At yesterday’s House Appropriations budget hearing, State Representative Emily Kinkead (D-PA-20, Allegheny County) asked Pennsylvania State Police Acting Commissioner Lt. Colonel George Bivens a direct question: why hasn’t PSP implemented the telephonic registration system that the General Assembly required — by law — back in 2018? She didn’t get a direct answer. We wish we could say we were surprised.…
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Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes horrified the world, and they should have. The scale of his abuse, the power he wielded, and “the system” failures that allowed him to keep offending are deeply disturbing. When his name appears in the news, it is often preceded by three words: “convicted sex offender.” Those words are accurate, but they also carry a hidden danger…
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Following months of development, the Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL) is excited to share the launch of the PARSOL Statewide Wiki. This collection of resources has been curated for Pennsylvanians with sexual harm convictions and affected by the “Pennsylvania Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act” (PA SORNA), sometimes (inaccurately) referred to as “PA Megan’s Law.” “This new…
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“Hi, I’m Ashley, a person required to register and I know all too well how isolating and overwhelming this journey can feel.” – I have the privilege of facilitating Fearless, a support group that has changed my life and the lives of so many others. Like most of the people who attend, Society has a way of making us feel…
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The following Opinion/Editorial appeared in the December 20, 2024 issue of MerionWest. Portez Smith arrived outside Jesse Grover’s Pennsylvania duplex early on Sunday, November 17th of this year, yelling through the closed door, “Grover, you’re a f—ing pedophile.” When Grover opened the door, Smith pulled out a gun and shot him to death. Grover was registered on Pennsylvania’s sex offender…
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Reentry into society after incarceration is a journey fraught with obstacles. For individuals required to register on the Pennsylvania Megan’s Law registry, these challenges become even more formidable as stigma and restrictive policies compound the difficulties of finding housing, employment, and acceptance. At a recent panel discussion, experts, advocates, and justice-impacted individuals convened to discuss the path forward, sharing insights…
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At the heart of the 2024 PARSOL Fall Conference’s opening plenary, Pennsylvania Executive Deputy Attorney General Robert Reed, Esq. delivered an impassioned address centered on justice, empathy, and systemic reform. This keynote captured the challenges marginalized individuals face and proposed transformative strategies to create trauma-informed systems that honor humanity. Reed’s presentation illuminated the path toward a compassionate and equitable society…
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For Immediate Release November 22, 2024 — The Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL.org) mourns the tragic and senseless death of Jesse Michael Grover, a 31-year-old resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, whose inclusion on the public “sex offender” registry for an offense more than ten years ago, appears to have made him a target for gun violence. Jesse was…
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Introduction The long-awaited Commonwealth v. Torsilieri (Pa. 2024) (Torsilieri II) opinion finally dropped on May 31, 2024 – fifty-three weeks after the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (SCOPA) heard oral arguments. What PARSOL hoped would be a ‘slam dunk’ win after the Chester County Court of Common Pleas decided twice in the defendant’s favor only became a huge disappointment. SCOPA, in…
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PARSOL Legislative Director Randall Hayes and Managing Director John Dawe were joined on Capitol Hill in Harrisburg, PA on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 by eight additional PARSOL volunteers from across the state. We met with dozens of Senators, Representatives, and Senate and House employees about rational reform measures to protect our communities and families from harm. Here are our current…
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