Policing Others, Failing Themselves: Lawmakers Behind Registry Laws Face Their Own Sex Scandals

The headlines write themselves, but the irony is harder to ignore. Two members of Congress, Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales, resigned yesterday facing serious allegations of sexual misconduct. These are not obscure figures operating in the shadows. These are lawmakers. Individuals entrusted with crafting, supporting, and voting on the very laws that govern millions of Americans, including those forced to

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How a Decades-Old Illinois Law Detains Some Convicted Sex Offenders Indefinitely

Under two different Illinois laws, people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. More than 500 people are currently being held under the procedure known as civil commitment. This story examines the law that continues to hold people after they’ve served their sentences, sometimes for decades. WTTW News also looked at the law that holds people who’ve only

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Florida is the Worst State for Renters—And New Laws Could Trigger a Homelessness Crisis by July

A recent report highlighted in ConsumerAffairs and reported by WCTV confirms what so many Floridians are already feeling. Florida now ranks dead last in the nation for renters. The typical renter is spending more than 37% of their income just to keep a roof over their head, far above what is considered affordable. Now ask yourself this; if housing is

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The Reentry Crisis Isn’t Just Poverty – It’s Locked Doors, Lost Opportunities, and Systemic Barriers to Work

A recent article from the Prison Policy Initiative about a program run out of Alachua County, FL, highlights something that should not be controversial, yet somehow still is. When people are released from incarceration, they face overwhelming financial instability, and that instability makes successful reentry far more difficult. As the piece explains, people coming home are dealing with the same

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Win in CA: Judge’s ruling protects due process rights of Californians caught in federal registration trap

On April 9, a federal judge issued a permanent injunction blocking the Department of Justice from prosecuting California residents under a federal sex-offender registration law without first confirming with the state that those individuals are required to register in the first place. PLF represents a group of plaintiffs who are caught in a bind created by conflicting federal and state

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