NARSOL Board of Directors member Richard Earl sent a message to conference planning teams, “the conference is going ahead as planned.” While some members of the planning groups appeared concerned with the growing uncertainty of how the pandemic could potentially alter the conference, NARSOL leadership is optimistic that the conference will be held.

A positive mention is that airfare could not be more of a bargain at this particular time. The cost of a roundtrip airfare ticket has significantly dropped because of struggling airlines and the plummeting price of jet fuel. As of the time of this reporting roundtrip airfare during the conference time frame from Houston, Texas, to Raleigh-Durham starts at $79. Additionally, other services such as rental cars and hotel rooms are attempting to pull out all the stops to capture any customer it can acquire.

For more information about the NARSOL 2020 Conference, please click here.

Those with registry requirements who have recently been released from incarceration will still be processed and registered, according to media reporting.

Current registrants in Texas that have been previously processed and actively on the sex offender registry are instructed to call and make an appointment to come back at a later date.

Other police agencies throughout the country are suspending sex offender registrations and in-person requirements as a precaution due to the COVID virus pandemic. Police agencies in South Carolina, Nevada, Arkansas, and Florida have taken steps to not only protect officers but the registry community. Some of these states are using Skype, Zoom, and other mobile based video conferencing to check on the registry population as an alternative.

All of the police departments have taken the advice and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce low priority contact with the general public.

NCRSOL has reached out on multiple occasions to the various state and local leaders as well as medial outlets to suspend mandatory sex offender in-person registration temporarily. We have not had replies.

Today, a sex offender advocacy group in California has filed a civil lawsuit to stop police from requiring sex offender in-person or home checks because of the pandemic. Perhaps North Carolinians affected by the sex offender registry should consider filing a lawsuit to temporarily suspend in-person sex offender requirements?