or http://www.false-allegations-team.com/
and/or read “Sex Offender Laws Failed Policies, New Directions” edited by Richard G. Wright
You can also check out the film narrated and produced by Sean Penn “Witch Hunt” and see just some of the damage these laws have caused. There are too many innocent men in prison and on the registry because of the hysteria that's run rampant in the U.S. And the more who aren't dangerous who are on there, the easier it is for the truly dangerous to hide and not be paid as much attention to. This is how Gerrido escaped the attention he deserved. Not to mention the tons of money these laws have been costing us. So they cost more and do less of what they were set up to do.

I appreciate the bold statement this article makes - not carefully dodging the glaring truth that this system is "morally unacceptable."

Seems like people often want to ignore the fact that prisons are part of communities, and communities need healing not just punishment.

cltl.wordpress.com

Matt , The way I understood this article was it was not just isolating sex offender and predators and I am not in any way minimizing that particular realm of horrific crimes ; but is it not speaking of the prison , parole justice system as a whole ? Isn't it discussing the change needs to be on the entire system as we know it now ? At least that's what I am getting from it . And this needs to be done desperately but if we ( the people of USA ) remain apathetic and turn the other way because one might not have any experience with how unjust our system is I can only imagine the corruptness will continue. I feel maybe the public needs much more education on the workings of " the prison system" . Please do not take what I am saying as open the doors and  let them all out .

The past year I have learned so much I had no idea about due to a friend that is on parole . It really opened my eyes to the unjust & unfair practices on the state as well as the federal level. I started researching the subject and read articles and joined a online group and now I feel so strongly that  we need to modify the laws themselves the parole department ( at least in CA , some states have done away with it ) the sentence's , basically all involved . And I am sad to say it would take a miracle to accomplish a task like that. So I guess even any small change would work for the greater good.....In my very humble opinion .

Matt , The way I understood this article was it was not just isolating sex offender and predators and I am not in any way minimizing that particular realm of horrific crimes ; but is it not speaking of the prison , parole justice system as a whole ? Isn't it discussing the change needs to be on the entire system as we know it now ? At least that's what I am getting from it . And this needs to be done desperately but if we ( the people of USA ) remain apathetic and turn the other way because one might not have any experience with how unjust our system is I can only imagine the corruptness will continue. I feel maybe the public needs much more education on the workings of " the prison system" . Please do not take what I am saying as open the doors and  let them all out .

The past year I have learned so much I had no idea about due to a friend that is on parole . It really opened my eyes to the unjust & unfair practices on the state as well as the federal level. I started researching the subject and read articles and joined a online group and now I feel so strongly that  we need to modify the laws themselves the parole department ( at least in CA , some states have done away with it ) the sentence's , basically all involved . And I am sad to say it would take a miracle to accomplish a task like that. So I guess even any small change would work for the greater good.....In my very humble opinion .

To:  Christine Clarke and those who think all sex offenders are alike and/or treatment doesn't work,etc  There really is a lot of mythology, wrong information about sex offenders, ESPECIALLY who is actually on that registry now.

DISPELLS THE LIE THAT MOST  SEX OFFENDERS ARE BEYOND HELP

http://cfcoklahoma.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=284:sex-offender-expert-offers-coping-advice&catid=38:news-articles&Itemid=80

Springer Publishing Company is pleased to announce the publication of:

Sex Offender Laws

Failed Policies, New Directions

Richard Wright, PhD, Editor

“{Wright} … provides the evidence that wise policymakers would want to consider.  It covers every major field of research concerning sex offenders and sexual offenses…” 

Michael Tonry, LLB

Professor of Law and Public Policy

University of Minnesota Law Schoo

Matt,

you sound like a great guy....wise and mature...I wish all those who are writing would learn from you.  patricia w

Mr. Kinney, We do need advocates for the victims of the criminal justice system.  The PA Judges and privatization of prisons are horrific and the tip of the iceberg.  I'm a strong advocate against both and use them as example to show how broken the criminal justice system is. How many are sitting in prisons and jails today because they were told they lacked "credibility" and who was determining that?  The prosecutors and judges. After reading about these "good ole" boy in Pa who have gotten away with the method of operation, we need to all dig deeper into this. Put me on your list Tom.  I'm outraged with the judges conduct and the direction the profiteers are taking the people of America who have to pay for their damage. 

Also, who is writing about or investigating those who abuse "Victim's Rights" money, grants, etc. Our DA solicits for business by standing at the podium and encouraging people to call "silent witness" that they have $5,000 to $20,000 to give to anyone who calls in who have been child molested?  Now really, does that ring any bells with anyone?  Wonder how many called in one of their enemies, exspouse, old boyfriend/girlfriend, or mother of daughter who had a boyfriend she didn't like, and on and on.  This is where we are people.  Whose going to expose it?

