By Stephen H . . . On October 21, 2020, the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DOCR) made an internal policy change that doubled many inmates’ sentences with sexual offenses and removed them from parole eligibility. All sentenced inmates in WV receive obligatory Good Time credit (WV Code §15-4-17) unless the credit is revoked for disciplinary problems. For…
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WVRSOL joins NARSOL in calling on Justice Armstead to acknowledge the error of his statement and retract it from the record. By NARSOL’s Sandy and Michael S. . . . Nobody today references the daily price of whale oil. Why? Because given the presence of modern-day petroleum, whale oil is not relevant to everyday life. So why do some judges…
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By Dr. Ira Ellman . . . The prestigious American Law Institue recommends sweeping changes to the registry, including no public dissemination. On June 8, 2021 the membership of the American Law Institute gave its final approval to a revision of the Model Penal Code’s chapter on Sexual Assault and Related Offenses. This project was initially authorized by the ALI…
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By Meg Kinnard . . . South Carolina’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a state law requiring sex offenders to register for life, without prior judicial review, is unconstitutional. In a unanimous ruling, justices wrote that “requirement that sex offenders must register for life without any opportunity for judicial review violates due process because it is arbitrary and cannot…
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On Saturday, June 19, 2021, NARSOL will host a live day-long webcast entitled, “Building Your Advocacy Toolkit.” The one-day virtual event will feature speakers and panelists who will present viewpoints, strategies, and techniques that can assist anyone who is an advocate for criminal justice reform or may be contemplating it, whether at the local, regional, or national level. The webcast,…
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By NARSOL (Sandy and Robin) . . . In Wisconsin, a new battle is being launched in what is getting to be an old war. Civil rights attorneys Adele Nicholas and Mark Weinberg, seasoned soldiers in this war fought on behalf of persons forced to live as someone on a sex offender registry, have launched this latest skirmish due to a…
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By Philip . . . The West Virginia 2021 legislative session ended on April 10th. I’m happy to announce that of the seven bills we were watching, only one will be added to the WV code (SB 361). Most importantly, the bill we provided written testimony against (HB-2380), which related to banning registered citizens from operating buses, limousines, amusement rides…
Read MoreBy Professor Ira Ellman . . . When Animus Matters and Sex Offense Underreporting Does Not: The Sex Offender Registry Regime Abstract In Romer v. Evans the Court drew a constitutional distinction between civil laws enacted for a broad public purpose that justifies “the incidental disadvantages they impose on certain persons,” and laws that have “the peculiar property of imposing…
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By Philip . . . The last day to introduce new legislative bills in the WV 2021 session has passed both in the House on 3/16 and in the Senate on 3/22. We’re happy to announce that NO new relevant sexual offense-related last-minute bills were introduced. To see all of the relevant 2021 WV house & senate bills we are…
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By NARSOL . . . NARSOL’s National Conference is scheduled for October 8-10, 2021, in beautiful Houston, Texas, and it’s getting closer. This event offers much that goes above and beyond the amazing speakers, enlightening information, and wonderful connections that you’ll make. Details are still being finalized for the conference, but it’s never too early to mark your calendar and…
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