SD - My Voice: Treatment, not prison, answer for sex offenses

Original Article

06/16/2014

By Georgina M. Schaff

On behalf of our 4,000-plus members, the Dakota Reform Sex Offender Laws Family Solutions is asking South Dakota Senate candidates to make this issue a campaign priority.

Our mission — promote medical research, legislation and education to provide an empirically based, rational approach to dealing with sexually related offenses and stop the cycle of abuse to protect all children.

According to the Department of Justice, most child sexual-abuse victims are molested by family members or close acquaintances. About 40 percent of crimes take place in the victim's own home, and 20 percent take place in the home of a friend or relative. Your children are more at risk from your family, your friends and you than from convicted sex offenders.

While I was growing up in the Dakotas, incest was common. The abuser was confronted by family members and the inappropriate behavior stopped, a method that was very successful. I know from personal experience that the behavior can be changed and the abuser can be stopped, with the support of family and loved ones.

History has proved that incarceration and labeling does not protect all children. The Unified Judicial System Annual Report and the Crime in South Dakota report published each year by the Division of Criminal Investigation verify the number of new offenses each year while another child is victimized.

For an "offense" of any sexual nature, America law does not hesitate to destroy the family structure, slowly bankrupts the family and might force the family on public assistance (paid by taxpayers). Often the accused is provided additional legal resources through the court (paid by taxpayers). Citizens are incarcerated (health insurance, room and board paid by taxpayers), and once their sentence is served, they are released back into society, labeled with the registry as to where they can live and have difficulty finding jobs.

Tax dollars could be spent on prevention with a focus on changing the behavior and stopping this cycle of abuse. The Dakotas are known for their compassion and the opportunity to reach out and help those less fortunate.

We must take the "weapon" away, the "law" that provides the power and control over their victim. "If you tell I will have to go to prison, you will never be able see me and our family will be divided." Replace that "law" with, "If you tell, I will have to change my behavior or go to jail."

Early intervention is the only true way to protect all children who are being sexually abused by a first-time offender, and many can live with their family with respect and dignity while confronting their wrongdoing.

Among intervention benefits:

• Protect all sexually abused children with a promise of resources to change the behavior and stop the abuse.
• Behavior therapy is covered by most insurance, not the taxpayer.
• Children would be encouraged to immediately report.
• Future, additional victims will be prevented.
• Taxpayers would save billions on prosecution, incarceration and the registry.
• Cover-ups would be eliminated if treatment were the first option.
• Overcrowding in prisons would be eliminated.
• Families would not have to face a lifetime of shame.
• Many lives would be saved for those who choose suicide.

Dakota RSOL Family Solutions' Mission is for legislation for a confidential family intervention for first time nonviolent sex offenses.

Georgina Schaff of Lemmon is a Dakota RSOL Family Solutions State Affiliate Organizer.

Labeling sex offender misleading

Original Article

05/12/2014

DEAR ABBY: As a licensed psychotherapist who has worked with both victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse over the past 25 years, I would like to respond to "Stunned in the City," who found her co-worker's name on a website for registered sex offenders.

Registered sex offenders have been convicted and incarcerated for their crimes as well as serving a probationary period upon release. However, unlike other criminal offenses, they never finish "serving their time" — both in the areas of where they can live and how they can live (employment). They continue to serve a sentence that can never be completed and are stigmatized for the rest of their lives.

The reason for this is because of a "one-size-fits-all" approach to punishment, be it a onetime offender or a serial rapist. Most sexual abusers are either members of the family or a close family friend, and most are never reported. Only a small percentage of registered offenders pose a danger and should be under surveillance.

If "Stunned" reports her co-worker to her employer, she will jeopardize his livelihood, which he needs to redeem his life.

