The Pennsylvania Prison Society recently assembled a panel of criminal justice experts, victim-advocates, treatment providers, former offenders and family members. The panel’s goal is to protect the public, reduce the prison population, support victims, rehabilitate offenders, and safely reintegrate ex-offenders into society by encouraging policies that are evidence-based, practical, fiscally responsible, humane, and legally defensible. These include education and prevention programs, risk-based assessments, treatment programs, and halfway or permanent housing for registered sex offenders. Many of the panel’s findings are contrary to public opinion.

1. Correctional Forum
A PUBLICATION OF THE PENNSYLVANIA PRISON SOCIETY
SUMMER 2011
Promoting a humane, just and constructive correctional system and a rational approach to criminal justice since 1787
MYTHS ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS CONTINUE assessments, treatment programs,
and halfway or permanent housing
TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATION for registered sex offenders.
Many of the panel’s findings are
What are the facts?
contrary to public opinion:
By Mindy Bogue
continued on page 15
This past May, an Allegheny ment and employment of sex offend-
County ordinance that prohib- ers exist in more than 20 states and JOIN US FOR A FREE
ited registered sex offenders from liv- hundreds of municipalities. PUBLIC FORUM:
ing less than 2,500 feet from areas The Pennsylvania Prison Society
where children congregate was struck recently assembled a panel of crimi- Megan’s Law and Beyond
Barry Zakireh, Ph.D., Moderator
down by the Pennsylvania Supreme nal justice experts, victim-advocates,
Director of Adult and Forensic Services,
Court (Fross v. The County of treatment providers, former offend-
Joseph J. Peters Institute
Allegheny). The local ordinance, ers and family members. The panel’s
much harsher than Pennsylvania’s goal is to protect the public, reduce
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
state law, was so strict that it forced the prison population, support vic- 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
these individuals to live in isolated tims, rehabilitate offenders, and Reception to follow
areas where housing, employment, safely reintegrate ex-offenders into
transportation, and supervision were society by encouraging policies that Earle Mack School of Law,
uncertain. While this particular law are evidence-based, practical, fiscally Drexel University
has been deemed illegal, similar laws responsible, humane, and legally Room 140, 3320 Market Street
exist throughout the country. In fact, defensible. These include education Philadelphia, PA 19104
laws restricting the residence, move- and prevention programs, risk-based
THE FIGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE IN PENNSYLVANIA Correction: Page 18 of the donors list in the
Spring Correctional Forum incorrectly listed
Addressing Racism in Death Penalty Sentencing JuaVonne D. Daishanel as a Friend of the Society.
The proper spelling of his name is JuaVonnié D.
By Rameerah Anderson AmolieoDaishanel. We apologize for the error.
"We simply cannot say we live in a Racial Justice Act. With death penalty
sentencing being highest among
IN THIS ISSUE
country that offers equal justice to all
Americans when racial disparities African Americans and the growing
Executive Director’s Report 2-3
plague the system by which our society Hispanic population, only one other
imposes the ultimate punishment” state acknowledged this dispropor- New Visitors 4
—Senator Russ Feingold on Civil tion in its death penalty population Prisoners and Pooches 5
Rights as a Priority for the 108th and did something about it. North Korean Visitors 5
Congress, Senate, January 2003 Carolina became the second and
only other state to pass into law a Philly ReNew 6–7
In 1998, the state of Kentucky Racial Justice Act in 2009. In a nation Legislative Highlights 8-9
became the first state to recog- where 3,260 men and women are New Mural 10-11
nize and take action against racial serving their sentences on death row,
profiling and discrimination in death Celebration Schedule 12
and the majority of those people
penalty sentencing by passing the continued on page 14 Bookcase 13
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2. Myths about Sex Offenders ... Society panel found the research Fact: Successful re-integration of ex-
continued from page 1 conducted by the state of New Jersey offenders requires housing, social
to be of particular relevance to the stability and employment. The goal
Myth No. 1: Sex offenders will decision facing Pennsylvania. In a of protecting the public is based, in
always repeat their crimes. study conducted by The Research and part, on the reduction of recidivism
Fact: Sex offenders have a low recidi- Evaluation Unit of the New Jersey by convicted sex offenders. Therefore,
vism rate. The U.S. Department of Department of Corrections and successful re-integration into society
Justice found that of all categories funded by the U.S. Department of is of prime importance to any sex-
studied, sex offenders have the sec- Justice, New Jersey sought to deter- offender-based system. Crucial to
ond lowest rate of recidivism with mine 1) the effect of Megan’s Law on successful re-integration are housing,
5.3 percent of offenders arrested for a the overall rate of sexual offending social stability and employment.