The sex offender registries began after "Megan'sLaw" was enacted in New Jersey. The registry was created and STILL IS a good idea to track dangerous and violent pedophiles and predators, no question about it. But what has happened across America is that the registries that now top 700,000 include blatantly non dangerous people caught in the system.  Really, is there anyone alive who did not have an awkward sexual encounter as a teenager?  Let me affirm that rape and other crimes are crimes at any age. Teenagers fooling around after the prom are NOT pedophiles or predators! They are not a danger to CHILDREN at all. They will never repeat what they did after the prom because they will grow out of it. The Adam Walsh act is the feds trying to expand the registries back decades to include people who have paid their debt and have been living productive lives. One 17 year old married his 15 yo "victim". They have grown children and expecting a grandchild. The new law seeks to make this man register as a sex offender!!  YES, most emphatically jail, treat and monitor strictly those dangerous proven predators to keep children safe, but ruin countless young lives in the same breath?  I recently lost my son as a consequence of these laws. He never was convicted of any crime or on the registry, but prosecutorial manipulation ruined his life at 24. He was a son a brother and a father himself.

Is there anyone out there no matter how much they condone the sex offender registry that can honestly say to me that the love and attraction I felt for my future wife at our senior prom in 1970 was deviant behavior? She had her long brown hair done up to the max. Her dress was lavender silk.  I tell you now that she was the most beautiful woman I have ever beheld. However, she was 17 and I was 18. Christine Clarke--was I a sex offender?She was a Baptist minister's daughter and no, we did not go "all the way" as we used to call it but by today's standards-? Please tell me you don't believe I belonged on a "dangerous to children" sex offender registry if there had been one in 1970.

John, do you think that a 21 year old feeling the same way about an 8 year old is love?  Do you feel that a pink Strawberry Shortcake nightgown compares to your wife's lavendar silk prom dress?

Perhaps you did not belong on a sex offender registry, but that moment and that decision to begin a two year relationship with an 8 year old child, four long-term rape victims ago, is one small part of the reason why someone else labeled a 'sex offender' was denied parole on Thursday.

I'm sorry, but there are very good reasons for the sex offender registry and giving an example in which there was no harm, no foul, and no charges were brought against you, does not invalidate the need for one to exist.

Sex Offender Vagabond | The Barr Code

Source: blogs.ajc.comLet’s be clear – I dislike sex offenders, especially those who commit sex offenses against minors, as much as any member of the Georgia General Assembly.

Watch justice taking place in the Maricopa County Superior Courtroom, AZ as the deputy sheriff swipes paperwork off the defense lawyer's table behind her back.  Is this "morally unacceptable criminal justice"?  You decide.

MCSO Deputies Swipe Defense Attorney's Docs, MCSO Says Deputies "Acted Appropriately" - Phoenix NewsSource: blogs.phoenixnewtimes.comPhoenix News. MCSO Deputies Swipe Defense Attorney's Docs, MCSO Says Deputies...

That's EXACTLY my point Christine. It's apples and oranges. Teenagers in some way involved with someone they perceive as their own age are not using any type of "force or violence". The scenario you describe is a 21 yo and an 8 yo--SICK! WRONG! No sane normal Christian would feel otherwise. Registries set up to track deviant dangerous individuals have ruined a lot more innocent lives than they have saved because non-deviant non-dangerous people of all kinds, over 700,000! have been placed on them.  Keep it for the bad ones, but please let the good ones out that did not fit your scenarios and earlier descriptions. Again, the bad people you describe need to be jailed, treated,watched etc but these individuals make up only a small percentage of those registered.

thanks so much John egberts for your clarification.  I get very frustrated with people like Christine and Dennis who may be well intentioned but who do not seem to GET IT.  No one is fighting for the rights of sex offenders who are dangerous !!

Maybe for some people, it takes knowing someone personally in their family or friends who has been put on the registry and is not dangerous or someone who was falsely accused that THEY KNOW and care about to get how horrible it is for these Victims. 

And, unlike Dennis, I certainly do not see Matt defending dangerous predators...does he HONESTLY think this?  It is strange indeed that he is getting this out of the article.

This is a program in Europe and Canada...we only have a few here but people volunteer to live for periods of time with the most dangerous s.o.'s and they get treatment and treatment is effective for MOST.

