Media Links **NO DISCUSSION**

[Angel Who Cares]

1PM Livestream Link: Amber Dubois Memorial
Watch as the community comes out to remember Amber Dubois, the Escondido teen whose remains were discovered a year after her disappearance.
http://www.10news.com/video/15013365/index.html

 

[Angel Who Cares]

UPDATED: ESCONDIDO: Hundreds mourn at Amber's memorial
Parents of slain teen, others, to address large crowd
March 27, 2010 1:11 pm
<snipped>
Hundreds of mourners filled the football stadium at Escondido High on a sunny and windy Saturday afternoon for a final bittersweet goodbye to Amber Dubois. Among the first speakers was Cody Doyle, one of Amber's best friends, who cried as he talked about her. "Amber and I weren't the most normal crayons in the coloring box," Cody said

Amber's father, Maurice "Moe" Dubois, walked through the crowd of mourners, hugging supporters as a San Diego band played live music ---- songs requested by Amber's family. Among the selections: "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns and Roses, and "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac. Later, speaking during the service, Amber's father said it had been difficult for him to prepare his remarks. He asked people to do more to protect children."Amber didn't have to die for nothing," he said. The north end of the field played host to a stage with two giant television screens.

During the service, the Escondido High chapter of the organization gave her an FFA jacket in her daughter's memory, and about a dozen of the club's members stood nearby, holding flowers. Teacher Marc Reyburn, the school's FFA advisor, said that from this point forward, a student will continue to raise a lamb in Amber's name to "finish what Amber wanted to do so badly."

Near the end of the memorial, the parents of Polly, Danielle, Chelsea and Amber released doves in memory of their daughters. Moe Dubois kissed the head of one of the birds before releasing it. His longtime girlfriend, Rebecca Smith, released a dove in remembrance of all other missing children. The service ended with Amber's cousins and little sister releasing dozens of doves.

Afterward, Moe Dubois paused from visiting with mourners to speak of what has become his personal cause: finding missing kids. "We are going to be there for the next family," he said. "We are not going to stop."
*Much more at link!

Images: 1-11
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/e...6-39dd-11df-beda-001cc4c03286.html?mode=image

Amber: Share your memories or express your condolences
http://nctimes.com/news/opinion/edi...430-5872-ac7c-f51af4dcb1e5.html?mode=comments

Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_a04da876-39dd-11df-beda-001cc4c03286.html

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Amber Dubois remembered for love of animals, reading
1,000 gather at Escondido High, near where she went missing 13 months ago
Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 2:58 p.m.
<snipped>
On Saturday, Amber's friends and some of her teachers spoke of the girl's love of reading and animals and of her compassion and intelligence. Amber&#8217;s cousin, Tessa DeViso, said she was glad so many people had come to the celebration. She said she missed Amber.

Marc Klaas, a nationally known missing child advocate and activist who helped Amber&#8217;s family organize search efforts early on, received a loud ovation when he said the person responsible for Amber&#8217;s death must be punished to the full extent of the law, as all those who harm children must. &#8220;This is absolutely absurd,&#8221; he said.

Father Moe Dubois talked about Amber's sense of humor and how she would pluck little hairs from the back of his ear while he was driving. He also echoed Klaas' comments and asked everyone who has cried for Amber or Chelsea to take one minute for each tear to get involved and pressure lawmakers to strengthen and fund laws designed to protect children.

Amber's mother, Carrie McGonigle, thanked the Escondido Police Department for all their hard work and for their kind handling of her constant inquiries. "She was a great kid," she said. "She was filled with a lot of love. She&#8217;s going to be missed a lot."

The end of the ceremony featured the parents of Danielle van Dam, Chelsea King, Polly Klaas and Amber releasing doves in their child&#8217;s memory, and then in memory of all missing children.

At the end of Saturday's memorial, Amber&#8217;s parents (above) and three other sets of parents released doves to pay tribute to their slain children.

100 doves were released at the end of the memorial.

Work at Escondido High School continued into the late morning as volunteers prepared for the Amber Dubois memorial celebration.

