A Life Sentence Without End: When Past Convictions Mean Permanent Exile

The recent PolitiFact piece examining whether U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley (NC) appointed a registered sex offender to a party role is being framed as a political controversy. But it points to something much deeper and far more troubling: the quiet, near-total exclusion of people on the registry from any meaningful participation in civic life, no matter how much time

Read more

Florida Locks The Door On Child Sex Offenders With New ‘Missy’s Law’

lorida is overhauling how it handles sex offenders and pretrial detention following the signing of two major pieces of legislation by Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday. House Bill 445, officially titled “Missy’s Law,” and House Bill 1159. Under the new rules, anyone found guilty of or entering a plea for a “dangerous crime” must be immediately remanded into custody and

Read more

ICE Program Turns Away Sex Offenders at Foreign Borders

a little-known unit inside a nondescript government building in Fairfax, Virginia, is running a quieter mission with a singular focus: keeping convicted child sex offenders away from foreign victims before they ever arrive in America. Congress formalized the program in 2016 in International Megan’s Law, giving the center statutory authority, a dedicated facility in Fairfax, Virginia, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony

Read more

Bad News: EPF I Dismissed Again

We just received the upsetting news that the “Ex Post Facto I” case was dismissed AGAIN! This case was originated in 2018, dismissed, appealed to the 11th Circuit, remanded back to the district court (the same court that originally dismissed it), and was set for trial in a few months. The district court has once again dismissed the case. The

Read more

REASON: Florida’s new sex offender registrant restrictions will not improve public safety

Making it impossible for people to find a place to live after serving their sentences is harsh and counterproductive to preventing further crimes. Florida lawmakers are preparing to add new restrictions on where certain registered sex offenders are allowed to live, blocking them from housing near public pools, which include splash pads and a variety of water recreation attractions. While

Read more