Programs Assisting Sex Offenders Reentering Society---

Circles of Support and Accountability- The mission of COSA is to substantially reduce the risk of future sexual victimisation of community members by assisting and supporting released individuals in their task of integrating with the community and leading responsible, productive, and accountable lives. The core values on which this initiative was founded and which continue to guide us in the pursuit of our mission.-Better People-Oregon Program to Help Ex-Offenders Get Jobs-Grace to a Stranger: A Program Helping Sex Offenders To Blend Into The Community The Effectiveness of Restorative Justice

Proponents of restorative justice contend that it is more likely than retributive justice to reduce the incidence of crime because of its central concern for the safety of victims. It addresses crime at the macro level as well at the micro level – it recognises the need for building safe communities as well as the need to resolve specific crime problems. The preponderance of evaluation studies have been carried out on the two main models of mediation and conferencing (Miers et al, 2001; Kurki, 2003). At a general level, these studies have demonstrated that restorative justice can have a reductive effect in certain cases and can change the behaviour of some offenders. On the whole, however, there is more evidence that restorative justice is effective in reducing either the frequency or severity of reoffending for juveniles than in the case of adult offenders (Sherman et al, 2000; Morris & Maxwell, 2003).
In relation to the use of restorative justice with sexual offending, an archival study of nearly 400 court and conference cases of youth sexual assault in South Australia demonstrates that the conference process may be less victimizing than the court regime and may produce more effective outcomes (Daly, 2006). Overall the prevalence of reoffending was much higher for those young offenders dealt with by the court (66 per cent) than by the conference process (48 per cent). There is little empirical data available on circles given the relative newness of the concept. The available research evidence demonstrates, however, that circles can be effective in managing high risk sex offenders on at least two levels: in reducing recidivism rates (Wilson et al, 2002) and in engaging communities in the reintegrative process (Quaker Peace and Social Witness, 2005: 5). One such evaluation of circles in Ontario found that high-risk sex offenders receiving assistance via a circle re-offended at a lower rate incrementally in comparison with a control sample (Wilson et al, 2002). In comparing the expected recidivism rate of these offenders with the actual observed rate, sexual recidivism was reduced by more than 50 per cent (Wilson et al, 2002: 378). Moreover, each incident of reoffending was less invasive and severe than the original offence for which the offender had been imprisoned (Wilson et al, 2002: 378). Early evaluations of these projects in England and Wales have also shown that circles have been effective in reducing expected rates of recidivism and assisting in offender rehabilitation. Moreover, despite tentative beginnings, communities were willing to play a constructive and supportive role in this process (Quaker, Peace and Social Witness, 2005). It remains unclear from the empirical evidence to date what particular features of the circle environment help to reduce offending behaviour. It may be the case that the simple provision of extra focused support reduces subsequent deviant behaviour.

Restorative Justice as a Response to Sexual Offending – Addressing the Failings of Current Punitive Approaches

Anne-Marie McAlinden
School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast

Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA or Circles) have been operating

in Canada and England for several years. Following a recommendation by the Justice 2 Committee, the Scottish Government now believes it timely to consider the feasibility of introducing COSA pilots to Scotland. The SCCJR was subsequently  commissioned to undertake this investigation on behalf of the Scottish Government. This report broadly covers these areas: § The implementation experience of Circles in England and Canada;

§ The distinctive features of Scottish criminal justice that might affect implementation of pilots; § The implications of volunteers working with sex offenders; § The evidence of effectiveness of Circles so far; and,§ Feasibility issues of establishing pilot Circles in Scotland. 1.2 COSA use volunteers to form a ‘circle’ around a high risk, high needs sex offender (the core member of the Circle) to support that person’s reintegration into

the community. Volunteers support an offender by modelling pro‐social relationships, assisting with practical needs such as housing and employment, and generally encouraging the offender to lead a life free from further offending. They hold the offender accountable by challenging his attempts to rationalise or minimize offending behaviours and risky thought patterns, and by reporting concerns to authorities.1 1.3 Some of the claimed advantages of this approach are: enhancingthe monitoring capacity of statutory agencies; addressing the social support needs of offenders which are linked to offending but beyond the capacity of professionals to manage; empowering communities to participate in reducing reoffending; and providing a means of public education for volunteers and their social networks about the nature and realities of sexual offending. 1.4 Some of the claimed concerns raised by this approach are: attempting to provide statutory supervision ‘on the cheap’; risks of using volunteers from the

community to work with a highly manipulative group (such as risks of collusion and safety); difficulty recruiting adequate numbers of appropriate volunteers; great expense in providing adequate training, support and supervision of volunteers;

Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation    Book by John Braithwaite; Oxford University Press, 20

1

www.sccjr.ac.uwww.sccjr.ac.ukkTitle Page

Contents

1: The Fall and Rise of Restorative Justice

2: Responsive Regulation

3: Does Restorative Justice Work?

4: Theories That Might Explain Why Restorative Justice Works

5: Worries about Restorative Justice

6: World Peacemaking

7: Sustainable Development

8: Transforming the Legal System

References

SOME CURRENT HISTORY OF THE SEX OFFENDER LAWS AND IT’S IMPACT

 There are two important  studies which have just been published. They examined the effectiveness of the sex offender registry laws in New Jersey and New York. The New Jersey study was federally funded.

