Revision 898544201 of "Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws" on enwiki

{{Infobox Organization
|name=Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws
|image = Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws.png
|leader_title=Executive Director
|leader_name=Janice Bellucci
|leader_title2=President
|leader_name2=Chance Oberstein
|headquarters=[[Sacramento]], [[California]]
|type=Non-profit organization
|purpose=Protecting the Constitution by restoring the civil rights of registrants
|website=[http://all4consolaws.org/ all4consolaws.org/]
}}{{Sex offender registries in the United States}}
'''Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws''' ('''ACSOL''') is a civil rights, legal reform, and support organization, with offices in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] and [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]], that is dedicated to protecting the Constitution by restoring the civil rights of registrants (also known as “sex offenders”) and their families. ACSOL was formerly known as '''California Reform Sex Offender Laws''' ('''CA RSOL''').

ACSOL operates a [https://all4consolaws.org/support-hot-line// hotline for emotional support]

== Purpose ==
ACSOL advocates for registrants' constitutional rights and for legislation that is based on empirical evidence instead of fear and panic. The organization is dedicated to restoring the civil rights of those convicted of sex offenses and their families. In order to achieve this objective, ACSOL initiates and supports education, legislation and litigation.<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://all4consolaws.org/about-us/a|title=About Us - ACSOL|publisher=Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws, Inc.}}</ref> It aims to educate law-makers and public that registrants are diverse group of individuals; that contrary to popular belief, general recidivism rate of 5% over 5 years<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/240099.pdf|title=A Multi - State Recidivism Study Using Static - 99R and Static - 2002 Risk Scores and Tier Guidelines from the Adam Walsh Act|last2=Miner|first2=Michael|publisher=National Institute of Justice|last3=Knight|first3=Raymond|last4=Letourneau|first4=Elizabeth|last5=Levenson|first5=Jill|last6=Thorton|first6=David|last1=Zgoba|first1=Kristen}}</ref> is the second lowest of all offender groups;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsorp94.pdf|title=Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from Prison in 1994|last2=Schmitt|first2=Erica L.|date=2003|publisher=U.S. Department of Justice|last3=Durose|first3=Matthew R.|last1=Langan|first1=Patrick A.}}</ref> and that residency restrictions and public notification have no demonstrable effect on recidivism and might actually undermine public safety,<ref name="smart">{{cite web|url=http://www.smart.gov/SOMAPI/sec1/ch8_strategies.html|title=Sex Offender Registration and Notification|website=Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative|publisher=Office of Justice Programs}}</ref> thus making onerous restrictions and stigmatizing effect of public sex offender lists unfair and unfounded when applied broadly to all offenders without considering the individual risk and underlying facts of individual cases.

ACSOL condemns all sexual offending, but holds that current [[Sex offender registry|sex offender registration]] laws and policies that paint all sex offenders with one broad brush, without considering actual facts of individual cases and the risk posed by the offender, are [[Counterproductive norms|counterproductive]], waste law enforcement resources and taxpayers money, while causing needless harm to many registrants and their family members. ACSOL believes that the money spent on further punishing registrants who have served their court imposed sentence, should have been used for prevention, healing, and rehabilitation.<ref name="about" />

== Lawsuits ==

ACSOL has participated in legal battles challenging local [[Halloween]] ordinances,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ktla.com/2013/09/19/city-of-orange-sued-over-sex-offender-halloween-restrictions/|title=City of Orange Sued Over Sex Offender Halloween Restrictions|date=September 19, 2013|work=KTLA 5|last1=Case|first1=Stephanie}}</ref> proximity restrictions and residency restrictions aimed at registrants in [[United States federal courts|federal court]] across the state of [[California]].<ref name="DNews">{{cite news|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20140716-we-can-do-better-on-sex-offender-laws.ece|title=We can do better on sex offender laws|date=17 July 2014|work=The Dallas Morning News|last1=Blow|first1=Steve|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="inedc">{{cite news|url=http://www.inedc.com/1-5380|title=CA RSOL Challenges El Dorado County Sex Offender Ordinance|date=21 July 2013|work=In Eldorado County News|last1=Belluci|first1=Janice|accessdate=14 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129023539/http://www.inedc.com/1-5380|archive-date=29 November 2014|dead-url=yes|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="Lompoc">{{cite news|url=http://lompocrecord.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/attorney-files-sex-offender-lawsuit-against-lompoc/article_e7818850-cb71-11e3-bfd8-001a4bcf887a.html|title=Attorney files sex offender lawsuit against Lompoc|date=April 24, 2014|work=Lompoc Record|last1=Howes|first1=Rebecca|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref>
During 2014 ACSOL participated in more lawsuits involving more than 30 municipalities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.vvdailypress.com/article/20141021/News/141029976|title=County sued over sex offender ordinance|date=Oct 21, 2014|work=Daily Press|last1=Johnson|first1=Shea|accessdate=14 November 2014}}</ref> Due to the Halloween lawsuits, registrants in California are no longer required to post a sign on the front door of their residence on that holiday.  This includes a settlement reached with the California Department of Corrections (CDCR) in August 2016 in which CDCR agreed not to require registrants on parole to post the Halloween signs.

Due to the proximity restrictions lawsuits, registrants in California are now allowed to visit public and private places throughout the state without fear of arrest.  In June 2015, ACSOL began a series of federal lawsuits challenging residency restrictions in the state of California.  As of April 2019, a total of 35 lawsuits have challenged residency restrictions in 34 cities and one county.  Of that total, about 30 lawsuits have already resulted in either the repeal or significant revision of the city’s restrictions and settlements are pending in an additional five cities.

ACSOL participated in a challenge to the International Megan’s Law (IML), passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, in February 2016.  The lawsuit was filed in federal district on February 9, 2016, and was dismissed by the United States District Court, Northern District of California due to lack of standing and ripeness.  The IML authorizes the Executive Branch to send notices to foreign countries when registrants convicted of an offense involving a minor travel overseas.  The IML requires the State Department to add a conspicuous identifier to the passports of registrants.  The only countries known to have added such identifiers to the passports of their citizens are Nazi Germany and Communist Russia.  Although the IML lawsuit was ultimately unsuccessful, it delayed implementation of the IML by at least one year. 

== See also ==
* [[Arkansas Time After Time]]
* [[National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws]]
* [[Florida Action Committee]]
* [[Families Advocating an Intelligent Registry|USA FAIR, Inc.]]
* [[Illinois Voices for Reform]]
* [[Michigan Citizens for Justice]]
* [[Women Against Registry|Women Against Registry - W.A.R]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://all4consolaws.org/ Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws, Inc.]
* [http://nationalrsol.org/ Reform Sex Offender Laws, Inc.]
* [http://nationalrsol.org/resources/support-hotline/ Registrants and Families Support Line]

[[Category:Civil liberties advocacy groups in the United States]]
[[Category:Sex offender registration]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in California]]