Civil Commitment - Endless Suffering in a Shadow Prison Hellhole - Kevin Word, Houston, 2021

Civil Commitment: Endless Suffering in a Shadow Prison Hellhole was presented at the 2021 NARSOL National Conference in Houston TX. Kevin Word provided information about civil commitment in the United States, even for states that don’t officially have civil commitment laws and demonstrates how it all connects to the sexual offense registry. He discusses the impacts on liberty and freedom of people that have served their full sentences handed down by a judge and jury. This session provides the resources necessary to start conversations that will educate your local and state level leaders based upon facts and data about civil commitment.
Kevin Word is a member of Texans Against Civil Commitment. He is an experience trainer and speaker who, though new to criminal justice reform, is dedicated to educating others about the injustices of civil commitment.
NARSOL is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization exclusively dedicated to defending the constitutional liberties of registered citizens and their families.NARSOL opposes dehumanizing registries and works to eliminate discrimination, banishment, and vigilantism against persons accused or convicted of sexual offenses through the use of impact litigation, public education, legislative advocacy, and media outreach in order to reintegrate and reconcile affected individuals and restore their constitutional rights.
Texans Against Civil Commitment: texansagainstcivilcommitment....
NARSOL: narsol.org
NARSOL Resources: resources.narsol.org
Join NARSOL: secure.narsol.org/join-narsol/
Volunteer: narsol.org/volunteer/
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[@jarrodyuki7081]

end the sex offender registry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@magallanesagustin4952]

ok, groomer.

[@ALPHA1-2.]

You said to qualify for civil commitment you have to be convicted of more than one offense. That’s not true! They use the same charges to say, example 5 counts on same situation is 5 different convictions even those it was all the same situation. That’s what they do in this state

[@mrcleanisin]

I had one charge one count and got committed

[@NARSOL]

Qualifications can change between states and even jurisdictions. It's another example of how these laws are not rational.

[@RJArens]

The state of Iowa went through a government consolidation early this year by combining many of the states departments as a way to save money. One of those consolidations involved corrections. Now state and local corrections are all and completely governed by Kim Reynolds's appointee Beth Skinner. Since then, an unusually high amount of sex offenders have been held beyond their release dates for the purposes of civil commitment but these commit hearings aren't being held in a timely manner. I have a friend in Newton going through this right now whos been in and out of prison because of the lifetime special sentence he got stuck with. He should have got out early last month. Now hes stuck there beyond his time. Iowa gave one person too much power and now every registrant in prison is gonna get railroaded. Doesn't seem fair....

[@NARSOL]

No it does not seem fair. We do litigation on constitutional challenges where the unconstitutional law affects many people. "NARSOL assists with litigation efforts throughout the United States by joining existing cases and initiating strategically important new cases. Our limited resources are focused on constitutional challenges, meaning that a statute or an administrative directive violates the United States constitution. Submit this form if you believe you have a constitutional challenge that would benefit a significant number of individuals." Here's a link if you wish to submit a case. www.narsol.org/legal-action-projects/submit-your-case/

[@kenmaples6856]

My original conviction 1998 was in Harris County. I only thought that the state of Texas had Tough sex offender laws until I move to Wisconsin. I moved March of 2018 and 7 months later in October they enacted state statute 301.48. I have been forced to wear an ankle monitor ever since. Don't ask me why it took me four years and nine months to read the statute. I am confused from what I am understanding. Level 1 and level 2 sex offenders are required to wear a lifetime GPS tracking device. In both level 1 and level 2 it states when an actor commits a criminal sexual act against a child that is not related to the actor. When I moved to Wisconsin I don't think the authorities knew my Victim was my daughter. I do believe that's why I was considered a low-risk in Texas. The state also made a clerical error that I didn't catch until a year-and-a-half later. On the website it was showing I had a conviction in October 98 and another conviction in July of 2001. Both convictions stemmed from the same incident. I was found guilty that October of 1998 and pled out on a second charge a few weeks later. I can't find anyone to give me an answer if I am a level 1 or level 2 sex offender even though I was related to the victim????

[@NARSOL]

Our website contains a wiki with information for each state. Here is the link for Wisconsin: statewiki.narsol.org/doku.php?id=wisconsin Perhaps you could contact a statewide support group for suggestions on an attorney who deals with registry related litigation since it is complicated. Good luck.

[@kenmaples6856]

@@NARSOL I actually just contacted the Wisconsin DOC. In late 2018 I know I told my adult supervisor multiple times that the child in the case was my daughter. I even asked my adult supervision officer if she could pass along a letter from me asking for my daughter's forgiveness. She advised me that something they do not do. After going over statute 301.48 sex offenders with a level 1 or level 2 sex offense are required to wear a GPS tracker If the child was not a relative of the actor. I think they really messed up and I should not have been wearing the monitor for almost five years. As most people don't care I do want to thank you for your help and support.

[@IndianCurrycel]

@@kenmaples6856Do vigilantes try to harass you in public because i heard about sex offenders getting harassed by vigilantes in public

[@soulsparkervance1091]

You can have your kids but have strict access to being a great father

[@soulsparkervance1091]

Which is total bull crap. Why should the kids have to suffer when the parent never harmed a child

[@NARSOL]

This is another example of laws for sexual offenses are not rational.

[@soulsparkervance1091]

@@NARSOL sorna was made for predominantly protecting children. And there is no evaluation of sexual offenses. For example: you can be a tier 1 offender and have the lowes non-violent sex crime and not against any children and be on the registry for 15 years. Same as someone who does have a sex crime involved with a child. It's not justice, it's punishment. We need major reform to these laws.

[@magallanesagustin4952]

@@soulsparkervance1091 the fact that the parents actually tried to hurt a child is enough.

[@IndianCurrycel]

Is civil commitment centre like a mental hospital for sex offenders?

[@tavo2422]

I'm glad my abuser is locked up in Little Field TX. I know for a fact that he will sexually assault children if he is released. Keep them locked up for life. Once a child rapist, always a child rapist

[@NARSOL]

We are sorry for the pain you have had to endure. We don't know the situation so cannot comment on whether that individual would commit a similar action. We do know that statistically speaking, recidivism rates are very low for those on the registry. Again, we are sorry for the hurt you have endured.

[@javierguajardo1760]

we should not support sex offenders , period. I was a victim and I have had problems all of my life. I can't have sex or relationships due to the trauma I have received

[@NARSOL]

We are sorry for how this has affected your life.