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…
Read More
Reentry into society after incarceration is a journey fraught with obstacles. For individuals forced 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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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 More
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 More
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…
Read More
HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL) decries the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s decision to reverse Chester County Judge Allison Bell Royer’s finding in the case of Comm. v. George Torsilieri that Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law Sex Offender Registration and the Notification Act (SORNA) are unconstitutional. Mr. Torsilieri and more than 23,000 Pennsylvanians will continue to…
Read More
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…
Read More
As Pennsylvania observes both Autism Acceptance Month and Sexual Assault Prevention Month this April, the Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL) has released a new report focusing on individuals with autism spectrum disorders and other intellectual and developmental disabilities who are involved in sexual offense cases.
Read More