“We’re here to address some of those collateral consequences, to ask our legislators to believe in our ability to change, to hold space for our ability to transform our lives and to provide ourselves a chance at good footing to have a second chance in our lives,” Kristie Puckett Williams with the North Carolina Second Chance Alliance said.

Puckett Williams was among several speakers who gathered outside in Downtown Raleigh to discuss the challenges and barriers that people face after they spend time in jail or prison.

“I’m a recovering drug addict and a survivor of severe substance abuse. My story is of redemption, restoration and hope and that people who suffer from drug addiction, from trauma, can restore their lives, can return to full healthy lives, and we need to return to full citizenship,” Puckett Williams, who has three felony convictions on her record in the state of North Carolina, said.

Dwayne Daughtry, a lobbyist and Executive Director of North Carolina for Rational Sexual Offense Law, was among other organizations in support of second chances for all who hoped to spread awareness and express concerns of how state laws unfairly target and impact people on the sex offender registry.

Bishop William J. Barber II, a social activist and President of Repairers of the Breach, was also among several speakers that helped energize crowds and tout a message that second chances for all are essential to reintegration to communities all across America.

“We’re all flawed people, but there’s a point where you can get released from your past. These are people who have paid their debt to society, and they want to be full citizens in this democracy,” he said.

At one point, the large crowd headed inside to hold a press conference and directly talk to North Carolina lawmakers. Several residents expressed concerns about a recent court ruling that ended voting rights for some people with criminal convictions. Organizers also hoped to support ending the harmful use of mugshots, expanding criminal record relief, ending debt-based driver’s license suspensions and eliminating/reducing criminal court fines and fees.

Additionally, Senator Julie Mayfield of Senate District 49 said she is committed to second chance issues and breaking down some of the barriers. Mayfield said she recently introduced Senate Bill 730, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Benefits Bill to eliminate waiting periods and bans on services.

“Everybody says we want these folks to be productive, want them to stay out of the criminal justice system, and yet there are so many barriers to them doing that,” Mayfield said.

With support, Mayfield said she is hopeful that the bill will pass.

Puckett Williams said it meant a lot to see so much support on Tuesday.

“Oftentimes, people living with criminal convictions don’t participate and are locked out of the political process. We are showing people that we are people who are interested in what’s happening politically, that we care about our community and we are going to be here and want to be addressed,” Puckett Williams said.

The North Carolina Department of Revenue is partnering with a nonprofit alliance of tax software companies to provide free electronic tax filing services. 

This year, taxpayers with incomes as high as $60,000 for individuals and $92,000 for joint filers may be eligible for the NCfreefile program. Approximately seventy percent of North Carolinians can file their taxes online for free through the program.

Not only is it free for those who meet the income requirements, but online filing is easier and more accurate for taxpayers and refunds are processed more quickly.

State and federal taxes are due by April 18, 2023. 

If you are a registered sex offender and are hoping to avoid being accused of violating the terms of your registration, it is important that you understand how these international travel laws are going to impact you. Contacting an experienced criminal defense attorney is the first step well before making travel plans.

Leaving the U.S. for vacation?

Registered sex offenders within the United States are legally allowed to leave the U.S. and travel internationally. There is no U.S. law that prohibits sex offenders from traveling abroad. That does not mean every country will allow sex offenders to enter the country. Registrant Travel Action Group (RTAG) is a good resource to determine where people on the registry may travel.

Every country has its own laws that will determine whether the sex offender’s criminal record meets the criteria for entry into the country. A sex offender who was convicted at the felony level may be refused entry to a significant number of countries across the world.

Where is Travel Permitted?

The United States does not restrict registered sex offenders from entering any country around the globe. There are very few countries that will review a United States citizen’s criminal background before allowing them entry to the country. In fact, in many cases, countries will only require that the individual have a valid passport to be approved for entry.

Currently, registered sex offenders are prohibited from traveling to or changing flights in any of the following countries:

• China (monetary fine)
• Mexico
• The United Kingdom
• Australia
• Thailand (monetary fine)
• Canada
• Brazil
• Russia (mandatory jail time and monetary fine)
• Japan

Countries that allow sex offenders entry may require them to register with local police upon arrival. Other countries could allow entry if the criminal offense in question occurred a long time ago or was a first offense. Many countries do not have clear rules in place that deny or allow entry to registered sex offenders.