— Already Paid His Debt

DEAR A.P.H.D.: I received mail from mental health professionals, employers, parents and people who are on the sex offenders' list regarding "Stunned's" letter. All of them stated that the range of crimes that can add someone to the list is very broad. The list is no more than a starting point for people to begin their own research into public records before telling an employer or another person. Read on:

DEAR ABBY: For more than 20 years I have employed a man who is a convicted sex offender. He paid his debt to society for having sex with a minor when he was in his 20s. It will haunt him for the rest of his life.

The pictures you see online are recent because the authorities require updated photos yearly.

There is no demarcation between being dumb and being truly criminal, so everyone is labeled the same. Stay aware of those labeled sexual predators, but approach the sexual offenders case-by-case.

— Justice For All

DEAR ABBY: Inclusion on the registry can be the result of something that would not pose a danger to anyone — urinating in public, or having sex with a younger girlfriend when you yourself are a minor.

If you see a neighbor or co-worker on such a list, no one should jump to conclusions before doing more research about the actual offense. It may be nothing to worry about at all, or it might be something to react to. But you won't know until you find out more than a simple listing.

— Rebecca in San Diego

DEAR ABBY: After breakfast on Saturdays, my husband and I settle in, listen to music and read the newspaper. It's our Saturday morning ritual.

As part of it, when I get to your column, I read it out loud to my husband. We enjoy the letters and your advice.

When I finish, my husband almost invariably says, "You know, those letters are made up."

Abby, I think they are real, albeit edited, but genuine. He thinks they're fake. Who's right?

— True Believer in Michigan

DEAR TRUE BELIEVER: You are. I could never make up anything as interesting as the mail that arrives from my readers day after day.

Should victims have a say in sex offender legislation?

Original Article

02/03/2014

By Shelomith Stow

During a trial for any offense against a person, and most definitely when the charge is of a sexual nature, the testimony from the victim is the strongest factor in conviction. At sentencing, much credence is given to victim impact statements. When an inmate is eligible for parole, statements from the victim can make the difference between parole being granted or not.

But how about when former victims are involved with legislation affecting persons totally unrelated to the harm done to them and with the potential to affect persons far into the future? Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Yet with the victims of sexual crime, it happens. Lauren Book (Video) has built a career by being involved with legislation, not only that which is appropriately focused on prevention but also that which targets registered sex offenders even though her abuser was not on the registry.
- Don't forget her father Ron Book (Video).

One has only to look at the alphabet soup listing of bills and legislation named after children who were murdered to see the impact that victims' families have. Yet the legislation pushed by these people do not target those who murder but rather those who commit sexual offenses, and there is no evidence that the motivation for the most notorious of these, the Adam Walsh Act, was even connected to a sexual crime.
- And the original intent of the Adam Walsh Act was for anybody who abuses children not just sexual crimes, and Adam's murder was never proven to be sexual in nature or who actually done the crime, yet they blamed Ottis Toole.

Read the rest of the article

The Shame of Sex Offender Registries

Original Article

Never let it be said that our own political leaders are above propaganda when it suits their political objectives. A lie can be money in the bank for a special interest as well as for a politician. The most evil, Adolf Hitler understood the power of propaganda when he began his quest to conquer Europe.

One of his famous lies was used to label Jews as sub-human, thus convincing the population that no humiliation or deprivation was too severe for any member of the Jewish community regardless of age. A Label is a powerful tool in the destruction of an individual life when applied effectively by a person of power and authority. Such use of labels to isolate specific citizens is a danger politicians should avoid, however, in the United States as well as in Nazi Germany, Labels are used to humiliate, ostracize and drive those tagged as inferior into poverty and homelessness...or much worse.

Shamefully, our politicians have resorted to lies and misinformation all too often in the name of "justice" or to "protect our citizens". One might think that Congress and state lawmakers would not only have access to reliable information, but to use that information in the formulation of our laws. Sadly this is seldom the case and lawmakers are more likely to decide the fate of our citizens based on emotional rather than factual considerations. If a position looks good on a politician's resume, that appearance becomes more important than any negative consequence for an uniformed population.

