Monday, November 14, 2016

Ohio to consider changes to sex offender registry

An Ohio legislative committee will consider changes to the state's sex offender registry, as reported in the Dayton Daily News.
The proposals include going from an offense-based classification system, in which offenders are assigned to a tier and given registration requirements based on the criminal offense they committed, to a more risk-based system in which judges would have more discretion. 
The proposed changes would also allow sex offenders the ability to petition for a change of status after years of good behavior or due to a change in their risk level due to advanced age or illness.
Other proposed changes include reducing the number of crimes that would qualify for Tier III registration, give judges more discretion, and give people a chance to petition a court to deregister or move down a tier.

Bar Wright, with the Ohio RSOL chapter, told the paper the organization likes the changes.
“I think in some areas it does not go far enough and we’ve expressed our concerns,” Wright said. 
She’d like to see more retroactive applications so that someone recently convicted under the current law would have recourse to get their registration status changed. 
Another recommendation of the committee is to remove all residency restrictions, such as barring sex offenders from living near schools. 
Full article here.

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