new sex crime within three years of over time; 2) its specific deterrence However, the public registry and dis-
release. The report indicates that only effect on re-offending; and 3) the semination of an ex-offender’s name,
13 percent of new sex crimes are costs of implementation and annual photograph, addresses, vehicle
committed by repeat offenders. expenditures of Megan’s Law. The description and license plate num-
Other sex offense recidivism studies study’s conclusion: “Despite wide bers create significant obstacles to
found the re-arrest rate declines sig- community support for these laws, re-integration. Sex offenders in many
nificantly with each year of offense- there is little evidence to date, states reported adverse events such as
free living in the community. including this study, to support a the loss of a job or home, threats,
claim that Megan’s Law is effective in harassment, or property damage as a
Myth No. 2: The greatest risk to reducing either new first-time sex result of public disclosure. Captain
our children comes from Janet McNeal, Director of the
strangers. Our sex offender laws are Operational Records Division of the
Fact: Offenses by strangers are the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of
expansive, costly and Records and Identification testified
exception, not the rule. The U.S.
Department of Justice found that 9 ineffective — guided by that registered sex offenders have an
out of 10 child victims of sexual panic, not reason.* unemployment rate that is 10 times
abuse knew their abusers and that that of the general population.
approximately 40 percent of all offenses or sexual re-offenses.” SORNA’s addition of the street
abusers are children themselves. Of Similarly, a New York study found address of all work locations, as
the 60,000 to 70,000 annual arrests “no support for the effectiveness of compared to Pennsylvania’s current
on charges of child sexual assault, registration and community notifica- Megan’s Law requirement of
only about 115 are abductions by tion laws in reducing sexual offend- employer’s zip code, will undoubt-
strangers. Megan’s Law and SORNA ing” and that “over 95 percent of all edly make it even more difficult for
(Sex Offender Registration and sexual offense arrests were commit- registrants to obtain employment.
Notification Act) are based on the ted by first-time sex offenders, cast-
ing doubt on the ability of laws that Roger N. Lancaster, author of Sex
premise that sex offenders should be
target repeat offenders to meaning- Panic and the Punitive State, recently
required to register because they pose
fully reduce sexual offending.” A 10- wrote in a New York Times opinion
a significant risk of re-offending. But
state study found no systematic piece, “It is time to change the con-
since the vast majority of sex crimes
reduction in sex crime rates after versation: to promote child welfare
are committed by first time offend-
implementation of registration and based on sound data rather than sta-
ers, this measure does not protect the
notification policies. These results tistically anomalous horror stories,
public.
lead to the inevitable question of and in some cases to revisit outdated
why any jurisdiction would commit laws that do little to protect chil-
Myth No. 3: Banning sex offend-
substantial resources to such an inef- dren.” The Prison Society strives to
ers from locations where children
fective practice. help people think rationally about
congregate will significantly pro-
their children’s safety and how best
tect the children.
Myth No. 4: Sex offender reg- to treat sex offenders.
Fact: Studies show little or no effect
of Megan’s Law in reducing sexual istries are necessary to protect *“Sex Offenders: The Last Pariahs” by Roger N.
offenses or re-offenses. The Prison communities. Lancaster, New York Times (August 20, 2011)
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