So appears to have been the sole basis for the creation and proliferation of our public sex offender registries, numerous restrictions on housing and other devious political contrivances all build on a Label designed to foster and propagate hate and ignorance. Unfortunately many of the so-called policies actually make citizens less safe and at great cost to taxpayers who are getting almost no return for their money.

Here are some actual facts:

Read the rest of the article

WI - Sex offender registry restrictions not working

Original Article

11/04/2013

By Shana Rowan

The Sheboygan Press Nov. 2 article on Sheboygan’s sex offender ordinance did an excellent job of examining residency laws from various perspectives. As an advocate for evidence-based sex offender policies and fiance to a registrant whose crime was committed as a minor, I applaud the paper’s integrity.

As discussed in the article, years of research on residency restrictions have found no evidence that they reduce sexual recidivism or prevent new crimes. At best, Sheboygan's ordinance has done nothing to influence recidivism one way or another. At worst, however, it has been counter-productive to public safety. The ordinance does not target those who pose the most risk to commit child sexual abuse (95 percent of all child victims are abused by a family member, friend or acquaintance.)

It also doesn't target registrants who cannot find housing due to the ordinance, and have violated it by not reporting an accurate address, or have become homeless or transient. Law enforcement, departments of correction, treatment providers to both victims and offenders, and public policy researchers have all denounced residency laws as well-intentioned but detrimental to society.

Why do city council members believe they somehow know better? Research on sex offender laws is extremely accessible and the public must begin educating itself rather than relying on lawmakers to deliver the truth, since “it’s working” is clearly a subjective assessment.

Shana Rowan

Executive Director

USA Families Advocating an Intelligent Registry, Inc.

MN - VOICE FROM INSIDE: Minnesota may release 'ticking time bombs'

Original Article

10/25/2013

By Tom Lyden

An offender who knows many of the men who may soon be released from the state's sex offender treatment centers says some being considered are "ticking time bombs."

Thomas Evenstad (Blog, Google+) knows several of the civilly-committed sex offenders that may soon be freed by the state of Minnesota or the federal court considering their case, and he candidly said they may also be the most-likely to reoffend.

"You can't change the pathology of a sex offender," he said.
- We totally disagree with this statement!

According to Evenstad, those who are the most likely to be released know how to work the system. Men like _____, who has committed more than 90 sex offenses and is now 70 years old.

"_____ isn't the least dangerous," Evenstad said of those being considered for release. "He's one of the most dangerous. Same with Mr. _____."
- And are you a sex offender expert?

_____ was convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl at knifepoint after he was released from a prison term he was serving for another rape.

Both _____ and _____ are among the 700 men and one woman who are so-called "patients" in the Minnesota Sex Offender Program at the facilities in St. Peter and Moose Lake. Only one patient has ever been released, but in light of a federal lawsuit, a task force has been set up to find a way to release some of them.

"There are hundreds of low-risk sex offenders, but they're selecting the most dangerous sex offenders in the state," Evenstad insisted.

Evenstad knows them because he himself has been there. Fox 9's Tom Lyden first met him 15 years ago when he was convicted of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old girl he met on a dating chat line. Evenstad has always maintained his innocence, but he served 8 years in prison.

Days before he was set to be released, Hennepin County prosecutors filed a petition to have Evenstad civilly committed as a sexual predator. That effort failed.

"The psychologists in Minnesota are susceptible to political pressure," he said. "If you didn't commit, you were bounced off the panel."

As a voice from inside, Evenstad said he believes there are many patients who would be ideal for release, such as men who committed their crimes as juveniles or those who wouldn't be considered Level 3 offenders in the criminal system; however, he said the patients who are successful in the program are some of the most dangerous to the public.

"These people become very cunning, able to con and manipulate," Evenstad continued. "_____ is one of the top candidates in the program -- would graduate to murder."

The state's task force considering the issue has created a rough draft of proposals for dealing with sex offenders. It includes a sex offender court to determine which offenders should be selected for civil commitment and who should be released, a higher standard of proof for civil commitment and a panel of experts to be involved in screening.