Both found that the sex offender registration and notification laws had no significant effect on preventing sex crimes. The New Jersey study found an overall rate of recidivism of sex crimes of 9% over the 6 1/2 year follow up period.

From the report: "Despite widespread community support for these laws, there is virtually no evidence to support their effectiveness in reducing either new first-time sex offenses (through protective measures or general deterrence) or sex re-offenses (through protective measures and specific deterrence)...Given the lack of demonstrated effect of Megan's Law on sexual offenses, the growing costs may not be justifiable." 

STATS ON ABUSE:

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 93% of children who are victims of sexual abuse are victimized by family members or acquaintances. 94% of those arrested for the sexual molestation of children in New York State are first time offenders who are not listed on any registry. To put it another way, if a child has been the victim of sexual abuse, the odds are 4 in 1,000 that the child was victimized by a stranger who is a registered sex offender. The odds are far greater, 874 in 1,000, that the child was victimized by a family member or acquaintance who is not listed on the sex offender registry. The primary effect of sex offender registries is to give the public a false sense of security.

This is a program in Europe and Canada...we only have a few here but people volunteer to live for periods of time with the most dangerous s.o.'s and they get treatment and treatment is effective for MOST.

Programs Assisting Sex Offenders Reentering Society---

Circles of Support and Accountability- The mission of COSA is to substantially reduce the risk of future sexual victimisation of community members by assisting and supporting released individuals in their task of integrating with the community and leading responsible, productive, and accountable lives. The core values on which this initiative was founded and which continue to guide us in the pursuit of our mission.-Better People-Oregon Program to Help Ex-Offenders Get Jobs-Grace to a Stranger: A Program Helping Sex Offenders To Blend Into The Community The Effectiveness of Restorative Justice

Proponents of restorative justice contend that it is more likely than retributive justice to reduce the incidence of crime because of its central concern for the safety of victims. It addresses crime at the macro level as well at the micro level – it recognises the need for building safe communities as well as the need to resolve specific crime problems. The preponderance of evaluation studies have been carried out on the two main models of mediation and conferencing (Miers et al, 2001; Kurki, 2003). At a general level, these studies have demonstrated that restorative justice can have a reductive effect in certain cases and can change the behaviour of some offenders. On the whole, however, there is more evidence that restorative justice is effective in reducing either the frequency or severity of reoffending for juveniles than in the case of adult offenders (Sherman et al, 2000; Morris & Maxwell, 2003).
In relation to the use of restorative justice with sexual offending, an archival study of nearly 400 court and conference cases of youth sexual assault in South Australia demonstrates that the conference process may be less victimizing than the court regime and may produce more effective outcomes (Daly, 2006). Overall the prevalence of reoffending was much higher for those young offenders dealt with by the court (66 per cent) than by the conference process (48 per cent). There is little empirical data available on circles given the relative newness of the concept. The available research evidence demonstrates, however, that circles can be effective in managing high risk sex offenders on at least two levels: in reducing recidivism rates (Wilson et al, 2002) and in engaging communities in the reintegrative process (Quaker Peace and Social Witness, 2005: 5). One such evaluation of circles in Ontario found that high-risk sex offenders receiving assistance via a circle re-offended at a lower rate incrementally in comparison with a control sample (Wilson et al, 2002). In comparing the expected recidivism rate of these offenders with the actual observed rate, sexual recidivism was reduced by more than 50 per cent (Wilson et al, 2002: 378). Moreover, each incident of reoffending was less invasive and severe than the original offence for which the offender had been imprisoned (Wilson et al, 2002: 378). Early evaluations of these projects in England and Wales have also shown that circles have been effective in reducing expected rates of recidivism and assisting in offender rehabilitation. Moreover, despite tentative beginnings, communities were willing to play a constructive and supportive role in this process (Quaker, Peace and Social Witness, 2005). It remains unclear from the empirical evidence to date what particular features of the circle environment help to reduce offending behaviour. It may be the case that the simple provision of extra focused support reduces subsequent deviant behaviour.

Restorative Justice as a Response to Sexual Offending – Addressing the Failings of Current Punitive Approaches

Anne-Marie McAlinden
School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast

Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA or Circles) have been operating

in Canada and England for several years. Following a recommendation by the Justice 2 Committee, the Scottish Government now believes it timely to consider the feasibility of introducing COSA pilots to Scotland. The SCCJR was subsequently  commissioned to undertake this investigation on behalf of the Scottish Government. This report broadly covers these areas: § The implementation experience of Circles in England and Canada;

