By the way, judges are liberally imposing lifetime terms of Supervised Release these days for sex offenders. Presentence reports will recommend lifetime supervision in many of these cases. If someone needs lifetime supervision, what’s the logic in letting them out of prison to begin with? It’s absurd. I can imagine young Tommy the probation officer visiting Mr. Jones who is now 85 years old and in a retirement home for his weekly visit. That’s if he’s allowed in a retirement home to begin with.

I would take what you’re saying (Edward) a step further and say that sex offender Supervised Release has given the government almost omnipotent power over an individual. No other type of probation or parole is more intrusive, not even for second degree murderers. While some oversight is expected and warranted for any type of supervision, this supervision goes beyond the pale for sex offenders, whether we are talking about twice a month or weekly visits, coercive group therapy where systematic pressure is employed by other members to have people confess sins which don’t exist, 30 days notice on travel (whereas it is 14 days for other felons) denials for travel because other federal districts can just say “no” and give no reason, unscientific polygraphing, etc. The containment model views sex offenders as as a “contagion” so no wonder you feel like a slave, Edward, you are being contained so you don’t contaminate the community. I’m not against supervision, I’m just in favor of supervision which does enough necessary to protect the public, not the kind of supervision which is oppressive to the point of enslavement.

Of all of us on the registries, untold numbers of us are still on “Supervised Release” i.e. which basically means we are all of us in Dred Scott’s shoes. We are like field N-words in the antebellum south caught out of the fields in the middle of the day and knocking on the Big House front door. The house N-word then calls the overseer. We have no rights any law enforcement goon is bound to respect. And this condition is nominally for LIFE! Life, indeed….WHAT life!?

But kudos to Brenda and RSOL for tackling this. Believe me, this is a very neglected area that even advocates of registrants don’t pay enough attention to. I’m glad RSOL does.