Dann/Strickland campaigns join together behind meaningful legislation to protect children from pedophiles
Submitted by modernesquire on Wed, 10/11/2006 - 9:46pm.
From Ohio2006:
This afternoon I attended a press conference in front of the Cleveland Justice Center where Attorney General candidate State Sen. Marc Dann (Liberty Township) and Lieutenant Governor candidate Lee Fisher (D-Cleveland) discussed Dann's proposed legislation to fully implement the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 that was passed by Congress in July, early compliance with which will reap bonus funding for the state:
Fisher was Attorney General from 1991 to 1995 and is a recognized leader in the national effort to strengthen the laws that protect children from sexual predators. He applauded Dann for taking the steps needed to bring Ohio into compliance with "Adam's Law," and he said that he and Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Lisbon) look forward to working with Dann as Ohio's Attorney General to make this state the safest in the nation for children and families.
Dann explained that as was the case with Megan's Law and the Wetterling Act, the first two substantive child protection laws passed by Congress, states like Ohio will be responsible for implementing the lion's share of the provisions of the new measure. Speaking as a father of young children and as a state senator who has been devoted to strengthening the laws that protect Ohio's kids, Dann urged early compliance with "Adam's Law." Although Congress has given the states three years to comply, Dann pointed out that Ohio stands to benefit from early compliance both by receiving bonus money and by obtaining the benefits of stronger child protection law sooner.
Dann was referring to the fact that Adam's Law establishes a "Sex Offender Management Assistance" program that will provide annual grants to the states to help fund the establishment and maintenance of the new registry. States that comply within one year of the new law's enactment date are eligible for a ten percent bonus from the federal government.
In order to bring the state into compliance with Adam's Law, Senator Dann's bill will:√
Sex Offenders Should be "Put on a Chain"
Shelter To Turn Tier III Sex Offenders Away COLUMBUS, Ohio
The only homeless shelter in Columbus to accept Tier III sex offenders planned to change its policy, 10TV News reported Tuesday.
Faith Mission, located on Long Street, will no longer provide beds for the Tier III offenders beginning July 1, 10TV's Lindsey Seavert reported. Last winter, the shelter said they noticed nearly a 30 percent rise in the number of Tier III offenders staying at the shelter, sometimes housing up to 15 per day. "I really realized the trend was those guys were coming directly from incarceration, from the Department of Corrections to the shelter and in may cases we simply don't have the services here they need," said executive director Sue Villilo.
Villilo said they are worried about sex offenders interacting with volunteers at the shelter. "Some of the volunteer groups involve children," Villilo said. Shelter resident Gregory Kelsor said it is a good move for safety, but not everyone knows what it is like to spend a day in an offender's shoes, Seavert reported.
"I definitely think they need to be put on a chain, for sure, but people deserve a second chance, we all do because we all make mistakes," Kelsor said.