§ The distinctive features of Scottish criminal justice that might affect implementation of pilots; § The implications of volunteers working with sex offenders; § The evidence of effectiveness of Circles so far; and,§ Feasibility issues of establishing pilot Circles in Scotland. 1.2 COSA use volunteers to form a ‘circle’ around a high risk, high needs sex offender (the core member of the Circle) to support that person’s reintegration into

the community. Volunteers support an offender by modelling pro‐social relationships, assisting with practical needs such as housing and employment, and generally encouraging the offender to lead a life free from further offending. They hold the offender accountable by challenging his attempts to rationalise or minimize offending behaviours and risky thought patterns, and by reporting concerns to authorities.1 1.3 Some of the claimed advantages of this approach are: enhancingthe monitoring capacity of statutory agencies; addressing the social support needs of offenders which are linked to offending but beyond the capacity of professionals to manage; empowering communities to participate in reducing reoffending; and providing a means of public education for volunteers and their social networks about the nature and realities of sexual offending. 1.4 Some of the claimed concerns raised by this approach are: attempting to provide statutory supervision ‘on the cheap’; risks of using volunteers from the

community to work with a highly manipulative group (such as risks of collusion and safety); difficulty recruiting adequate numbers of appropriate volunteers; great expense in providing adequate training, support and supervision of volunteers;

Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation    Book by John Braithwaite; Oxford University Press, 20

1

www.sccjr.ac.uwww.sccjr.ac.ukkTitle Page

Contents

1: The Fall and Rise of Restorative Justice

2: Responsive Regulation

3: Does Restorative Justice Work?

4: Theories That Might Explain Why Restorative Justice Works

5: Worries about Restorative Justice

6: World Peacemaking

7: Sustainable Development

8: Transforming the Legal System

References

SOME CURRENT HISTORY OF THE SEX OFFENDER LAWS AND IT’S IMPACT

 There are two important  studies which have just been published. They examined the effectiveness of the sex offender registry laws in New Jersey and New York. The New Jersey study was federally funded.

Both found that the sex offender registration and notification laws had no significant effect on preventing sex crimes. The New Jersey study found an overall rate of recidivism of sex crimes of 9% over the 6 1/2 year follow up period.

From the report: "Despite widespread community support for these laws, there is virtually no evidence to support their effectiveness in reducing either new first-time sex offenses (through protective measures or general deterrence) or sex re-offenses (through protective measures and specific deterrence)...Given the lack of demonstrated effect of Megan's Law on sexual offenses, the growing costs may not be justifiable." 

STATS ON ABUSE:

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 93% of children who are victims of sexual abuse are victimized by family members or acquaintances. 94% of those arrested for the sexual molestation of children in New York State are first time offenders who are not listed on any registry. To put it another way, if a child has been the victim of sexual abuse, the odds are 4 in 1,000 that the child was victimized by a stranger who is a registered sex offender. The odds are far greater, 874 in 1,000, that the child was victimized by a family member or acquaintance who is not listed on the sex offender registry. The primary effect of sex offender registries is to give the public a false sense of security.

I forget what that kind of argument in logic  is called...ipso facto ?  but I remember that assuming something because something does NOT work....as in it does not follow...anyway, someone out there who knows more about this may be able to help. 

You seem so committed to the registries and want to believe they work, I cannot prove anything to you with facts. 

Are you shaking your head because you just don't want to consider any of this information (which if you cared to, you could check out)?  that's a big part of this problem, that people who are reacting to this issue so emotionally do not care to check out anything that challenges their beliefs. 

I repeat...NO ONE WANTS TO PROTECT DANGEROUS SEX OFFENDERS...we ALL want to protect children.  But, as hard as it is to believe, these laws are a smokescreen right now, are less effective than ever and are ruining people's lives (not ONLY innocent victims....AND I don't think it helps to argue who is hurt worse...SOME victims are hurt much more, some less than men falsely accused who are serving years in prison away from the families they love and who love them).  How does it help victims of predators (the dangerous ones) to punish people who are not dangerous??? 

RIGHT NOW there are too many on the registry AND this is what hurts the registry from working well because it dilutes it's power, takes time and effort away from law enforcements' attempt to watch the truly dangerous...and then we need to make sure these people are either getting effective treatment and supervision because otherwise our children will continue to be in danger.

Reacting in oversimplistic and emotional ways to this issue does not help.  It makes things worse.

The issue of sex offenders and the registry brings out more BLACK AND WHITE thinking than any other issue. pw

The logical fallacy of false dilemma (also called false dichotomy, the either-or fallacy) involves a situation in which only two alternatives are considered, when in fact there are other options. Closely related are failing to consider a range of options and the tendency to think in extremes, called black-and-white thinking. Strictly speaking, the prefix "di" in "dilemma" means "two". When a list of more than two choices is offered, but there are other choices not mentioned, then the fallacy is called the fallacy of false choice, or the fallacy of exhaustive hypotheses.

False dilemma can arise intentionally, when fallacy is used in an attempt to force a choice ("If you are not with us, you are against us.") But the fallacy can arise simply by accidental omission—possibly through a form of wishful thinking or ignorance—rather than by deliberate deception ("I thought we were friends, but all my friends were at my apartment last night and you weren't there.")