Since immigration laws across the globe can change at any point in time, if you are a registered sex offender who is hoping to travel internationally, you should be sure to reach out to a sex crime lawyer or your destination country’s consulate for additional information.

Required to Notify Law Enforcement of Their Plans to Leave the Country?

As of 2016, the International Megan’s Law (IML) amended the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), requiring registered sex offenders to report their intent to leave the country with their local sex offender registry.

Sex offenders are required to comply with local sex offender registry rules and regulations. Registered sex offenders may be required to report their travel plans with a minimum of 21 days’ notice. Some of the different types of information you should expect to provide to your local sex offender registry include:

• The names of the countries you plan to enter
• What are you expect to do within the country
• When and where you plan to leave the United States
• When and where you plan to arrive in the United States when you return
• A way to contact you while you are abroad
• Your reasons for traveling internationally
• Your airline name and flight numbers

There are criminal consequences associated with failure to notify authorities of your intent to travel internationally. If convicted, a registrant could spend up to 10 years in prison.

When human trafficking, child sex trafficking, and other sex crimes are prevalent in tourist areas across the world, It should come as no surprise that there would be strict travel restrictions in place for registered sex offenders.

While on Probation Travel Internationally?

Sex offenders who are currently on probation may be allowed to travel internationally if granted approval by their probation officer. There may be additional restrictions and requirements in place before a registered sex offender on probation may be granted approval to travel abroad.

Generally, registered sex offenders who are on probation will be denied approval for international travel unless they have a substantial reason for needing to leave the country. A good example could be a registered sex offender who needed to leave the country to care for their terminally ill parent.

Returning Back in the U.S.?

One of the biggest risks registered sex offenders takes after they have left the US is being denied entry when they attempt to come back. Although they might have reported your travel plans to the local authorities, it is not uncommon for registered sex offenders to face further scrutiny and screening when they attempt to enter the US after traveling abroad.

You may not necessarily be denied entry. You should expect delays in your attempt to cross the border. You could also face further scrutiny from airline officials and law enforcement, which could make your travel experience shameful, embarrassing, and anxiety-ridden. For those thinking that travel insurance would be a good backup plan. There are reports that claims were denied because of criminal investigation clauses. Read the fine print before committing to travel insurance.

If you have concerns that you may have been treated unfairly in your attempt to re-enter the US after international travel, an experienced attorney may help you file a complaint with the Traveler Redress Inquiry Program at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

If you are having difficulty re-entering the United States as a registered sex offender after having been granted approval to do so by your local authorities, you should reach out to a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible for legal guidance and support.

Be Proactive. Not Reactive.

People on the registry have the right to travel internationally. Do not ask the sheriffs questions about international travel because they simply do not have the correct answers. But making international travel plans and its navigation is perhaps worth taking a moment to ask an attorney about options well before purchasing air travel. Otherwise, a registrant could be facing severe criminal charges upon return to the United States. Unfortunately, it is the United States that has created this “if this then that” travel scheme for the registry population. It is better to be prepared.

There are not guarantees any of this information will help you find a job, this is just listing things helpful or government and/or non-profit organizations have recommended.

Ask Friends and Family

Friends and family are first important steps in searching for a job. Most likely they know of your past and will be willing to work with you if you are on parole or probation. If a family or friend owns a business, ask if you can work for them. Maybe a friend or family member’s place of employment is hiring and by asking them, they could be a positive reference for you to their employer. You may find that friends and family are willing to hire you for odd jobs, providing you with short-term employment until you find a full-time job.

Temp Agencies

Many temp agencies will work with individuals who have felonies on their records. If you call several temp agencies and they say they do not work with those that have felonies or there is a certain length of time that must pass since your conviction date, do not give up. Some of the larger temp agencies have policies in regard to hiring felons, but there are many medium and smaller temp agencies that are willing to work with you to help you find temporary employment, which could become full-time based on your job performance. Many temp agencies post job listings on Indeed.

