Other States

During a recent information session, representatives of the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department said the county’s 20 Flock Safety license plate reader cameras captured some 572,370 unique license plate images over a 30-day period. The department gets a number of hits through the NCIC that it never investigates because the plates are tied to known sex offenders and not an active

A man in his 70s, convicted in 2023 of a sex offense involving a minor, was approved by his probation office to volunteer at a local church. It’s the kind of stable, supervised community connection that reentry research consistently shows reduces reoffense risk. His probation condition was that he have no direct contact with minors. Somewhere between that condition and

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed legislation increasing compensation for people who were wrongfully convicted. The new law allows exonerees to receive compensation not only for years they spent in prison, but also for years they were wrongfully subjected to parole, probation, or required to register as a sex offender. That raises an interesting question. Governments across the country have

When government officials are willing to speak honestly about difficult issues, they deserve recognition. At a recent Wisconsin county meeting considering a new sex offender residency restriction ordinance, a representative from the Department of Corrections acknowledged a reality that researchers, practitioners, and advocates have known for years: residency restrictions are ineffective. We applaud the officer for being willing to tell

California bill aimed at preventing registered sex offenders from holding local elected office was halted Tuesday after a Senate committee declined to advance the measure without changes opposed by its author. Assembly Bill 2753, introduced by Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria in February, would have prohibited anyone who is or has been required to register as a sex offender from running for

The Mayor of the Village of Bellmont, Illinois, is facing significant criticism after hiring a registrant to perform maintenance and manual labor work for the village. Mayor Linda Johnson made the decision to hire Matthew Berberich for maintenance work around the village. Regardless of anyone’s opinion about Mr. Berberich’s past, Illinois law does not prohibit him from obtaining lawful employment.