"My name is Amber Dubois"
Please don&#8217;t cry sad tears for me
All of you here and my family
I am looking down from heaven up above
Waiting till we meet again, yet watching you with love.
I had so much to offer, so much more to give
I was denied the chance for this, long life not mine to live
For animals I came to help, or so it was I thought
My purpose now is different than one I ever sought.
I know that you are sad and you don&#8217;t understand
But take my word and rest assured that I am in good hands.
Amber Dubois, was my name and it will always be,
When you think of all your children, please remember me

Written by Carrie McGonigle in the memorial program

Photo Gallery: Amber Dubois Memorial
http://www.signonsandiego.com/photos/galleries/2010/mar/27/amber-dubois-memorial/

Coverage of the Amber Dubois memorial, including video
http://www.signonsandiego.com/amber-memorial/

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/27/amber-dubois-remembered-love-animals-reading/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Friends, family promise to never forget Amber Dubois at service
Saturday, March 27, 2010
<snipped>
More than 1,500 people attended the service, which was upbeat at times. A band played Guns N&#8217; Roses, Journey and Fleetwood Mac songs, and speakers shared funny stories. A video played with Amber singing off-key, and a photo slideshow showed the girl making silly faces and standing in the rain, catching raindrops with her tongue. And at times, the service was heart wrenching. Speakers choked up and cried, and recalled Amber&#8217;s warm personality and quirks.

Taylor Doyle, a family friend, said one of her favorite memories with Amber was the homecoming dance. Amber didn&#8217;t care for makeup and didn&#8217;t like to dress up, but Taylor and a friend made her dress up. Taylor said Amber&#8217;s &#8220;radiance and beauty&#8221; shined that night. &#8220;Amber and I were supposed to go to college together,&#8221; Taylor said. &#8220;We wanted to have a friendship like [our moms] have. [And] once we graduated &#8230; I hoped to have kids, and raise them together with her. Now I&#8217;m robbed &#8230; We were supposed to be friends forever.&#8221;

Mark Klaas, whose daughter Polly was abducted and murdered in 1993, spoke throughout Amber&#8217;s memorial. Klaas has become an advocate for strict sex offender laws and a staunch supporter of families whose children have been abducted or killed. Klaas helped organize search efforts for Amber and became friends with Amber&#8217;s mom and dad, Moe Dubois and Carrie McGonigle. &#8220;It&#8217;s not often in my experience that we find that one individual, an individual the vast majority of us never met, is able to bring a community together as Amber has done,&#8221; Klaas said.

The service also paid tribute to Polly, 17-year-old Chelsea King, and Danielle Van Dam. Van Dam was abducted and killed by a neighbor in 2002. King was killed in February. Her body was found in a shallow grave on Lake Hodges March 2. John Albert Gardner III, a registered sex offender, is charged with her murder, and investigators are trying to determine whether Gardner is linked to Dubois&#8217; death too. The parents of all the girls released doves at the end of the memorial.

Klaas told the crowd it is time to hold politicians accountable for passing laws with tougher restrictions for sex offenders. &#8220;They said this wasn&#8217;t supposed to be sad [event] but my heart&#8217;s breaking,&#8221; Klaas said. &#8220;Every time I hear another one of these cases, every time I attend another one of these memorials for one of these beautiful children who were taken before their time &#8230; We&#8217;ve worked so hard, passed so many laws, and we keep thinking we&#8217;ve made a difference, but it keeps continuing. &#8230; We have to hold our politicians accountable. [Sex offenders] can&#8217;t keep getting away with this.&#8221;
*More at link!

Slideshow: Amber's Memorial
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-0...ver-forget-amber-dubois-at-service?show=slide

Amber Dubois Timeline
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-03-08/local-county-news/amber-dubois-timeline-follow-the-story

Article:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-0...omise-to-never-forget-amber-dubois-at-service

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Public memorial held for Amber Dubois Saturday
Posted: Mar 25, 2010 10:24 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 27, 2010 5:31 PM EDT
<snipped>
A public memorial was held Saturday, March 27 to remember Amber Dubois.

