By John . . . NARSOL’s Pennsylvania affiliate, the Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL), celebrates a major legal victory for workers with criminal records following yesterday’s decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Phath v. Central Transport LLC. The court reversed the district court’s dismissal and held that Pennsylvania’s Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA) protects job applicants even when an employer learns about a past conviction directly from the applicant rather than from a state criminal-records file.

In PARSOL’s sign-on as an amicus to the court filing, PARSOL Managing Director John Dawe wrote, “We are deeply invested in ensuring that individuals with criminal records are afforded fair opportunities for employment and reintegration into society, and our interests align with Pennsylvania’s long-standing policy to avoid

unwarranted stigmatization and unreasonable restrictions on those with conviction histories.”

In its opinion, the Third Circuit emphasized that “. . . job hunting is never easy; having a criminal conviction makes it much harder,” and confirmed that CHRIA “. . . limits when and how employers may use an applicant’s criminal history.” The panel concluded that Central Transport could not avoid CHRIA’s requirements simply because it received information about Rodney Phath’s fifteen‑year‑old robbery conviction from him during the hiring process rather than through a background check.

This outcome directly aligns with the position advanced in an amicus brief joined by PARSOL and more than fifteen other nonprofit organizations, led by the National Employment Law Project (NELP) and litigated by Outten & Golden LLP. The amici urged the court to reject a narrow reading of CHRIA that would have allowed employers to sidestep the law’s protections simply by asking applicants to self‑disclose their records instead of obtaining them from a state agency.

“PARSOL was proud to stand with NELP and our many partners in this case to defend Pennsylvanians’ right to fair consideration for employment,” said Dawe. “The court squarely rejected an attempt to create a massive loophole in CHRIA and affirmed that employers cannot sidestep the law simply by asking applicants to disclose their own criminal histories. We continue to champion fully-inclusive ban‑the‑box and fair‑chance hiring laws in the Commonwealth that would further reduce stigmatization and help ensure candidates are evaluated on their qualifications, not solely on past convictions.”

The amicus brief detailed how millions of Pennsylvanians live with criminal records and face steep barriers to work that are often unrelated to their ability to safely and successfully perform a job. It also highlighted Pennsylvania’s long‑standing public policy, rooted in state constitutional principles, that disfavors blanket employment exclusions based on prior convictions and instead requires that any consideration of a conviction be tied to the actual duties of the job. CHRIA codifies that policy by allowing employers to consider felony and misdemeanor convictions only to the extent they relate to an applicant’s suitability for the specific position and by requiring written notice when criminal history is used to deny employment.

In Phath, after Mr. Phath disclosed a fifteen‑year‑old armed‑robbery conviction, Central Transport rejected him for a truck‑driving job  despite his commercial driver’s license, relevant experience, and federal port clearance. The Third Circuit’s decision means his CHRIA claim may now proceed, and it sends a strong signal to employers across Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit that they must comply with CHRIA’s substantive and notice requirements whenever they rely on an applicant’s criminal history, regardless of how that information is obtained.

“This decision is a critical affirmation that CHRIA has real teeth,” PARSOL’s spokesperson added. “For people with records—including those with sexual‑offense histories who are committed to living offense‑free and contributing to their communities—access to fair employment screening is essential for public safety, family stability, and successful reintegration.”

PARSOL extends its gratitude to the National Employment Law Project, which led the amicus project; to co‑counsel at Outten & Golden LLP; and to all of the organizations that joined the brief, whose collective expertise and advocacy helped underscore the importance of CHRIA to workers, families, and communities throughout Pennsylvania.

The post PARSOL Applauds Third Circuit Victory Protecting Fair Chance Hiring in Pennsylvania first appeared on NARSOL.

By Sandy and John . . . Portez Smith arrived outside Jesse Grover’s duplex early on Sunday, November 17, 2024, yelling through the closed door, “Grover, you’re a f—ing pedophile,” and when Grover opened the door, Smith pulled out a gun and shot him to death. Jesse Grover was registered on Pennsylvania’s sex offender registry as a Tier I offender. This holiday season, Grover leaves behind his wife, parents, four siblings, four stepchildren, and numerous other family members. He is remembered for his sweet smile and gentleness and as a beloved family member, a good friend, and a lover of reading, cooking, and music.

Grover’s murder is not the first registrant to face such a fate. Gary Blanton was a young married father of two infant sons living in Washington State when, in 2012, Patrick Drum shot him to death for being on the Washington registry for a consensual sexual act with another minor from twelve years prior. Drum then went to the home of registrant Jerry Ray and killed him. With the Washington sex offender registry in hand, he was on the way to shoot a third registrant in another county when apprehended (https://archive.is/T5Zc5).

Charles and Gretchen Parker were at their South Carolina home when Jeremy and Christine Moody stopped in front of their house and raised the hood of their car. Charles was a mechanic and went outside to help. The Moodys entered their home and slaughtered both Charles, a South Carolina registrant, and his wife Gretchen, with a gun and knife. Like Drum, they already had targeted their next victim, another person on the sex offender registry, when they were apprehended. In the wake of these murders, the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws asked then-governor Nikki Haley to have the home addresses of registrants removed from the public view of the online registry; the request was disregarded.

