Involvement with the legal system in the United States can be a traumatizing experience. For those who have been found guilty of crimes of a sexual nature, this process almost always results in a massive upheaval of what is considered normal. The dread of what is going to play out in the courts, the shame of exposure, and the remorse…
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Our Opinion: Supreme Court of PA Missed an Opportunity
Back in June of 2023 we published an article Are the Courts the New Galileo? It focused on Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (SCOPA) shifting away from the popular “frightening and high” myth and moving to uphold the science that persons forced to register (“PFRs”) pose a very low recidivism risk. Justice Kevin Brobson was quoted when referring to the Court…
Read MoreBook Club: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (Oct. 15, 2024)
Book Club Event Details Click Here to Register Online Get the Book About the Book France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries…
Read MorePARSOL Editorial: Truth First, Emotions Second
In these past few years, I have learned that in a world where emotions often dictate our perceptions and actions, it is essential to reaffirm the fundamental importance of truth. While emotions are undeniably powerful and influential aspects of our human experience, they should not supersede the pursuit and acknowledgment of truth. The truth matters first and foremost, serving as…
Read MoreBook Reviews: Under Our Roof & None of This is True
Under Our Roof: A Son’s Battle for Recovery, a Mother’s Battle for Her Son by Madeleine Dean & Harry Cunnane Written by the mother-son duo of Pennsylvania Congresswoman Madeleine Dean and Harry Cunnane, the authors alternate chapters, each writing what they thought and felt while they were going through the son’s addiction to opioids and the journey through recovery. Madeleine…
Read MoreGuest Post: I believe I was the target of a police sting
Submitted by Atwo Zee, Registered Traveler Not long after I returned to Iowa after the 2024 NARSOL conference in Atlanta, I received an email forwarded by the national NARSOL office. This message came to them on their main “Contact Us” email address, and whoever sent it was looking specifically for me, “whose story “Unwanted Images” hit home when I was…
Read MoreSURVEY RESULTS: Voter Disenfranchisement High Among Reentrants with Sex-Related Offenses
Originally posted 5/3/24 – Updated 7/15/24 with JSGC information. Pennsylvania HR 47 is a 2023 Resolution directing the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on voting patterns and knowledge about voting rights among formerly incarcerated qualified electors in Pennsylvania and submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives. In response to this…
Read MoreThe Value of Involuntary Treatment
The management of those convicted of sex-based crimes after release has been largely effectuated through the enforcement of civil (rather than criminal) laws. The use of civil regulations as management tools has the distinct benefit of permitting criminal justice officials to restrict the freedom and privacy of sex offenders without abiding by the stricter procedural requirements that would be constitutionally…
Read More#NARSOL2024 Conference Recap: PARSOL Team in Atlanta!
PARSOL board members John Dawe, Lisa Perry, David Garlock, and Lisa Kessler-Peters traveled to Atlanta on June 20-23 for the 16th Annual NARSOL Conference. The conference allowed us to spend time with our colleagues from across the country working on rational reform. Meghan Mitchell’s opening presentation on the effectiveness—or rather lack thereof—of criminal registries set the bar at excellent, a…
Read MoreBook Club: Why I Tried to Die by Lisa Kessler-Peters (August 20, 2024)
Book Club Event Details Click Here to Register Online Get the Book About Why I Tried to Die Throughout a lifetime wrought with trauma and despair, Lisa Kessler Peters personifies resilience. Yet, with the release of her memoir, Why I Tried to Die, she cements a much different legacy. One in which she uses her inspired storytelling to empower those…
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