The arctic blast is expected to bring severe weather in the form of thunderstorms, ice, damaging winds, and low temperatures in the teens, according to the Governor.

“With the possibility of icy conditions in the western part of the state and below average temperatures expected as an arctic mass approaches… a State of Emergency [was signed] today to activate the state’s emergency operations plan, waive transportation regulations to help the transport of fuel and critical supplies, help first responders and protect consumers from price gouging,” Cooper’s office said.

Tuesday saw temperatures in the high 30s, with the low in the low 30s. But Wednesday will offer the first chance of severe weather with snow projected in the forecast.

Then, on Thursday, thunderstorms are possible with damaging winds and the transition to cold temperatures.

Those low temperatures will drop as far down as 17 degrees, and stay there Friday-Sunday. This brings the true threat of the arctic blast.

“Most areas will see overnight lows in the teens, with afternoon highs struggling to climb above freezing. Even colder temperatures are expected across the mountains. Due to the duration of cold temperatures, especially across western N.C., water in poorly insulated or open pipes may freeze,” Gov. Cooper’s office said.

Additionally, the strong wind gusts across multiple days has a chance to present downed trees, power outages, and wind chill values in the single digits across North Carolina.

To keep safe during winter weather, North Carolina Emergency Management advises residents and visitors to follow these tips:

• Pay close attention to your local forecast and be prepared for what’s expected in your area;
• Keep cell phones, mobile devices and spare batteries charged;
• Use a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather radio or a weather alert app on your phone to receive emergency weather alerts;
• Dress warmly. Wear multiple layers of thin clothing instead of a single layer of thick clothing;
• Store an emergency kit in your vehicle. Include scraper, jumper cables, tow chain, sand/salt, blankets, flashlight, first-aid kit and road map;
• Gather emergency supplies for your pet including leash and feeding supplies, enough food for several days and a pet travel carrier;
• Do not leave pets outside for long periods of time during freezing weather; and
• Look out for your friends, neighbors and the elderly during winter weather.

The official State of Emergency document can be read here.

If you are at risk of homelessness or are actively homeless due to registry conditions, please contact North Carolina Health and Human Services to locate appropriate assistance.

Sex offenders in particular are seldom given the nuance and rehabilitation we afford to other people with criminal histories. Their lives are forever affected by the convictions they carry, just like other people convicted of crimes. But unlike some others, they face additional punishment at the hands of the state, even after they’ve served their time. In North Carolina, residents who are registered sex offenders . . .  are not allowed to attend any agricultural fair, including the N.C. State Fair underway in Raleigh. . . . .

Laws like this come from an understandable desire to protect people, particularly children. The reality is that it’s a difficult law to enforce that does not differentiate between varying degrees of sex crimes, or take into consideration the everyday situations that are most responsible for childhood sexual abuse. Advocates for sex offenders see it as an extra burden that is not applied to other offenders with criminal records of violence. “It’s egregious and outrageous. It’s overkill,” Robin Vander Wall, president of North Carolina Association for Rational Sex Offense Law, said in a press release. “This is a matter of fundamental fairness and equal protection under both the state and federal constitutions.”   . . .

[U]nder the law, people convicted of crimes must serve their punishments. Once those punishments are fulfilled, they should be allowed to re-enter society. That’s how it works for other criminal offenses, and it’s the best way to reduce the number of people who re-offend. Even people convicted of manslaughter or assault are allowed to return to society and try to be better people. We don’t ban them from the fair.

Read the full  piece here at the News and Observer.

Today the paper seems to have disappeared and replaced with opinionated television news segments and social media platforms that always dictate the narrative rather than allow a reasonably developed opinion. We rarely, if ever, witness an errors and corrections segment on the 6 o’clock news or an apology statement on social media platforms. We see reporters seeking pro-registry supporters for an eight-second impromptu camera appearance, citing, “they need to be on the registry!”