Portez Smith’s rant at Jesse Grover reveals almost as much about his beliefs as his senseless act of violence does. It is commonly believed that everyone on a registry has a sexual offense against a child: This is a fallacy. In every state, virtually every crime that can have a sexual component carries with it an obligation to register. In many states, non-sexual crimes require registration. And in some states, many of those required to register are minors. Blanton was the same age as his teenage girlfriend when he was convicted for consensual sex with her; her parents pushed for an arrest when they learned of the relationship. Statistics suggest that a third of the offenders against minors are themselves minors. Children have been put on a registry as young as eight.

The most disturbing factor about these murders is that a segment of the community views these vigilantes as heroes. Social media and online articles about these incidents further this perception by allowing ten or even twenty comments praising the vigilante for each one condemning the act of violence. Recently, the glorification of “predator catchers” has driven groups of gangs and teenagers to show up at registrants’ homes to “carry out justice.”  Numerous studies document various degrees of violence and harassment registrants and their family members face daily. 

Blanton’s wife publicly asked that Drum’s supporters stop the harassment of her and her children. According to CBS News, the judge at Drum’s hearing admonished those who were in the courtroom in support of Drum to cease their activity. Leslie said she and her family had been spat upon, had things thrown at their car, had their house targeted, and more.

So what is the answer? The first, quickest, and most straightforward answer is a “band-aid” measure that NARSOL asked South Carolina to take: remove the home and business addresses from public view. This will at least require vigilantes to work a little harder to achieve their goals. Supporters of the registry argue that knowing where registrants live protects their communities, but the USDOJ reports that more than 93% of the cases of sexual harm are committed by someone known to the victim, and 95% are not registrants. Additionally research shows that sex crimes have the lowest recidivism rates of any crime class tracked except murder.

The long-term fix is not an easy one. It involves changing hearts and minds toward a willingness to put aside emotional responses and adopt rational and logical facts. Several decades of evidence-based data show us the sex offender registry is ineffective at every level. It does not make communities safer, protect children from sexual abuse, help those who have caused harm, nor heal those who have been harmed. Instead, it puts families of registrants in harm’s way, impedes rehabilitation, destroys the opportunity to rebuild damaged lives, and costs taxpayers an enormous and ever-burgeoning amount of resources.

One bright spot on the horizon is the increasing prevalence of restorative justice programs. These alternatives to harsh punishment for offenders and nothing for those offended bring the two sides together—for those who choose it—to dialogue, understand each other better, express remorse and forgiveness, and pave the road for future reconciliation. Because the majority of sexual harm happens within families, this is an excellent choice. 

Policymakers need to abolish the secondary punishments accompanying registration. Special restrictions such as residence, proximity, and Halloween restrictions are statistically useless in furthering public safety and child protection. Abolishing them would save significant public funds that could be better used for evidence-based prevention measures.

Most legislators claim to be fiscally responsible, data-informed, and against unfunded mandates. Yet they seem to forget those words when it comes to tightening the plethora of laws and restrictions (such as residence, proximity, and Halloween restrictions) that affect persons required to register. Politicians wanting to project a “tough on crime” platform turn to sex crimes because society’s taboo on anything sexual combined with the visceral nature of sex crimes causes electors and officials to abandon rationality for emotionalism. 

Meaningful reform will begin when enough citizens protest the waste of human lives and public monies and when decision-makers at all levels adopt evidence-based solutions to preventing sexual harm and rehabilitating those with past sexual offenses.

* A version of this article also appeared in the December 20, 2024 issue of Merion West.

The post Vigilantism & Death: A Harsh Reality for Citizens on the ‘Sex Offender’ Registry first appeared on NARSOL.

HARRISBURG, PA – October 28, 2025 – The Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL) Advocates gathered at the Pennsylvania Capitol Rotunda today to mark thirty years since the enactment of Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law and to call for modernization of the state’s sexual offense laws which were signed into law by then- Governor Tom Ridge on October 21, 1995, launching the PARSOL #StuckIn1995 Campaign.

“Our lives have changed since 1995. You’ll all recognize Microsoft’s groundbreaking system, Windows 95. But is anyone still using that? Pennsylvania’s registry laws are stuck in 1995 while everything else has moved forward,” remarked Robert Ciccinelli (Havertown), PARSOL board member, who opened the event while advocates held signs showing nostalgia from that year including props from the era including the O.J. Simpson verdict headline news, a poster from the hit 90’s TV show “ER”, the dial-up internet modem, a 22-cent postage stamp, and the floppy disk drive.

Speakers included Josiah Krammes (Pottsville), PARSOL Chair, Joey Nicholson (Coatesville), founder of the Pathfinder Reentry Project, State Representatives Emily Kinkead (D-Pittsburgh) and Tim Briggs (D-King of Prussia), and Olivia Schmidt (Sharon), PARSOL Advocates secretary.

