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Thank Jay G. for the tip!

Jim Reid

-Anatole France said in 1874, "[t]he law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

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Race conference brochure (2).pdf (1196 KB)

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Sex offender registration for non-sex convictions

Georgia Supreme Court upholds sex offender registration for non-sex convictions

via Sentencing Law and Policy by Doug B. on 3/16/10

I am thinking that maybe Jeff Foxworthy ought to consider doing some public service announcements in Georgia that are a variation of his famous "You might be a redneck..." routine.  Specifically, I think Foxworthy might help get the word out with lines like:

• "If you are picking up teenagers in your car in Georgia while trying to score some pot, you might be a sex offender....."
• "If you beat up and lock your younger brother in his Georgia bedroom, you might be a sex offender....."
• "If you pick up your grandkid from a Georgia school when it was your former son-in-law's turn, you might be a sex offender....." 

Thanks to How Appealing, I see that the Supreme Court of Georgia, in Rainer v. Georgia, No. S09A1900 (Ga. Mar. 15, 2010) (available here), yesterday upheld a provision of the state's sex offender registry law that requires the registration of certain persons not convicted of sex crimes.  This Atlanta Journal-Constitution article explains:

The law, said to be one of the toughest in the nation, allows the state to keep a tight leash on child molesters, rapists and other sexual predators after they have served their prison time. But it also requires anyone convicted of kidnapping or false imprisonment of a minor to register as a sex offender regardless if a sexual act was committed.

The challenge was brought by Jake Rainer, who committed a drug robbery in Gwinnett County in May 2000. Rainer and his co-defendants picked up a 17-year-old girl who was going to sell them some marijuana. Instead of making a deal, they drove her to a cul-de-sac, took the pot and abandoned her.

Rainer pleaded guilty to robbery and false imprisonment.  Because of the latter conviction, he now has had to register as a sex offender.  This means he cannot live or work within 1,000 feet of places where children congregate, such as parks, schools and swimming pools.

Writing for a 5-2 majority, Justice Harold Melton rejected arguments that the provision, as applied to Rainer, was cruel and unusual punishment. Sex offender registry laws, Melton wrote, "are regulatory, not punitive, in nature." "Because the registration requirements themselves do not constitute punishment, it is of no consequence whether or not one has committed an offense that is 'sexual' in nature before being required to register," Melton wrote....

Writing in dissent, Chief Justice Carol Hunstein said that although registration as a sex offender may not be considered punishment, "it is no mere administrative formality or minor inconvenience." Hunstein added that an offender who commits a sex crime while kidnapping or falsely imprisoning a victim "would clearly be covered" by other provisions of the registry law.

Department of Corrections records show there are dozens of offenders like Rainer who must register as a sex offender even though they committed no sex crime.

Legislation making its way through the state House may give such offenders a way to be released from the law's tough residency and employment restrictions. House Bill 571, which has the support of key lawmakers, allows offenders to petition Superior Court judges to remove them from the registry. 

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Raising Young Ladies or "Loudies"?

Link to Audio: NPR

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11223367

Edward Morris, a sociology professor at Ohio University, gets to the bottom of how teachers in one Texas middle school used racial stereotypes to classify the behavior of black female students as "un-ladylike."

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A World Apart—Women, Prison, and Life Behind Bars

forum.ram

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Pittsburgh Community Services

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Pittsburgh Community Services Flyer.pdf (622 KB)

Thanks, Toni-

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Does Parole Work?

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AmySolomonOctober2006.ppt (535 KB)

From Amy Solomon 2006.

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Does Parole Work-2006

AmySolomonOctober2006.ppt

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How to Fit Studying Into Your Life

How to Fit Studying Into Your Life

via Dumb Little Man - Tips for Life by Ali on 3/14/10

Although we might still have the archetypal view of college life involving keg parties, frat houses and last-minute panics when a paper’s due, many of us integrate our studying into the rest of our lives. Whether you’re taking a PhD over many years or simply learning a foreign language before your trip this summer, your studying is going to take up time – and it needs to fit into your life.

If you’re struggling to find space for studying along with everything else, here’s how to make sure you have the time to study and to live:

Step 1: Look at the Big Picture
How much have you got going on in your life right now? What might you need to give up in order to have time to study?

We often end up too busy, trying to “have it all” or trying to life-hack our lives so that we keep stacking up achievements. Often, though, just cutting back on our commitments a little can make life a lot more relaxed and straightforward.

Do you need to put some of your goals or activities aside, for a time? What can wait for a few months or years?

Step 2: Look at Your Weekly Schedule
Once you’ve taken a long-range view of your life, narrow in on your weekly schedule. What regular commitments do you have? (Perhaps you work 8-4 each day, you take your kids out every Saturday afternoon, and you’re in church each Sunday morning.)

What gaps of time do you have free for studying? If you can, find times when you’re easily able to concentrate: if you’re a “morning person” then use that! You may be able to adjust your schedule slightly to suit your best studying hours – for instance, if you normally do chores on Saturday mornings but you also study best between 8am and 11am, then can you switch to doing chores during your “slump” time in the afternoon?

(If you’re not sure what times of day are your best hours for working, try the Productivity Heatmap from Productive Flourishing)

It’s particularly crucial to identify regular times for studying if you don’t have any regular deadlines – perhaps if you’re learning purely for your own interest, or if you’re working on a very long term goal like a PhD. Building studying into your schedule will help ensure that you don’t let it slide week after week.

Step 3: Have a Good Space for Studying
No-one can study effectively with the television on, clutter everywhere and no space to spread out books and papers. Having a good space for your studying means making sure that you’re somewhere which gives you the physical conditions that help you to concentrate.

That might mean:

• Using a particular room in your house to study (and closing the door while you’re hitting the books)

Going to your local library, or if you’re enrolled at a college or other academic institution, using facilities there

Asking a friend to let you use a room in his/her house at the weekend, if you find it hard to work undisturbed in your own home

Heading out to a coffee shop with your books – or even sitting in your car to study!

Step 4: Learn Good Study Habits
If you’re going to study and live a full life, you’ll want to use your studying time as effectively as possible. That means developing good habits: not just to help you concentrate and avoid distractions, but also to make sure you’re not spending hours and hours doing something in an ineffective way.

There are lots of books aimed at students who want to improve their studying: your college or local library should be able to point you towards useful resources (e.g. on essay writing or exam technique).

The University Blog has great advice about all aspects of the student experience, but focuses particularly on studying well.

Step 5: Figure Out How You Learn Best
Some of us are kinetic learners – we like to do things, and we’re more likely to remember something if we’ve learnt it in an active way. Others are auditory learners – we have great recall for things we’ve heard. And others are visual learners – taking extensive written notes and using diagrams to understand a new concept.

In fact, most of us will find that we can learn in all those ways, but we’ll have a marked preference for one or another. I know that I personally much prefer to read a book than listen to it – but I know several people who find audio books a far better match for their way of learning.

Don’t struggle along with a technique that isn’t right for you, just because it’s how your friend, partner or colleague learns best. If you know what style suits you, then try to focus your studying on that; if you’re not sure, try out different techniques.

If you’re fitting studying of some description into your life, how are you doing it? What structures or habits are helping you?

Written on 3/14/2010 by Ali Hale. Ali is a professional writer and blogger, and a part-time postgraduate student of creative writing. If you need a hand with any sort of written project, drop her a line (ali@aliventures.com) or check out her website at Aliventures.

Photo Credit: cstrom

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