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                           affecting sex offenders ©
Hi Folks, how are you today?
It is our intent to create a respectful environment for understanding and healing, a Discussion-Safety-Zone for Related Topics, while maintaining our Visitors' Zones-of-Privacy, and to interact on a non-judgmental basis. Today far too many communities fail to create these safety-zones!

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Let the truth be known!
Absolutely Outrageous or False Claims by Public Officials
and Articles which the media fails to correct!

If anyone sees others that qualify, please let us know..
Further, if the errors are corrected we will remove the related posting below, just let us know.

New York: State Assemblyman Jim Hayes, on 10-8-2005 Comment:

There is a high rate of repeat crimes among sex offenders — nearly 100 percent.

Murder shows need for civil confinement, Niagara-Gazette Online, 10-8-2005
The Dep't of Justice, in November 2003, shows a 5.3% re-arrest rate, and a 3.5% re-conviction rate: CLICK Where this legislator comes up with 100% is unknown since he cites nothing to support his claim.
Submitted by a reader:
Department of Justice: Press Releases 9-22-2005 and 10-7-2005
This one should make the public wonder what is going on in Washington.

On 9-22-05 The DOJ (Sheila Jerusalem), announced that the DOJ had added more states to its National Registry, and within that announcement was the following comment:

"There are more than 500,000 registered sex offenders nationwide, and statistics have shown the recidivism rate for these offenders is high. Access to public registry information nationwide is essential for citizens to help identify sex offenders beyond their own streets or neighborhoods.

THE PROBLEM: According to the DOJ recent study released in November 2003, (The study: US Dep't of Justice, "Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison in 1994," Pub: 11/2003.) sex offenders have one of the lowest recidivism rates of all offenders, REARREST 5.3% and RECONVICTION 3.5%.

One of our readers contacted her pointing to the DOJ stats (her own agency) and was told, yes, but they are OLD STATS. Presumably meaning one cannot rely on old stats, or that new ones have been released, but none have.

In the next DOJ Press release on 10-7, the same person Sheila Jersalem, states "With more than 500,000 registered sex offenders nationwide, access to public registry information nationwide is essential for citizens to help identify sex offenders beyond their own streets or neighborhoods."

Notice the missing portion in the 10-7 release which we have underlined in the 9-22 release. Why is it hard to admit an error when it is about a sex offender issue?

Also, can anyone tell us why it is important to know about registered sex offenders who do not live anywhere near you? The only importance I see is, she is trying to keep the "Fear Mongering" going.
Submitted by a reader:
Florida: Sun-Sentinel 5-29-05
First we must mention that this was a very good article and Mr. Holland was praised. The problem came in with 2-paragraphs, which follow:

"In 2003, the Justice Department released what it called the largest national study of sexual offenders ever conducted and found that "within three years following their release, 5.3 percent of sex offenders were rearrested for another sex crime."

The number climbed to nearly 20 percent after seven years, according to the study of 9,691 men released from prison in 1994, including 4,295 child molesters. By comparison, the general prison population re-offended at about a 65 percent rate."

Sun-Sentinel (Florida) 5-29-05 "South Florida cities target sex offenders in effort to protect children" by John Holland
THE PROBLEM: The underlined portion which is claimed to have come from the study, cannot be found anywhere in the study. The study: US Dep't of Justice, "Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison in 1994," Pub: 11/2003.

Our reader sent 3 e-mails, the Journalist, the Corrections section, and Reader Service and none of them responded at all.

After our review of the study, we cannot find that portion either. Given the study only ran 3-years it would be impossible for it to include a fact that was 4-years outside of the study time frame, which is what triggered our reader.

PAPER POLICY (found on their corrections page): The Sun-Sentinel takes complaints about accuracy seriously and will publish a correction or clarification whenever it is established that we have made an error or published misleading information. Corrections and clarifications will appear below, with some limited exceptions.

Why is it hard to admit an error when it is about a sex offender issue?
Florida:
Legislature
"A new law went into effect Friday designed to keep convicted sexual offenders away from school bus stops .... was disappointed to find out that in all of Florida, the law will only affect an estimated 53 registered offenders." NBC-2.com News (Fort Meyers, Florida) 10-1-2004 "New Law keeps sex offenders away from bus stops" by Jessica Ritter | NBC-2 News Once a year, the Lee County School District sends a CD-ROM to the Department of Corrections listing all of its bus stops, so probation officers know whether an offender's listed address is too close to one.

News article title sends a false message to the public. Law affects ONLY some of those on probation (53 statewide). Law does not affect anyone not on probation. Sets a false sense of security!
Michigan:
Douglas A. Rise, Director of the Bay City Housing Commission
"... Douglas A. Rise, director of the Bay City Housing Commission, said the standards are much more stringent in the public housing sector, where federal law prohibits renting to anyone whose name appears on the sex offender registry - even for minor offenses .... mLive.com (Bay City Times) 8-29-2004 "Safe at home" by Patti Brandt | times writer HUD Rule 5.856 actually states:
"You must establish standards that prohibit admission to federally assisted housing if any member of the household is subject to a lifetime registration requirement under a State sex offender registration program." HUD Rule 5.856. The rule is not applicable to those who are not required to register for "LifeTime"
Pennsylvania:
State Rep. Bev Mackereth, R-Spring Grove
"... As a former Children and Youth Services caseworker, Rep. Mackereth has a lot of experience with child molesters. She notes that statistically, given the opportunity, 98 percent of them will re-offend..... Editorial: York Daily Record, 8-25-2004 3rd article down. The Dep't of Justice, in November 2003, shows a 5.3% re-arrest rate, and a 3.5% re-conviction rate: CLICK Where this legislator comes up with 98% is unknown since she cites nothing to support her claim.



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