Recently in the Eastern part of North Carolina, people were accused of sex crimes. The names of the accused were splattered all over the television and social media sites. What makes this interesting is that the people indicted or criminally charged had their charges dropped because of false statements by victims. You won’t find any section marked errors and corrections to restore dignity to the accused. Instead, they are forced to rebuild their shattered lives while the same newsagents go about their business as if nothing happened with no regard for the harm they levied.

What makes matters worse is that the news agencies and social media platforms that created a panic culture of a predator on the loose quickly forgot about the true predator that made the false claim. It seems incredible that news and social media are habitually responsible for maintaining a false narrative about sex crimes when it appears that, in some cases, there is nothing to lose by “victims” reporting a false claim. If police and prosecutors won’t punish those for making false police reports, what is the incentive for the news and social media to post an error or correction?

If the registry was supposed to keep the public safe from predatory sexual offenses, then why is it that news, social media, police, prosecutors, and pro-registry allies shield “predators that pretend to be victims” who break the law and lie to communities about false sexual claims? Maybe this is why public trust in police, social media, the press, and our legal system is deteriorating at a rapid level. There isn’t a big rubber band or plastic sleeve to keep this mess together.

By Sandy . . . In Fayetteville, North Carolina, what could and should have been a warm, human-interest story was re-shaped by law enforcement into something entirely different.

The real story is about those who take very literally the Biblical admonitions to serve the least of those in society, to help our neighbors, and to do unto others as we would want done to us. Additionally, the members of Fayetteville Urban Ministry who visit and take food and other essentials to the men living in tents along Martin Luther King Freeway and Gillespie Street Bridge in Fayetteville are training their children in selfless service to others.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, however, saw something different. They shifted the focus away from the real story and turned it into a “public service announcement.”

“Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis W. Wright and the deputies assigned to the Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Registration Enforcement Unit (SOREU) have increased concern for the public’s safety . . . Registered Sex Offenders live under and around the MLK and Gillespie Street Bridge.”

People on the sex offender registry are homeless due to restrictions about where they may live, restrictions that are shown by all studies to be of no public safety value whatsoever, restrictions that have even been denounced by the U.S. Justice Dept. in the summary of their chapter on sex offender management strategies: “Finally, the evidence is fairly clear that residence restrictions are not effective. In fact, the research suggests that residence restrictions may actually increase offender risk by undermining offender stability and the ability of the offender to obtain housing, work and family support. There is nothing to suggest this policy should be used at this time.”

This action by the sheriff’s department begs the question, “What has this accomplished?” – not “Why did they do this?” for that is known only by those involved, but, “What has been accomplished? Who has been helped?”

Without this “public-service announcement,” were children at risk? There is no evidence of that. Even if there were any risk from the occupants of the tents – and there is also no evidence whatsoever that there is — any children visiting there were part of the Urban Ministry group, supervised by parents and other adults.

Without this announcement, would hordes of Fayetteville citizens have rushed to the tents, putting themselves at risk, again a risk that no evidence supports even existed. Why did the sheriff’s office have “. . . increased concern for the public’s safety”?

So what has been accomplished?

Further vilification of a segment of society. Further portraying of people with past sexual crime convictions as “the other.” Further ostracization and isolation of everyone on the registry.

In other words, what the sheriff sees as “a public safety announcement” is, in reality, further reinforcement of the conditions which science shows lead to sexual offending in the first place, conditions that create further barriers to integration of those with past sexual crimes into the community, integration which science deems necessary to maximize rehabilitation and reduce even further the already very low rate of reoffense.

So what has the Cumberland Sheriff’s Department accomplished?

Quite possibly the exact opposite of what will actually increase public safety.

This may be one: When people who have been in prison return to society, society wants them to be rehabilitated, commit no more offenses, find employment, and be positive, contributing societal members. Indeed, one would be hard-put to find someone who said he disagreed with that.

And of course, while some with past criminal convictions will not live up to that, many will.

Luke Heimlich did; he had a lucrative career in baseball.

Steven Striegel, an actor, was happy to have even small roles as long as he was working.

Bruce Habowski is an accomplished artist whose work hung proudly in the University of Maine’s art gallery.

And Artimus Pyle, a musician of long standing, has. Once with the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, he has had his own band since 2013, the Artimus Pyle band, and according to venue organizers averages eighteen concerts a year.