Video: Public memorial for Amber Dubois Saturday 0:32
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4656321&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12207671

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Hundreds attend tribute for slain SoCal teen
Posted: Mar 27, 2010 8:16 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 27, 2010 8:16 PM EDT
<snipped>
More than 1,000 people gathered Saturday on a sun-drenched track field at Escondido High School to hear stories about Amber Dubois from teachers and friends. A llama, a parrot, a monkey, a snake and a wolf all made appearances.

The ceremony ended when the parents of four young girls who perished released doves in their memoires. They included Brent and Kelly King, whose 17-year-old daughter Chelsea was killed after disappearing from a park last month.

Video: An emotional memorial today in honor of 14-year old Amber Dubois 3:20
http://www.cbs8.com/global/category...default&clipId=4656779&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Article:
http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=12215920

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Remembering Amber
Updated 4:22 PM PDT, Sat, Mar 27, 2010
<snipped>
One after another, speakers stood on the stage in front of a huge bouquet of purple flowers and talked of Amber's love for animals and her dream to work with them as a career. In front of them, a huge flower arrangement spelled out Amber's name on the stage.

Amber&#8217;s father Moe Dubois thanked the crowd for attending and supporting the family and then asked for their help to demand legislation be enforced. &#8220;Amber didn&#8217;t need to die for nothing. Chelsea [King], Danielle [van Dam], Polly [Klaas], these are all children taken far too young,&#8221; Dubois said. &#8220;We need to protect the children we have left.&#8221;

Amber Dubois&#8217; death struck a chord with many according to Escondido High School Principal Rich Watkins who recalled the moment at a recent candlelight vigil where someone spontaneously started singing &#8220;Amazing Grace.&#8221; &#8220;My prayer today for Moe and Carrie and the family and everyone else here is that grace, that amazing grace would manifest itself in peace and comfort today and in the days ahead,&#8221; Watkins said.

Photos of Amber&#8217;s life were edited in a video to several songs including Elton John&#8217;s &#8220;Can You Feel the Love Tonight&#8221; and Cindi Lauper&#8217;s &#8220;Girls Just Want to Have Fun.&#8221; Amber was a smart and loving student, as well as one who really cared about people, her fourth grade teacher told the crowd. She left an imprint on his heart one day when he asked if he could pet her horse. &#8220;First you have to look into its eyes,&#8221; she told him. &#8220;Do you see it?&#8221; she asked him. &#8220;Look hard, don&#8217;t you see its spirit?&#8221;

Convicted sex offender John Gardner -- who has been charged with the murder and possible rape of Poway teen Chelsea King, who was slain last month -- has been connected by police to the investigation into Amber's death.
*More at link!
*Editors Note: We had planned to live stream the memorial beginning at 1 p.m. Due to technical problems, we are unable to provide a live stream. NBCSanDiego will publish large portions of the ceremony and embed them into this article this afternoon. -- Ed.

Video: Amber's Mom Speaks at the Memorial
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Amber_s_Mom_Speaks_at_the_Memorial_San_Diego.html

Video: 'Amber Didn't Need to Die for Nothing:' Father
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loc...ed_to_Die_for_Nothing___Father_San_Diego.html

Video: Dove Release Ends Amber's Memorial
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Dove_Release_Ends_Amber_s_Memorial_San_Diego.html

Video: The Amber Dubois Memorial: Broken Dreams
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/89332627.html

Video: The Amber Dubois Memorial: Amazing Grace
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/The_Amber_Dubois_Memoirla__Amazing_Grace_San_Diego.html

Article:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Murder Victim Amber Dubois Remembered at Escondido High School
Last Update: 4:24 pm
<snipped>
Mark Klass, whose 11-year-old daughter Polly was kidnapped and killed in Petaluma in 1993, acted as host of the ceremonies for Amber, and also encouraged people to hold politicians accountable for the laws. "Her light was extinguished by evil,'' Klaas said.

"We have to find out who did this to this girl and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.''
Amber's friends and young cousins talked about her love of wolves and other animals. To honor her passion, a menagerie of animals was displayed at the football arena, including Frankie, a black wolf, and the sheep that bleated during the service. The cover of the program for the memorial featured one of Amber's drawings of a wolf.