“Modernizing the system means focusing resources on current risk, not decades-old cases. That’s how you protect families,” he noted, citing multiple studies from the U.S. Department of Justice, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.

Nicholson, sharing experiences from PARSOL’s statewide programs, told several personal stories of how the registry hinders successful reintegration—even among those who have completed treatment and proven stability. “When policies lack nuance, entire families carry the weight,” said Nicholson. “Modern times demand modern policies built on what we now know about accountability, growth, and rehabilitation.”

Reflecting on his fourteen years of incarceration, Nicholson added, “Real transformation doesn’t begin in a cell, it begins in the heart, and then it transforms your mind. I came home with one goal – to help others find that meaningful spark before the system or life breaks them. These programs are now supported by law enforcement, treatment providers, correctional administrators, and members of the faith community – people who believe in modernization over marginalization.”

Kinkead added that by using what we’ve learned over thirty years to modernize the law and actively include those who have committed offenses in the solution, “… we reduce the number of victims that happen. We prevent people from committing crimes because we are supporting not just survivors but the safety of the entire community.”

“People who are willing to do the work, get better, learn from their mistakes, make amends, and pay their debt to society deserve the opportunity to be a full member of it if we are willing as legislators to be bold, take a stand, and ensure we are making evidence-based policies,” she concluded. “These are common-sense reforms from thirty years of understanding what works and what doesn’t. [Legislators] cannot be held in the past because we are afraid to make changes, and how it will be perceived.

Chairman Briggs echoed Kinkead’s resolve, adding, “Too many times this issue seems too difficult for legislators to get their heads around, and they want to continue that thirty-year-old approach. Despite this, we need to modernize the registry to allow individuals who no longer pose a risk to be removed from the list and ensure the tools necessary for safe communities, including evidence-based assessments, ensuring individuals who need services are receiving them.”

“There is no time better than the present to start tackling these issues. Today’s kickoff reinforces the desire to keep our communities safe by using modern thinking to address these issues in a fair and compassionate way. We look forward to working with PARSOL moving forward,” Briggs concluded.

###

About PARSOL – The Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (PARSOL) works to modernize the Commonwealth’s sexual offense laws through advocacy, education, and evidence-based practices. PARSOL is the Pennsylvania affiliate of NARSOL.

The post Pennsylvania Rally Marks 30 Years of Failed Sex Offense Policies first appeared on NARSOL.

By Josiah and Randall . . . We are writing on behalf of the statewide Pennsylvania Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws to express our deep concern over State Representative Ryan Warner’s proposal to allow the death penalty for individuals convicted of child sexual offenses. While protecting children is a cause we all share, this proposal is fraught with ethical, legal, and practical problems that demand our attention.

The problem with capital punishment

First, capital punishment is irreversible, and the criminal legal system is not infallible. Numerous cases have shown that innocent people can and do face wrongful convictions, particularly in highly emotional cases like sexual offenses. A single mistake under such legislation would have catastrophic and irrevocable consequences.

Moreover, harsher penalties can have unintended effects on victims themselves. Studies indicate that extreme punishments, such as the death penalty, may discourage victims who oppose capital punishment from coming forward. This is especially true when the perpetrator is someone they know — as is true with 93% of sexual harm cases. Instead of supporting victims, this policy risks silencing them and compounding their trauma.

Beyond these ethical concerns, Rep. Warner’s proposal directly conflicts with established legal precedent. In Kennedy v. Louisiana (2008), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the death penalty for crimes where the victim does not die is unconstitutional. Attempting to circumvent this binding precedent would embroil Pennsylvania in costly legal battles while offering no real benefit to public safety.

Additionally, the death penalty is a punishment that disproportionately affects marginalized communities. Economic and racial inequities plague its application, ensuring that the wealthy and privileged are better able to escape its consequences while vulnerable populations bear the brunt of this ultimate sanction.

Even law enforcement officials have raised red flags about this proposal. Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible has warned that imposing the death penalty for child rape might incentivize perpetrators to kill their victims to avoid detection. This tragic consequence would only heighten the danger to children rather than protect them.

A Better Way

PARSOL believes there is a better way. By expanding prevention programs, increasing support for survivors, and ensuring fair sentencing that balances accountability with the possibility of rehabilitation, we can address the root causes of sexual abuse while upholding justice and human dignity.

Protecting children is too important to be undermined by measures that defy constitutional principles, ethical norms, and practical realities. We urge lawmakers to reject this dangerous proposal and to pursue evidence-based reforms that safeguard our communities.

A call to Pennsylvanians to Act

We encourage all Pennsylvanians to contact their legislators to oppose proposal.

Josiah Krammes and Randall Hayes are co-chairs of Pennsylvania RSOL. NARSOL’s Affiliate in Pennsylvania and can be found at @PARSOLOfficial

Published first in the Scranton Times Tribune and several other publications.

The post The case against capital punishment for child sex abuse first appeared on NARSOL.