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The Dobbs Wire: Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment: There’s growing awareness that far too many people are getting punished in the U.S., and that they are being given far too much punishment. Some of the punishment is extreme, even unconscionable — the death penalty, solitary confinement, life in prison (“death by incarceration”), lifetime supervision, sex offense registries, and more. Organizers are usually unsung but they get the credit for rising public concern about criminal injustices and now they’re hard at work to spotlight harsh measures used in the “worse of the worst” cases. What about accountability for really terrible crimes? Have a look at this…

The Dobbs Wire: First Amendment WIN in Alabama!

First Amendment WIN in Alabama: Alabama’s sex offense registration law, said to be “the most comprehensive and debilitating sex-offender scheme in the nation,” suffered some damage at the hands of a federal judge. A provision in the law that requires registrants to carry a driver’s license or official ID with “CRIMINAL SEX OFFENDER” emblazoned in red was struck down. That horrifying message legitimizes profiling by law enforcement (and others), ensuring that registrants are treated as suspects far into the future; even a coded message should be held unconstitutional. The court also struck down “internet identifier” provisions in the law. Kudos…

The Dobbs Wire: Confronting the power of fear

The Dobbs Wire: Confronting the power of fear. In the aftermath of a high profile crime, Boston Globe columnist Nestor Ramos tackles fear — have a look! –Bill Dobbs, The Dobbs Wire Boston Globe | Jan. 28, 2019 People have always been afraid. But these days, our fears are getting the better of us

The Dobbs Wire: Untouchable NEWS – streaming available – Now!

Some great news about UNTOUCHABLE, David Feige’s award-winning documentary… At last, the film is available for streaming Now on: Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, and Kanopy See it! Bill Dobbs, The Dobbs Wire More people now on sex-offender registry than in jail in the US Stream it starting January 15 on Amazon, iTunes and Google Play. ================================================= Find it at your public or institutional library on Watch the trailer FACT: More people are now listed on sex-offender registries than are currently in jail in the US. It’s an amazing statistic that illuminates one of the darkest…

The Dobbs Wire: Just out – Florida registry report

The Dobbs Wire: A report on Florida’s sex offense registry is just out, issued by an agency that works for the state’s lawmakers. Big takeaway – the number of registrants continues to climb and has been increasing for many years. Why? That key question is not answered. According to the report, the state’s registry has more than 73,000 listings. However, the number living in Florida communities is much smaller, less than 29,000. That’s quite a lot of registrants that are classified as living out-of-state, incarcerated, deceased(!), etc. Also in the report are various ways the Florida Department of Law Enforcement…

The Dobbs Wire: Rogue judge driven off the bench

A Pittsburgh criminal court judge has finally submitted her resignation. Judge Donna Jo McDaniel’s expected exit comes after repeated rebukes by a Pennsylvania appeals court, extensive news coverage, the ire of at least one editorial board, and talk of an investigation by the state’s judicial conduct commission. First elected to the bench in 1985, McDaniel was driven from office for failing to deliver fair and impartial justice – treating individuals charged with sex offenses (and their defense counsel) terribly, imposing excessive sentences and repeatedly abusing her discretion. McDaniel’s departure is a victory for reason and justice, even more so given…

The Dobbs Wire: Registries are not feminist!

Amid rising anger over sexual wrongdoing, a feminist writer takes aim at the sex offense registry. Reina Gattuso’s powerful essay questions the existence of an official government blacklist that now ensnares hundreds of thousands of individuals, have a look! -Bill Dobbs, The Dobbs Wire info@thedobbswire.com Femnisting | Dec. 21, 2018 Why Should Feminists Be Against the Sex Offender Registry? By Reina Gattuso Established in the ‘90s following several high-profile rapes and murders of children, the sex offender registry used parental grief to propagate “tough on crime” policies. But there’s a problem: sex offender registries don’t…

The Dobbs Wire: 4.8% increase in one year – latest blacklist stats

The Dobbs Wire: More than 912,000 on government blacklists – 4.8% INCREASE in the number of sex offense registry listings in the last year The Dobbs Wire has produced a new chart with the latest sex offense registry statistics for every state and Washington DC, along with figures from 2017. One key indicator continues to *increase* — the total number on blacklists is now 912,643. That’s a 4.8% climb in the last 12 months! 42,001 listings have been added since 2017. These government blacklists produce no benefit to public safety but they sure pack…

The Dobbs Wire: Enlightenment and a trigger warning in Connecticut

Enlightenment and a trigger warning in Connecticut: A day-long event in Connecticut featuring a series of presentations about the sex offense registry proved enlightening and remarkable! One highlight was the first speaker who gave an overview, taking some trouble to explain the important and little-discussed concept of “moral panic” and the big impact that phenomenon has had, and continues to have, on sex offense laws. Drawn from research and professional experience, the remarks were even more resonant because the speaker is a jurist, Judge Mary Huffman of Ohio. Complementing Huffman’s talk was the next presentation, by Eric Janus, a Minnesota…

New Bruce Norris play ‘Downstate’ argues that sex offenders are people, too

Downstate, the new play by Bruce Norris running in Chicago through Nov. 11th, is getting great reviews! The Chicago Tribune gave it four stars and Downstate is a New York Times Critic’s Pick. Here is the blurb by Steppenwolf Theatre Company: “In downstate Illinois, four men convicted of sex crimes against minors share a group home where they live out their lives in the shadow of the crimes they committed. A man shows up to confront his childhood abuser—but does he want closure or retribution? This gripping and provocative new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning ensemble member Bruce Norris zeroes in…

Category: The Dobbs Wire