Amber's mother, Carrie McGonigle, thanked Escondido police and others for their support, but added that "the past 13 months have been extremely difficult.'' Klass described McGonigle and Dubois as "two people fiercely determined to answer that question, 'Where's Amber?'''

The 1-hour, 45-minute memorial came to a close with the release of doves by the parents of the slain children. Mark and Violet Klaas held a single white dove, and boosted it in the air in memory of daughter Polly. Damon and Brenda Van Dam released a dove for their daughter, Danielle, kidnapped in Poway and murdered in 2002. Brent and Kelly King released a dove for Chelsea, and Dubois and McGonigle released one for Amber.

Dubois family spokeswoman Rebecca Smith flung a dove into the air "for all the children that remain missing'' and Amber's sister, Allison, and cousins, released dozens more doves that flapped away over the silent mourners' heads.

Video: Remembering Amber 4:44
The community is coming together at Escondido High School to remember Amber Dubois' life with music, animals, and poetry. 3/27/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/[email protected]&navCatId=5

Article:
http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local...ois-Remembered-at/Cq6-8lEDXUOPkjRQfOww5w.cspx

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Activist says mental health clash helped free Gardner
Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 12:05 a.m
<snipped>
Before convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner III was paroled in 2005, prison psychologists twice deemed him too dangerous for release but evaluators with the state Department of Mental Health disagreed both times, according to a prominent child-safety advocate.

Marc Klaas, whose daughter Polly was abducted in Petaluma and slain in 1993, said the stalemate helped Gardner avoid being placed in a mental hospital for treatment that could have kept him off the streets indefinitely.

Klaas said his information comes from Department of Mental Health employees who have seen the psychological evaluations on Gardner. His allegations raise further questions about how the state handled Gardner following his conviction in 2000 for molesting and beating a 13-year-old girl in Rancho Bernardo.

&#8220;Californians have made it very clear that public safety is a high priority, but the bureaucracy isn&#8217;t working,&#8221; Klaas said. &#8220;Dangerous people are being put back on our streets, and we are completely unaware of it.&#8221;

Kincaid, the mental health spokeswoman, said department evaluators &#8220;always err on the side of caution.&#8221; She said it&#8217;s not enough to conclude that an inmate has a mental disorder; the disorder has to be considered so serious that it requires hospitalization to get it into remission.
*Much more at link!

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/28/activist-says-mental-health-clash-helped-free/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

EXCLUSIVE: Ex-roommate details Gardner's past, in and out of prison
Man says corrections system failed teen's accused killer
March 27, 2010 11:10 pm
<snipped>
"Some days, when he'd come in, he was just the nicest guy you could ever meet," said Gardner's former roommate at the East Pennsylvania Avenue home. "Some days you could just see it in his eyes: You'd just see anger ... just mad at the world." The roommate, who said he spent time with Gardner in and out of prison, contacted the North County Times last week. The Times verified the man's living arrangement with Gardner.

'Very short fuse'
He recalled Gardner's "very short fuse"; what he described as abuse years earlier by guards at a Tehachapi prison; Gardner's frustration over not being able to visit his twin boys; and a weekly group rehabilitation class he attended in Escondido with Gardner while the two were on parole for their sex offenses.

He emphasized that he was not speaking to gain publicity or to make excuses for Gardner. Instead, the man said, he hoped to expose a "broken" corrections system that he said contributed to Gardner's downward spiral. That path ended, the roommate said, with Gardner becoming a transient living out of his truck on the streets of Escondido, months before two North County teens disappeared.

Time at Tehachapi
Years before living with Gardner in North County, the roommate, who has a medium build, close-cropped hair and a thin mustache, said he spent time as an inmate at the same Tehachapi prison as Gardner. There, he said, he worked as a men's advisory chairman, smoothing problems between inmates and prison staff, often between Gardner and prison guards. "John had a problem with authority," he said. "(The guards would) push his buttons."

The roommate, who said his prison cell was downstairs from Gardner's, would calm Gardner and other inmates after they had been sent to "the cage" at Tehachapi. [/U]Records provided by a Sacramento-based prison spokeswoman show the roommate spent part of his 10-year sentence at Tehachapi.[/U]

Lacking rehab
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation does not provide rehabilitation for sex offenders while they are in prison.

