News In Review

Commentary

Even the Chief Law Enforcement Agency in Georgia gets it. So why don't the legislators?

More than 200 sex offenders cannot be found

"The people on the registry are not the ones to be concerned about," said John Bankhead, a spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which maintains the sex offender registry. "It's the ones who live right up under your nose. Stranger-on-stranger sex crimes do happen. But most cases involve people the victim already knows."

Jaded lawmakers fill prison nation

There is nothing more to say, read it and weep.

The United States incarcerates far more people than any other country. In 2007, one in every 100 citizens in the U.S. was incarcerated. Tougher and tougher sentencing including enhanced penalties, minimum maximums and mandatory sentencing has filled our jails and penitentiaries to capacity.

The Wyoming Legislature has followed this trend and our state has been unable to house its own inmates instate for years.

Human Rights Watch recently released a report outlining how our current sex offender laws are not only ineffective but in some cases counter productive to the safety of our population. During a recent joint judiciary meeting no mention was made of this fact. Lawmakers continued business as usual.

Few lawmakers have the courage or creativity to take the necessary steps to investigate and fund progressive, successful programs in any area. Our state lags behind much of the rest of the nation in programs for mental health, drug use, alcohol abuse, juvenile justice and sex offender programs.

Kelly R Piercy

News... News... News...

For so many years we have read with despair the news that another registry was created in another state and those with registries already established were increasing the restrictive nature of their residency restrictions.

Continually, politicians bled the issue dry of every vote they were able, to distract the electorate from seeing the job they were not doing to solve the real issues facing America.

It turns out that Lincoln was right:

You can fool some of the people all of the time and you can fool all of the people some of the time; but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.



The Church finally takes a stand? It is only a question because this brave Pastor seems to be in the minority. 90 miles from Miami a community is offering sanctuary for people on the registry.

The US Postal Service is among the all of the time crowd with their decision to cancel the Santa Project.

The state of Georgia is in Federal Court resisting a challenge to a law passed last year requiring all persons on the registry to surrender all email, usernames, and associated passwords to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. This case follows the same argument that was successful in Utah Federal District Court. Georgia has lost on all motions filed to keep the issue out of Federal Court and the decision is pending.

Still, this nearly bankrupt state has let a contract to a company, Remote.Com, to invade the privacy of citizens.

On the other side of the coin, change is constant. Slowly, the hysteria is being answered with reason. The Supreme Court will dedicate a major part of its calendar to the intrusion of government that has grown deep roots into the soil of American Freedom since the Nixon Years.

There is even better news.

One of the people who arguably has the most sensitive feeling for the pulse of the people is getting out. Oprah has announced that her last season will be the 2010/2011 season. She is taking her billions and retiring. Can O'Reilly, Dr. Phil, and Grace be far behind?

Now is not the time to slacken our efforts. We can sway the populace by constant contact with the true power in America, Television News.

As the Georgia State Organizer, I call every media contact I have every time there is a story about the registry or some terrible crime against a child is reported.

I tell them that the position of Georgians for Reform is that we are disturbed and upset by the crime and offer our empathy to the survivors of the crime. Then I tell them that we must create change, we must end the registry because it again accomplished nothing in preventing the crime. I tell them our position is to replace the registry with education, awareness, and treatment. I tell them that 97% of Georgians on the registry are in compliance at the cost of decent housing and employment and that the crimes reported do not involve the 426 absconders out of the 17,707 persons on the registry. I tell them that other than some very rare, high profile cases such as Garrido, these crimes are committed by first time offenders.

I tell them all I can for as long as they will listen. Has it done any good? Only time will tell. I have only managed to be quoted in two AP articles and one Atlanta Journal Constitution Article, and been in contact with a CNN Reporter who tried to get my comments into a story only to have her editors cut my comments.

Nevertheless, they are now answering my calls and emails. We will be heard as long as we keep speaking to the issue with reason and focus.

Is sanity beginning to rear its ugly head? Federal judges argue for reduced sentences for child-porn convicts.

It is time for everyone to contact Howard and Rita and get on board with the Sentencing Project.

Some Sex Offenders May Get Off Registry -- Is this a glimmer of reason coming out of Maine? This program needs watching and we all need to contact Jane, the RSOL State Organizer in Maine, to find out how we can help her keep this ball rolling.

In Michigan, Francie, RSOL Michigan, has made a definite impact. Her courage to step out and speak out has lead to a major newspaper presenting the facts and ignoring the hyperbole. This important article needs to be sent to every legislator and media outlet you can contact.