YOUR LIFE ON “THE LIST” 2020 Edition A Publication by OnceFallen.com Derek W. Logue and Thomas H. Madison Your Life on the List by OnceFallen.com, 2020 Edition YOUR LIFE ON “THE LIST”: A Survival Guide for those Forced to Register Upon Release Derek W. Logue and Thomas H. Madison of OnceFallen.com NOTE: This PDF version may be updated more regularly than the print version available on Amazon.com. Because the print version is in 6 inch by 9 inch format, page numbers will differ in the PDF and print editions. Date of most recent update: August 22, 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Introduction and Disclaimers 4 Common Abbreviations Used In This Guide 6 Chapter 1: Basics of Sex Offense Laws 10 Chapter 2: Finding Housing 21 Chapter 3: Finding a Job 31 Chapter 4: Welfare and Other Financial Assistance 36 Chapter 5: Dealing with Compliance/ Address Verification Checks 39 Chapter 6: Traveling as a Registrant 42 Chapter 7: Reintegration: Treatment, Support,Research, and Activism 46 Chapter 8: Dealing with Harassment and Scams 54 Chapter 9: Disaster Preparation 58 Chapter 10: Living Your Life 59 FINAL THOUGHTS 68 APPENDIX 1: Housing List 72 APPENDIX 2: Registry/ Residency Laws by State/ Territory 104 2 Your Life on the List by OnceFallen.com, 2020 Edition COPYRIGHT STATEMENT AND FAIR USE OF THIS GUIDE Most of the materials in this guide (YOUR LIFE ON “THE LIST”: A Survival Guide for those Forced to Register Upon Release” by Derek W. Logue, 2020 Edition) were extrapolated from previously published materials from OnceFallen.com and the Informational Corrlinks Newsletter (ICoN); both are the claimed copyright of Derek W. Logue of OnceFallen.com. Sections that were extrapolated from the original sources, which were reprinted here under the US Fair Use exceptions of 17 USC §107 for a non-profit, educational/informational use, are the express intellectual properties of the original authors. Portions or the entirety of the PDF version of this guide can be reprinted and distributed without my permission ONLY under the following circumstances: 1. You are a Registered Person or a loved one of a Registrant who is printing the PDF on behalf of a Registrant who lacks Internet access. 2. You are a worker at a transitional home, “sex offender” treatment provider, law enforcement agent, registration officer, counselor, minister, homeless shelter, or any other person providing direct services for Registered Persons and their loved ones. 3. You are using it in an educational setting such as a classroom, book club, or an offline discussion group. 4. You are using the material verbatim or summarized for use in legislative testimony, legal brief, or law journal report. 5. You must give me full credit for my work (or credit due to the original source I used to the original authors) and provide references to the OnceFallen.com website (including a link to my website page offering the PDF). You must, however, request permission to post the PDF on your website. (In other words, don’t claim this work as your own and don’t post the PDF on your site without permission.) This guide is NOT to be resold for commercial use/ profit, or any reason not listed above, without my express written consent. To contact the author of this guide with questions, report grammar errors or legal inaccuracies in this report, or if you want to send me a thank you for the work put into this guide: Mail - Derek Logue, 2211 County Road 400, Tobias, NE 68453 Email – [email protected] Phone – (513) 238-2873 (No collect calls) Website – http://oncefallen.com/ (Make checks/ MOs out to Derek Logue) 3 Your Life on the List by OnceFallen.com, 2020 Edition INTRODUCTION AND DISCLAIMERS This guide is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about a variety of issues you will face during your time on the public sex offense registry. This guide will be a “just the facts” guide with little commentary on the constitutionality or ethical issues on these laws. OnceFallen.com is an informational and activist website for the abolishment of public sex offense registries so I feel my stance on abolishing the registry should be obvious. OnceFallen.com is run by Derek W. Logue, who has been listed on the registry since 2003 and is currently a lifetime Registrant. I believe that the myriad of registry-related laws are confusing and unnecessary we well as unconstitutional, but until these laws are repealed, you have to abide (however grudgingly) by the laws under threat of being locked up for Failure To Register (FTR), a charge that could leave you incarcerated longer than whatever offense landed you on the registry. Longtime readers of either OnceFallen.com and/ or the Informational Corrlinks Newsletter (ICoN) may recognize some of the information, since both