'You could just see John slipping'
In early 2008, Gardner was earning more than $30 an hour as an electrician in Riverside County, the roommate said. Gardner gave up the job after a new parole agent required him to work in San Diego County, and his bills and frustrations mounted, his roommate said.

Later in 2008, Gardner, the roommate and all other sex offenders living at the Pennsylvania Avenue home were forced out by an agent from the local parole office, the roommate said. The residents were told the home was too close to a place where children gathered. Lewis, of the Escondido parole office, confirmed that an agent asked offenders to leave in 2008 after a storefront school facility opened in a nearby strip mall.

Gardner and the same roommate moved into a Vista sober living home on Lado De Loma Drive after being told to leave the Escondido facility, the roommate said. Just two months later, they were kicked out again. This time it was because the manager was not licensed to house the number of sex offenders living there, the roommate said.

"I understand the 'I don't want (sex offenders) in my backyard,'" the roommate added. "But how much sense does it make to boot them out (of a sober living home) and have them wandering around all night?"
*Much more at link!

Related Link:
John Albert Gardner III Special Reports Page
http://nctimes.com/special-section/news/gardner/

Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/article_a4272961-2910-5cf8-bc76-03254061fb7d.html

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Video: Amber memorial
Amber Dubois' memorial
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Amber_memorial_San_Diego.html

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Remembering Amber
Mar 27, 2010 at 10:22 PM PDT
<snipped>
For the second Saturday in two weeks, thousands gather in the north county to say goodbye to a teenager who died a tragic death. Amber DuBois was remembered today as a girl with a great love of animals and a vivid imagination.
KUSI's John Soderman spent the day at Amber's memorial celebration.

Video: Remembering Amber 5:12
http://www.kusi.com/home/89344907.html?video=YHI&t=a

Article:
http://www.kusi.com/home/89344907.html

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Video: Amber Dubois Memorial 3/27/10 2:30
Today at Escondido High School Amber Dubois left an indellible mark on those who knew her.
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/[email protected]&navCatId=5

Video: Amber Memorial 0:34
Friends, family and the community will remember 14-year-old Amber Dubois. 3/26/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/[email protected]&navCatId=5

Video: San Diego 6 News Webcast 3:56
Nimitz strike group homecoming. Haditha killing ruling at Camp Pendleton. Inmate suicide believed to be convicted killer Henry Lisowski. Amber Dubois memorial Saturday at 1 p.m. Weekend weather forecast. 3/26/10
http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/[email protected]&navCatId=5

Video: Tribute Held for Slain Teenager Amber Dubois 2:02
http://www.ktla.com/videobeta/4510b...-Teenager-Amber-Dubois-Juliette-Vahra-reports

 

[Angel Who Cares]

VISTA: Neighborhood was home to Gardner
Accused killer lived on Lado de Loma, ex-roommate says
March 27, 2010 11:10 pm
<snipped>
It makes Betty Gilroy "almost nauseous" to know that accused killer John Albert Gardner III lived in her Vista neighborhood two years ago. She said she's very glad she pushed to have sex offenders removed from a sober living home on nearby Lado de Loma Drive in 2008 ---- a campaign that appears to have contributed to Gardner's removal. "I would do it again in a heartbeat," said Gilroy, the mother of an 18-year-old daughter.

Gilroy said Friday that she faced numerous obstacles to removing the offenders, including city and law enforcement officials who would not act on her complaints. Those "brick walls" make her even more upset, now that she knows who lived near her family. "It's all so infuriating to me," she said, noting she's tracked crime in her neighborhood

Vista city officials said Friday they do not have the authority to regulate sober living homes. "They're not regulated under our code," said Andrea McCullough, a city spokeswoman. State parole officials do have some authority over the residences, said Lindon Lewis, an Escondido-based parole supervisor. Sober living homes can house up to six residents without a license, Lewis said. Those six residents can all be registered sex offenders as long as the home is more than 2,000 feet from a school, park or other location where children gather.