When two alternatives are presented, they are often, though not always, two extreme points on some spectrum of possibilities. This can lend credence to the larger argument by giving the impression that the options are mutually exclusive, even though they need not be. Furthermore, the options are typically presented as being collectively exhaustive, in which case the fallacy can be overcome, or at least weakened, by considering other possibilities, or perhaps by considering a whole spectrum of possibilities, as in fuzzy logic.

Morally unacceptable criminal justice system.  Two books that should be required reading by all college students. 

"Jingle Jangle" the Ray Krone story, innocent man spent 17 years in prison Maricopa County, AZhttp://www.jinglejangle.us/
"Accidental Felons" DUI's and mandatory minimum sentencing in Arizonahttp://danielhorne.blogspot.com/

Prosecutorial Misconduct: Will there be accountability?http://danielhorne.blogspot.com/2009/08/prosecutor-misconduct-will-there-be.html

For help in defending against a sex charge please go to:

http://socombatmanual.info

Thanks,

Jim

Jim, Thanks for posting the link. The manual is an outstanding body of work.

It's hard to tell who is the victim, so here's an article for you who are concerned:

http://la.indymedia.org/news/2005/01/121339.php">Officers who beat Donovan Jackson rewarded by jury

One of the responders to this dicussion wrote that we are a "nation of laws" and we should follow them. There used to be laws against women being able to vote. There used to be laws about where a person of color could work,go to school or ever where he may eat. There are laws now that allow banks to charge $40 for a 50-cent mistake in a checkbook. There are other banking laws, like being able to reduce credit limits overnight and jack up the interest on an account, even if you have been a sterling customer.

The point is that while there are many good laws, there are just as many bad ones that may have been enacted with good intent, but in practice actually destroy lives like sex offender registry laws such as the Adam Walsh Act. Many state superior courts have found many of its provisions unconstitutional. I pray to God that the madness instigated by this legislation will one day end. I pray we weed out the truly dangerous and watch them closely to be sure.  Just give the others their God-given lives back and let them live in peace!

People need to write their state legislators to not fund the Adam Walsh Act. The fine to not fund it will be less than the millions it will cost the taxpayers, not to mention the ongoing litigation that is taking place now and will continue. SO's cannot be living under bridges in Miami, and have no place to live in Atlanta, and on and on, with the hysteria the "child abuse industry" caused so they can profit. These limited funds and resources should be spent on the truly sick and depraved, not the "pee" in the park offenders who are thrown into the same Pandora's Box -- broad-brushed by knee-jerk legislation.  These laws didn't stop the depraved monsters we are hearing about 24/7 in the media. Parole didn't either.  So who is paying for all this?  The taxpayers who do not have money, their states are broke and the nation is in financial collapse except for the handful of Wall Street casino operators who transfer the people's money into their pockets and bonuses.

http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=22009

A true story of corruption, politics and for-profit private prisons

This must read book into prison privatization is the firsthand account of the uncovering of corruption leading to the largest civil penalty at that time by the Florida Commission on, the discrediting of the academic “guru” and Wall Street darling of prison privatization, the resignation of the executive director of the state agency that oversees the private prisons, and the authors thrust into the position as a leader in the fight against the private prison industry.

Ken Kopczynski describes in detail, backed up with copious documentation, how he unraveled the financial dealings of Dr. Charles Thomas and his relationship with the private prison industry. Follow Kopczynski as he pieces clues together exposing how the private prison industry came into being and how they used Thomas and C. Mark Hodges, Executive Director of the Florida Correctional Privatization Commission, to promote the industry.

"If this book were only about individuals whose greed led them to run

afoul of ethics rules and who were hoisted on their own petard, it would

be interesting but not nearly as important as it is. What makes this

cautionary tale that deserves to be better known is the way Kopczynski

reveals patterns in the way that for-profit prison vendors do business." 

Correctional Law Reporter, April/May 200

http://allthemoneyouneed.com/2009/05/prison-profiteers-who-makes-money-from-mass-incarceration/

Prison Profiteers Who Makes Money from Mass Incarceration

Prison Profiteers Who Makes Money from Mass Incarceration 

The astonishing range of industries, corporations, and individuals profiting from the imprisonment of over 2.3 million Americans.

“Positive: With the baby boomlet demographics, we foresee increasing demand for juvenile [incarceration] services. Negative:…it is often difficult to maintain the occupancy rates required for profitability.”—from a report produced for the private prison industry by investment analysts First Analysis Securities CorporationLocking up 2.3 million people isn’t cheap. Each year federal, state, and local governments spend over $185 billion annually in tax dollars to ensure that one out of every 137 Americans is imprisoned.