the website and newsletters share much of this information and have been copied verbatim from articles from both resources. This guide was created in response to increased demand for such resources and because of recent changes to prison policies that otherwise limit the amount of printed material in the mail, a policy not generally applicable to softcover books. This guide covers a wide range of relevant topics, including finding housing, jobs, and both social support (like advocacy groups) and financial support (such as welfare). I will cover some common laws for all 50 states using the info from various resources covering the basics of each state’s sex offense laws. While I am going to give as much information as possible, please note that some statutes within this guide could change dramatically. For example, Michigan’s sex offense registry scheme was deemed to be punitive (Does v Snyder, 6th Cir 2016) and cannot be applied retroactively as currently written, causing the state to go into panic mode to salvage what they can to prevent thousands of Registered Persons from being removed from the registry. In a few states, the restrictions you may face as a Registrant depends on your date of conviction or offense. I will cover current laws and any major proposals that are sure to come but please note some legal info can become obsolete by the time the next legislative sessions for your state of interest draw to a close. Many of the tips listed here are general tips, not specific to any one state. Please note that some counties and municipalities may have certain ordinances exceeding state laws. Florida, for example, has statewide 1000 foot restrictions, but many cities and counties, especially the southern half of the state, have ordinances as much as 2500 feet from prohibited areas. Once you are free, you can read the articles on a variety of topics in more detail at www.oncefallen.com ; many of the topics in this guide are from current pages at my website. Some of the information I may include here could even be outdated by the time this guide is published. This is NOT a legal guide. This guide offers general advice for the most common concerns you may face as a Registered Person. There are some legal citations here to verify the many claims here, but no advice here should be construed as legal advice. If your needs involve the courts, you should consult an attorney. 4 Your Life on the List by OnceFallen.com, 2020 Edition Finally, it is important enough that I stress this final point because the burden of proof will always fall upon you no matter how you feel about these laws. OBEY ALL LAWS! Your freedom depends on obeying these laws even though you won’t like having to register. Despite how you feel about the laws, you are expected to know and obey these laws, no matter how complex and unfair these rules may be. This guide is not an argument for or against any of the laws. This guide is for helping you navigate the complex and confusing laws you may face while living on the registry. If you are unclear about the rules, talk to your registration office. 5 Your Life on the List by OnceFallen.com, 2020 Edition ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS USED IN THIS GUIDE The terms and acronyms in this segment are utilized in this guide and in many resources you may read elsewhere. Refer to this list of terms and abbreviations as necessary while reading this guide. Proper terminology is important; I will rarely, if ever, use the term “sex offender”; instead, the current commonly used term by anti-registry activists are “Registered Person (RP),” “Registered Person (RC),” or simply “Registrant.” ACSOL: Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws, a California-based group fighting the registry. While primarily a California-focused group, they monitor info from other states and maintain a 50 state guide on registration and residency laws. Adam Walsh Act: The current federal registry laws imposed upon the states (passed in 2006, replacing Megan’s Law and the Jacob Wetterling Act). The AWA covers registry, community notification, compliance checks, and civil commitment, as well as various grants to promote the AWA. As of 2020, only 18 states and 3 US territories have been deemed “substantially compliant” with AWA regulations despite a 10% federal law enforcement grant cut to states unwilling to adopt the AWA. It should be noted that the AWA is a “minimum standard” and states can choose to add penalties beyond what is recommended by the AWA and still be considered an AWA state. Anti-Clustering Law: A law that bans Registered Persons from living a certain distance from another Registered Person. Anti-Registry Movement (ARM): A term used at times for the effort to reform/ repeal the registry.