Most recently the band is booked to headline one of the nights of the popular Historic Morganton Festival held in September each year in Morganton, North Carolina. However, a petition has been created to remove Mr. Pyle from the program.

In 1993 Artimus Pyle was placed on the sex offender registry in Florida after a no-contest plea conviction for attempted sexual battery, charges that he denies. The discovery of Pyle’s name on the registry prompted the petition, initiated by someone who withholds his name but is identified only as “Concerned Citizen.”

According to statements made by Mr. Pyle to WSOC-TV, he has lost jobs before due to his inclusion on the registry.

If Morganton holds fast to their current status, he won’t lose this one.

Unlike Luke, whose career was destroyed, unlike Steven whose scenes were cut and career ground to a halt, unlike Bruce whose art was pulled from the gallery, Artimus has, at least for now, found a champion.

The board of directors for the festival said that he had been completely open with them about his past. In announcing their decision to keep the Artimus Pyle Band in their festival lineup, they said, “It is significant that many of the concerts, which the Artimus Pyle Band has performed in recent years, have been in public venues such as auditoriums or outdoor stages, all without inappropriate incidents.”

We may all say that we want those with past criminal convictions to build meaningful lives and enter society as contributing members, but the actions of all too many show that to be untrue.

Thankfully, the Historic Morganton Festival, Inc. Board of Directors are showing their beliefs by their actions. They are to be commended.

By Elizabeth Thompson . . . Chris Budnick is in an impossible position.

As the leader of Healing Transitions, a peer-based recovery-oriented service for homeless and uninsured people located in Raleigh, Budnick is left scrambling if someone with a sex offense comes to him for housing.

Some of society’s most vulnerable people come to Budnick, asking for help. He has to turn them away due to the location of Healing Transition’s men’s campus on the edge of the new Dorothea Dix Park.

“I’ve heard people say you have a better chance if you murdered somebody with like, moving on in your life after you’ve done your time,” Budnick said.

Some 98 percent of people currently incarcerated will eventually reenter society, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, most of those people will face barriers upon reentry. Sometimes people who have been incarcerated for years don’t know how to use now-familiar technology such as computers and cell phones. Others have difficulty rebuilding relationships with family, or struggle to find work and housing.

For people exiting prison with sex crimes on their record, it can feel like a life sentence, said Coleman, who was formerly incarcerated for a sex crime and asked to go by a different name.

Discussions over how people convicted of sex crimes should be punished popped up during incoming Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s recent Supreme Court hearings. As a student at Harvard Law School, Jackson critiqued sex offender registries and questioned if they could infringe on the rights of people who could be considered some of society’s most hated.

Even when people with sex crimes are released from prison, their crimes follow them in the form of the sex offender registry.

“No matter what, you’re going to be on the registry,” Coleman said. “And that really affects it seems like every part of reentry and just being a citizen in the world.”

People with sex crimes may not live within 1,000 feet of any public or non-public school or child care center, and their crimes immediately come up on background checks, making it difficult to find work or housing.

During a telephone interview, Coleman admitted he was preoccupied. He was supposed to meet a landlord later that day, and he had to tell him that he was a registered sex offender. If the landlord denied his application, he’d have to start his housing hunt all over again.

Stephanie Treadway, founder of Redirection NC, a non-profit that houses women coming out of prison, said the sex offender registry makes it incredibly difficult for the women she works with to find housing.

“Once you’re tagged as a sex offender, there is no level to that until you get into the nitty-gritty of it,” Treadway said. “And somebody that’s housing somebody or going to employ them, they don’t go into the nitty-gritty, they just see sex offender, big red flag. They carry it for the rest of their life.”

Not being able to find housing is likely to just continue a cycle of abuse, Treadway said. The average lifespan of a homeless person is shorter than a housed person by about 17.5 years, according to one study.

Treadway said some of her clients who have struggled to find housing or employment end up with few options. Sometimes they end up selling drugs to get by.

“They know how to make money — it’s not legal — but they know how to make money,” Treadway said. “Then they get around the same people and do the same things and then they end up getting high. And so they don’t last a long time.”