A woman who answered the door at the Lado de Loma home said she was aware neighbors are not happy with the home's presence. "It's not like we're trying to do anything wrong," said the woman, who gave her name only as Brenda, and said she was a recovering meth addict. She noted that two of her five housemates are registered sex offenders.
*More at link!

Accused killer John Albert Gardner III lived at this group home on Lado de Loma Drive in Vista.

Article:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/vista/article_46273db8-db8a-5010-9917-5143c7062ee9.html

 

[Nancy2441]

[ame="http://vimeo.com/10514820"]Amber Dubois Memorial Video on Vimeo[/ame]

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Sex offender vs. sexually violent predator: An important distinction
Monday, March 29, 2010
<snipped>
The suspect in the death of 17-year-old Chelsea King is a registered sex offender, but the 30-year-old Lake Elsinore man was never classified a &#8220;sexually violent predator&#8221; &#8211; a key, legal distinction when looking at laws regarding sex offenses.

The legal classification that differentiates between sex offenders and sexually violent predators can be further confused by lawmakers, like Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, who has referred to sex offenders as &#8220;violent sexual predators&#8221; &#8211; a term with no legal classification.

According to the California Department of Mental Health, there are a little more than 88,000 registered sex offenders in the state &#8211; but only 1,703 are legally classified as SVPs.

The California Welfare & Institutions Code defines a sexually violent predator as &#8220;a person who has been convicted of a sexually violent offense against one or more victims and who has a diagnosed mental disorder that makes the person a danger to the health and safety of others in that it is likely that he or she will engage in sexually violent criminal behavior.&#8221;

&#8220;Since Jessica&#8217;s Law passed, nearly everyone confuses the term sex offender with sexually violent predator,&#8221; said spokeswoman for the California Department of Mental Health (DMH) Nancy Kincaid.

In 1995, the Sexually Violent Predator Act was signed into law to differentiate between offenders guilty of a sex crime and those with a mental disorder who are likely to re-offend. It requires anyone convicted of two sexually violent offenses to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine if a mental disorder makes it likely they will re-offend. If they are classified a SVP, the district attorney can file a petition to commit. If a court or jury finds evidence is strong, the person may be committed to a secure state hospital for an indeterminate amount of time.

California Welfare & Institutions Code
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=wic&group=06001-07000&file=6600-6609.3

CA 88,000 registered sex offenders
http://casomb.org/

PDF: Sexually Violent Predator Act
http://www.sdnn.com/files/2010/03/SOCP-fact-sheet.pdf

Article:
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-0...lly-violent-predator-an-important-distinction

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Crime victims sue governor over early prisoner release
Posted: Mar 29, 2010 3:11 PM EDT
Updated: Mar 29, 2010 8:25 PM EDT
<snipped>
A coalition of crime victims is suing the governor and California's Department of Corrections over the early release program. A California group says a program authorizing the release of approximately 6,500 prison inmates in California is unconstitutional.

Assemblyman Jim Nielsen can't believe after the early prison release of John Gardner and the suspected murder of Chelsea King, the state still wants to release thousands of prisoners. "Why do we have to wait and react to tragedy?" Nielsen said.

Senate Bill 18 would release 6,500 inmates this year and could save the state $100 million. Nina Salarno with Crime Victims United of California says the state's classification of a low-risk offender would shock you. "Domestic abuse is considered non-violent, child, elder abuse, manslaughter is considered non-violent in the state of California," Salarno said.

Video: Crime victims group sues Calif. Over early inmate release. 3:08
http://www.760kfmb.com/global/video...pFormat=flv&clipId1=4660490&at1=News&h1=Crime victims group sues Calif. Over early inmate release.&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Video: Crime victims sue governor over early prisoner release 2:16
http://www.760kfmb.com/global/video...pFormat=flv&clipId1=4659422&at1=News&h1=Crime victims sue governor over early prisoner release&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Article:
http://www.760kfmb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12221935

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Sex-offender issues often go to voters
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
The effort to pass &#8220;Chelsea&#8217;s Law&#8221; to restrain sex offenders has so far been the purview of lawmakers, but it could wind up ultimately decided by voters. That has been the pattern with some strict public-safety proposals by Republicans that the Democratic-controlled Legislature has been reluctant to pass.

