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PARSOL’s Public Comment to the United States Sentencing Commission

During her confirmation hearings, now Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and former vice-chair of the USSC commission said, reflecting the Commission’s stance on sexual offenses and sentencing: The statute doesn’t say, “Look only at the guidelines and stop.”The statute doesn’t say, “Impose the highest possible penalty for this sickening and egregious crime.”The statute says, “Calculate the guidelines, but also…

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Are the Courts the New Galileo?

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court (SCOPA) heard oral arguments in Commonwealth v. Torsilieri on May 23, 2023. I don’t think the arguments were all too exciting. However, several interesting issues were made such as at what recidivism rate the General Assembly considers to be “high risk”, whether the irrebuttable presumption test is useful anymore, whether  “not universally true” an accurate benchmark…

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TAKE ACTION: Help Block Residency Restriction Bills (2023)

Pennsylvania State Representatives have introduced House Bills 47 and 77. These bills target persons forced to register under PA’s Megan’s Law. If passed, an individual forced to register as a “sexually violent predator” who resides within 2,500 feet of a public school, private school, parochial school, or day-care center would have six months after the law’s effective date to relocate…

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BOOK REVIEW: ‘SO’ The New Scarlett Letters: Sex Offenders, Their Treatment, and Our Challenge

SO: The New Scarlett Letters: Sex Offenders, Their Treatment, and Our Challenge, published in 2018, would benefit from person first language. It was coauthored by Marilyn Callahan and Tim Buckley. They have both volunteered in prisons and re-entry programs. Marilyn is a Social worker who has done extensive work with people accused of a sex offense. The people written about…

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PA’s Task Force on Child Pornography Report Confirms our Beliefs

The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 53 of 2021 on June 30, 2021. Act 53 did two things: It enhanced the sentencing penalty on child pornography; and It established the Task Force on Child Pornography (TFCP).  The Task Force’s Recommendations The TFCP was comprised of legislators, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim advocates, and psychologists. Together, they examined the sentencing of…

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