Prison Profiteers looks at the private prison companies, investment banks, churches, guard unions, medical corporations, and other industries and individuals that benefit from this country’s experiment with mass imprisonment. It lets us follow the money from public to private hands and exposes how monies formerly designated for the public good are diverted to prisons and their maintenance. Find out where your tax dollars are going as you help to bankroll the biggest prison machine the world has ever seen.

Contributors include: Judy Greene on private prison giants Geo (formerly Wackenhut) and CCA; Anne-Marie Cusac on who sells electronic weapons to prison guards; David Lapido on how private corporations profit from prison labor; Wil S. Hylton on the largest prison health care provider; Ian Urbina on how prison labor supports the military; Kirsten Levingston on the privatization of public defense; Jennifer Gonnerman on the costs to neighborhoods from which prisoners are removed; Kevin Pranis on the banks and brokerage houses that finance prison building; and Silja Talvi on the American Correctional Association as a tax-funded lobbyist for professional prison bureaucracies.

Here's a curious fact:

Published on Fridya, September 22, 2000 in the San Francisco Chronicle States Without Death Penalty Have Lower Homicide Rates by Raymond Bonner, Ford Fessenden, New York Times   The dozen states that have chosen not to enact the death penalty since the Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that it was constitutionally permissible have not had higher homicide rates than states with the death penalty, statistics and analysis show.

Indeed, 10 of the 12 states without capital punishment have homicide rates below the national average, FBI data shows, while half the states with the death penalty have homicide rates above the national average. A state-by-state analysis found that during the last 20 years, the homicide rate in states with the death penalty has been 48 percent to 101 percent higher than in states without the death penalty.

The Times study also found that homicide rates have risen and fallen along roughly symmetrical paths in the states with and without the death penalty, suggesting to many experts that the threat of the death penalty rarely deters criminals.

``It is difficult to make the case for any deterrent effect from these numbers,'' said Steven Messner, a criminologist at the State University of New York at Albany, who reviewed the analysis. ``Whatever the factors are that affect change in homicide rates, they don't seem to operate differently based on the presence or absence of the death penalty in a state.''

That is one of the arguments most frequently made against capital punishment in states without the death penalty -- that and the assertion that it is difficult to mete out fairly. Opponents also maintain that it is too expensive to prosecute and that life without parole is a more efficient form of punishment.

Prosecutors and officials in states that have the death penalty are as passionate as in states that don't. While they recognize that it is difficult to make the case for deterrence, they contend that there are powerful reasons to carry out executions. Rehabilitation is ineffective, they argue, and capital punishment is often the only penalty that matches the heinousness of the crimes committed. Furthermore, they say, society has a right to retribution, and the finality of an execution can bring closure to victims' families.

Polls indicate that these are the views held by most people. And certainly, most states have death penalty statutes. Twelve states have chosen otherwise, but their experiences have been largely overlooked in recent discussions about capital punishment.

``I think Michigan made a wise decision 150 years ago,'' said the state's Republican governor, John Engler. Michigan abolished the death penalty in 1846 and has resisted attempts to reinstate it. ``We're pretty proud of the fact that we don't have the death penalty,'' Engler said, adding that he is opposed to the death penalty on moral and pragmatic grounds.

Engler said he is not swayed by polls that show 60 percent of Michigan residents favor the death penalty. He said 100 percent would like not to pay taxes.

In addition to Michigan, and its Midwestern neighbors Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, the states without the death penalty are Alaska, Hawaii, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts, where an effort to reinstate it was narrowly defeated last year.

The homicide rate in North Dakota, which does not have the death penalty, was lower than the homicide rate in South Dakota, which does have it, according to FBI statistics for 1998. Massachusetts, which abolished capital punishment in 1984, has a lower rate than Connecticut, which has six people on death row; the homicide rate in West Virginia is 30 percent below that of Virginia, which has one of the highest execution rates in the country.

Other factors affect homicide rates, of course, including unemployment and demographics, as well as the amount of money spent on police, prosecutors and prisons.

But the analysis found that the demographic profile of states with the death penalty is not far different from that of states without it. The poverty rate in states with the death penalty, as a whole, was 13.4 percent in 1990, compared with 11.4 percent in states without the death penalty.

Of the current death row population across the country, 43 percent are African Americans, according to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc.

BC:

THE DEATH PENALTY AND HOMICIDE RATES

Homicide rates in states with the death penalty are higher than in

those without, and have shown similar up-and-down trends over the

years, offering little support to the contention that capital punishment is

a deterrent.

.

Death row inmates as of July 2000

.

ORE. 28

ALA. 184

ALASKA No Death Penalty

ARIZ. 120

ARK. 41

CALIF. 576

COLO. 6

CONN. 6

DEL. 18

FLA. 391

GA. 135

HAWAII No Death Penalty

IDAHO 21

ILL. 168

IND. 43

IOWA No Death Penalty

KAN. 4

KY. 41

LA. 91

ME. No Death Penalty

MD. 18

MASS. No Death Penalty

MICH. No Death Penalty

MINN No Death Penalty.

