Those who wish to understand how Pennsylvania’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA, Or Megan’s Law) operates today may be dismayed to learn that there are two sets of laws dictating the “who, what, when, where, and hows” of the registry. Misinformation from law enforcement around this confusing scheme is common. Because persons forced to register (PFRs) can be…
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On Thursday, September 29, 2022, the newly re-constituted United States Sentencing Commission issued tentative policy priorities for the 2022-2023 amendment year—with top focus on implementation of the First Step Act of 2018. A brief public comment period followed during which the following comments were submitted by “John F.” as reported by NARSOL. They are posted here for your information. The…
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The Legislative Committee of PARSOL is based in Harrisburg but is active across the entire Commonwealth. It is dedicated to forming relationships with our elected officials and tracking bills that affect sexual offense policy. PARSOL’s sexual offense policy interests include: Proactive measures such as education and identifying effective interventions aimed at preventing abuse. Criminal Justice Reform (CJR) efforts that might…
Read MoreIt may be impossible to tally the true costs of PA’s sex offender registry. Please see our letter to the Legislature about the monetary and personpower costs associated with compliance with federal standards for sex offender notification and registration. PDF of our outreach to Members. The letter is formatted for the general public to utilize. If you have concerns about…
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By Randall Hayes In September 2019, the increasingly prevalent and in-demand problem of online images of child sexual abuse (CSA) or “child pornography” rocked the Senate of Pennsylvania in a big way. The influential Chairman of the State Government Committee, Senator Mike Folmer, was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography after uploading an image of an underage female…
Read MoreThe recent decision by the PA Supreme Court that sent a Constitutional challenge to public sex offender registries back to square one is a setback for those who know that sex offense registries are ineffective. Reactive measures like the registry divert resources away from policy which has the potential to prevent sexual crimes. While we will likely not see the…
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