AB 625 AMENDED BY ASSEMBLY
AB 625 was amended by the Assembly during its deliberations on Thursday, January 26. The amendment, proposed by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, would create a fourth tier of individuals that would only be required to notify law enforcement officials when they moved. The amendment was proposed in order to attract additional votes for the bill. The amendment passed 32 to 16 after being opposed by Assemblyman Hagman of Orange County. A vote on the amended bill is scheduled for Monday, January 30.
VOTE ON AB 625 DELAYED
Voting on Assembly Bill (AB) 625 was delayed due to the absence of several supporters of the bill, according to staffers in the office of Assemblyman Ammiano. The bill is expected to be voted upon either Thursday, January 26, or Monday, January 30. The delay provides an opportunity to provide further input into the office of Assembly members. Please call the office of the Assembly person who represents you. A list of Assembly members, including phone numbers, can be found online at www.assembly.ca.gov.
AB 625 SCHEDULED FOR VOTE ON JANUARY 23
Assembly Bill (AB) 625, that would end the state's lifetime registry for many registered citizens is scheduled to be voted upon on Monday, January 23, during a session that begins at noon. The vote is expected to begin with a short presentation by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, who introduced the bill, and could include presentations by other members of the Assembly either in support of in opposition to the bill. The Assembly proceedings can be viewed online as they occur at www.calchannel.com.
CA RSOL PRESENTS TO SEX OFFENDER MANAGEMENT BOARD
CA RSOL made a presentation to the California Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) on January 19 in Sacramento. State Organizer Janice Bellucci made the formal presentation which was supplemented by the views of two registered persons at the request of Board members. Also in attendance were Board members Frank Lindsay and Marshall Burns, a third registered person, and a supporter.
The presentation included information about the organization and its lobbying efforts in support of AB 625. CA RSOL noted that the bill would implement a recommendation of the SOMB for a tiered registry within California.
Additional presentation topics included public opposition to the Lake Forest ordinance that bans all registrants from public parks and monthly meetings with registrants and family members throughout the state. During the presentation, CA RSOL asked the SOMB to research and report on two issues: vigilante violence inflicted upon registrants and unreasonable parole and probation restrictions. CA RSOL will continue to collaborate with SOMB on issues that affect registered persons.
CA RSOL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES LOBBYING EFFORT
California successfully completed its group lobbying effort in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 625 that would end the state's lifetime registry for many but not all registrants on Wednesday, January 18. Three teams of registrants, family members and professionals met with a total of 45 legislators and/or legislative staffers. CA RSOL received a warm welcome in many of the legislative offices and was commended for speaking out on this topic. In its lobbying effort, CA RSOL brought updated information to the legislative offices on topics such as recidivism and the impact of the registry upon registrants as well as their family members.
The state legislature is expected to vote on AB 625 in the Assembly on Monday, January 23. Passage of the bill remains uncertain, however, lobbying by CA RSOL has increased the chance of its passage. If the bill is not passed on January 23, it could be brought up for a second vote on Thursday, January 26.
There are several organizations, in addition to CA RSOL, that support AB 625. Those organizations include the ACLU, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice and CalCASA a victims' rights organization.
CA RSOL LOBBYING STATE LEGISLATORS TO END LIFETIME REGISTRY
California RSOL began its group lobbying effort of state legislators in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 625 on Tuesday, January 17. The Bill would replace the state's current lifetime registry with a tiered registry that would allow individuals convicted of low level offenses to leave the registry in as little as 10 years from the date of their conviction provided that they have not re-offended. Individuals convicted of medium level offenses could leave the registry in 20 years while those deemed a significant threat would remain on the registry for their lifetime.
California RSOL's group includes registrants, family members of registrants, a PhD psychologist and an attorney from around the state, including San Diego and Napa. All individuals are volunteers who are donating their time as well as their personal travel expenses. The individuals supporting California RSOL are divided into teams who are meeting with legislators and/or legislative staff in at 45 offices identified as potential supporters of the bill. There are additional legislators who have already voted in support of the bill during committee meetings in which the bill was passed.
AB 625 will be voted upon on the floor of the Assembly during the month of January. A total of 41 votes is required for the bill to pass. If the bill passes, it will move to the Senate for further consideration. The Senate must pass the bill this legislative session or wait until 2012 to be reintroduced.
THE $10 CHALLENGE: END THE LIFETIME REGISTRY !
We have a unique opportunity to end the state's lifetime registry through passage of California Assembly Bill 625. That bill, if passed, would create a tiered registry under which registrants could leave the registry in as little as 10 years. The deadline to pass that bill is January 31, 2012.
There is much we all can do as individuals and as an organization, including (1) write a letter to your State Assembly person, (2) join California RSOL in lobbying Sacramento on January 17 and January 18 as well as (3) donate $10 or a multiple thereof ($10 for each registrant you can support). Please make your donation payable to California RSOL and send it to 8721 Santa Monica Blvd., Box 855, Los Angeles, CA 90069. For more information, call Janice Bellucci at (805) 896-7854.
"INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE" -
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What is CA RSOL? We are a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the civil rights for individuals convicted of sex-related offenses through public education, legislation and litigation. We work in collaboration with the national RSOL and other civil rights organizations. We are an independent and autonomous organization with no ties to any level of government.
For whom do we advocate? We advocate for more than 92,000 people who have been registered as sex offenders by the State of California as well as for members of their families. All registered persons have been harmed by a lack of due process and other civil rights. As a result of being denied their civil rights, many registrants have been unable to obtain a job, have been forced to leave their homes and neighborhoods, have lost their families and/or become homeless. In addition, some registrants have been physically harmed, even murdered, by strangers after their identities and home addresses were listed on a public website maintained by the State of California.
Who is listed on the CA registry? Individuals convicted of a wide range of offenses, from “sexting” on a cell phone to rape of a child, are listed on the CA registry. Only three percent of those listed on the registry are sexual violent predators.
How long are individuals on the CA registry? In most case, individuals listed on the CA registry remain on the registry for their entire lives. California is only 1 of 4 states that do not have a tiered registry which allows individuals’ names to be removed after their conviction.
What is the truth about registered persons? The recidivism rate for those convicted of sex-related crimes is extremely low, about 5 percent. This compares to much higher recidivism rates for burglary, robbery and assault and yet there are no registries for individuals convicted of murder, robbery or assault.