&#8220;The legislative leaders put extreme liberals on the committee to make sure they kill this type of good public policy before it even gets to the floor,&#8221; said Senate Republican Leader Dennis Hollingsworth, who represents a swath of northern San Diego County.

At times, frustrated Republicans have gathered signatures to force ballot measures such as Jessica&#8217;s Law, which targeted sex offenders by increasing penalties, restricting their movements and barring them from living near schools and parks. The 2006 initiative grew out of several measures that failed in the Legislature, and it passed with more than 70 percent of the vote.

Voters adopted another initiative two years later by 53.8 percent, designed to extend broad new rights to victims and keep offenders in prison for much longer. It is known as Marsy&#8217;s Law after Marsy Nicholas, who was killed by an ex-boyfriend in 1983. &#8220;Almost every one of these, whether it&#8217;s Jessica&#8217;s Law or Marsy&#8217;s Law, were on the ballot because we can&#8217;t get them out of the Legislature,&#8221; Wyland said.

An advocate for prisoners also calls for restraint. Rebekah Evenson, staff attorney for the nonprofit Prison Law Office, suggested that part of the problem is that the crackdown on sex offenders &#8212; particularly regarding reporting and residency requirements regardless of the magnitude of their crime &#8212; has overwhelmed the system.
*Much more at link!

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/30/Sex-offender-issues-often-go-to-voters/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Some victims sue over prison release law
Victims-rights group challenging new rules
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
<snipped>
A new law to thin packed prisons has drawn political scrutiny and legal challenges over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger&#8217;s goal to save $500 million by releasing up to 6,500 inmates before they finish their original sentences this year. The legislation, signed by the governor as part of a series of budget-balancing measures last fall, will reward some felons with reduced terms if they attend vocational classes or earn a high school equivalency diploma.

The law went into effect Jan. 25 and is being attacked by the state&#8217;s leading advocacy groups for victims as violating constitutional protections against early release of prisoners. They filed a lawsuit yesterday in San Diego Superior Court.

Nina Salarno Ashford, a Crime Victims United board member, said going to court was the organization&#8217;s only recourse.

&#8220;Our cries out to the governor and to CDCR have fallen on deaf ears and have been ignored,&#8221; she said during a news conference outside the Hall of Justice in downtown San Diego. &#8220;And now because it has been ignored, the governor and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation see fit to jeopardize every citizen in the state of California by implementing early-release programs.&#8221;

Salarno Ashford was joined at the news conference by several politicians and members of the local chapter of the National Association of Parents of Murdered Children. A few speakers cited the case of John Albert Gardner III, a convicted sex offender now accused of raping and killing Chelsea King, 17, of Poway. He is also a focus of the investigation into the death of 14-year-old Amber Dubois of Escondido.

Crime Victims United also made a point in its filing to note that the litigation targets only state prisons; it does not apply to local or county jails.
*Much more at link!

Article:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/30/prison-release-law-leads-to-suit/

 

[Angel Who Cares]

Medical parole for a select few could serve as key compromise in California prison reform debate
Tue, Mar 30th 2010
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As noted in CAIVN's Public Safety and Prison Reform forum, "the per-prisoner cost of California prisons is in the range of $50,000 per year, significantly higher than in other states," and the main reasons are, "Extraordinarily high medical costs driven by an aging inmate population, the remote locations of most facilities, and the relatively high cost of health care in California."

One potential solution offered by prison reform advocates is medical parole, the early release of prisoners suffering from medical conditions that require their frequent and costly transportation- under armed escort- between California's usually remote, rural prison facilities and its well-equipped urban hospitals. While this solution cuts fiscal expenses, critics ask "at what human cost?"

By restricting medical parole to only severely incapacitated inmates, the state would ensure that any health-related early release policy would not produce another John Gardner-type outrage.

So, what do you think? Is it wasteful for California to spend millions guarding inmates in a vegetative state as they lie in a hospital? Or is leaving them unguarded too risky a gamble for our safety?

Article:
http://caivn.org/article/2010/03/30...e-key-compromise-california-prison-reform-deb