Tuesday, April 1, 2008

The Permanent Underclass


This is an MSNBC story demonstrating the inherent problems with legislation designed to make registered sex offenders a permanent underclass. After being forced to move herself and her family out of her home once, Jennifer Lowe ( a misdemeanor offender) found herself in violation of another new Iowa law forbidding a registered sex offender from living near bus stops or parks. She was imprisoned and her children were taken away from her.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23827702/


U.S. District Court approves the forfeiture of sex offender's house to the federal government:

Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Stanek said", We frequently use the federal forfeiture laws in child pornography cases to take the instruments of the crime — computers, printers, video cameras," she said. "But this is the first time we've taken a house."
The city hopes to get the majority of the proceeds from the sale of the house.


15 year old son re-classified to register every 90 days for the rest of his life::

About 2 years ago, her 15-year-old son was convicted of inappropriately touching his 9-year-old younger sister, a tragedy which shocked her family. When her son was sentenced, a judge determined he was a sexually oriented offender, the lowest severity under the law. But in January the law changed. The family received a letter from the Attorney General's office saying the boy was reclassified to the most severe type of offender who must register now every 90 days for the rest of his life !