Shameful treatment of homeless by Miami-Dade County, Florida
Weekly Update 2017-07-26
Dear Members and Advocates,
Yesterday, almost every media outlet in South Florida featured a story on a round up of homeless sex offenders in Ft. Lauderdale. The big news is that after a multi-week, multi-agency operation dubbed “Not Here Not There”, 22 human beings were not living on the streets where they are “supposed to be”.
It’s not that 22 people were out committing new sexual offenses or any other actual crimes, for that matter. It’s that 22 people chose not to live on the street corner where the government legislated them to be for the rest of their lives, but instead staying with family or otherwise having a roof over their head.
Shame on the media, shame on the politicians and shame on all of us for allowing this calamity to take place. Something has gone grievously wrong, where a “civilized” society forces hundreds of human beings to live on the streets where there is not a shred of evidence that it has any positive effect on society beyond punishment.
Rest assured the fight will continue!
Sincerely,
The Florida Action Committee
SOME HEADLINES FROM THIS WEEK
22 arrested in Fort Lauderdale crackdown on sex offenders
Jul 25, 2017 | 8 Comments
Some sex offenders have been living illegally in off-limit areas of Fort Lauderdale. But Operation Here Not There has swept up 22 suspects in six weeks, authorities said Tuesday. The city prohibits sex offenders from living within 1,400 feet of a school, school bus…
Be wary of emotionally charged laws named after dead people
There’s an old adage in politics that says “it’s always better to do something than nothing.” One look at emotionally charged legislation like Kate’s Law, however, and that hackneyed phrase gets turned on its head. Officially titled “Establishing Mandatory Minimums…
The Dobbs Wire: WIN – Pennsylvania Supreme Court says it’s punishment!
A win! The Pennsylvania Supreme Court just handed down an important ruling concerning the state’s sex offense registry law—yes, it is “punishment” and no, it cannot be applied retroactively. Pennsylvania’s registration statute was already harsh but lawmakers enacted…
Florida Internet Identifier Challenge Allowed to Proceed
The Federal District Court Judge presiding over the Internet identifier lawsuit is allowing the case to proceed despite the State of Florida’s claim that they amended the statute (the definition of Internet identifiers) and the suit is now Moot. Among other motions…
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Ruling Could Cut Thousands From Sex Offender Registry
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that adding someone to the state’s sex offender registry is a punishment, and therefore cannot be done retroactively. The case, Pennsylvania v. Muniz, pertained to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act…