MISS. 63

MO. 80

MONT. 6

NEB. 10

NEV. 91

NH 0

N.J. 17

NM 5

NY 5

NC 232

ND No Death Penalty

OHIO 200

OKLA. 148

PA. 235

R.I. No Death Penalty

SC 70

SD 3

TENN. 101

TEX. 455

UTAH 11

VA. 29

VT. No Death Penalty

WASH. 16

W. VA. No Death Penalty

WIS. No Death Penalty

WYO. 2

.

-- HOMICIDE RATES

States with the death penalty(x)

.

-- Highest

Louisiana 12.8

Mississippi 11.4

New Mexico 10.9

Maryland 10.0

Nevada 9.7

-- Lowest

Massachusetts(x) 2.0

Iowa(x) 1.9

New Hampshire 1.5

South Dakota 1.4

North Dakota 1.1

.

Sources: Analysis by The New York Times (homicide rates); NAACP Legal

Defense and Education Fund (death row population); National Center for Health

Statistics and Census Bureau (state homicide rates) ©2000 San Francisco Chronicle

###

A MESAGE FOR EVERYONE

There are some unscroupulous organizations and people out there that are preying on the families of the accused by taking their money and promising to help. Be wary of anyone or anything that promises results. Make a post here about them first to see if anyone has past experience with them. If you haven't been able to tell yet, getting results is something most of us have been working on for years, so it doesn't come easily or quickly for anyone.

Thanks Matt and 'company' ... posted on my twitter page http://twitter.com/babar2

Please check out: info@FreePeltierNow.org , contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info

* Zoom In: Focus on Executive Review *

A new campaign sponsored by the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense
Committee (LP-DOC) with Friends of Peltier and the International
Peltier Forum


The United States courts have acknowledged that Leonard Peltier
was the victim of official misconduct and convicted on the
basis of fabricated and suppressed evidence, as well as coerced
testimony. However, the courts have not granted Leonard a new trial.

Attorney General Eric Holder can conduct an Executive Review of
the Peltier case and provide a remedy. In fact, he has said that
in the face of misconduct by Department of Justice officials, it's
his job to do the right thing. That's why we've renewed the call
for an Executive Review of the Peltier case.

Join us in our new campaign to demand equal justice for Leonard
Peltier.

The Campaign

People often ask... "Who are those Peltier supporters, anyway?" We're
all just ordinary folks from all around the world. We're a diverse
group, representative of all races/ethnicities, religions, social
classes, political beliefs, etc. Yet, we have at least one thing in
common. We know a grave injustice has been done to Leonard Peltier.

The campaign concept is simple: (1) Send a message to AG Holder--We
want justice... equal justice... and we want it NOW and (2) Put a
face to the message.

The campaign has two components:

Action #1: Personal Response--Where you'll provide a photographic
image of yourself holding a campaign sign, as well as your name,
address and e-mail address.

Action #2: Community Response--Where you'll go out into your
community and get others to participate in the campaign.

A box filled to the brim with campaign flyers, including all our
faces, will be delivered to AG Holder's office on or around February
6, 2010 - the 34th anniversary of Leonard Peltier's arrest.

For details and instructions, see www.whoisleonardpeltier.info.

We also ask that you contribute $1 to help us with expenses
associated with the campaign. That's right--ONE U.S. dollar! You
can, of course, donate more if you wish. Checks and money orders
should be made out to "LPDOC". If you prefer, you may donate online
at www.whoisleonardpeltier.info.

Contrary to what some say, the Committee has limited resources and,
like any other grassroots organization, struggles financially. Your
dollars are needed to make this and other campaigns successful
and so that more events--like those held in Boulder, Lewisburg,
and Washington, DC, this year--can be planned and successfully
implemented in the months ahead. Please give what you can.

Deadline

All photos should be received NO LATER THAN JANUARY 31, 2010 (but
please don't wait until then to send us your photo).

Again, for instructions, see www.whoisleonardpeltier.info. Download
the campaign kit and review all of the materials provided. The
campaign e-mail address is zoom@whoisleonardpeltier.info.
Don't hesitate to ask questions or request assistance.

Note to our local support group coordinators: Please let us know
you're on board with this new campaign by sending an e-mail to
zoom@whoisleonardpeltier.info. We'll work closely with you to
help you succeed. To assist us with the planning of branch-specific
special communications (which may be state, regional or international
in scope) please provide your name and location in the body of
your e-mail.

Thanks to all of you for the work you do. With your help, Leonard
WILL see freedom soon.


Kari Ann Cowan, Assistant Coordinator
Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
www.whoisleonardpeltier.info
Time to set him free... Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.

Friends of Peltier
http://www.FreePeltierNow.org