Lower Twp. sex offender protests tracking order

kwright · #1 (**permalink**) 02-16-2006, 09:14 AM

Lower Twp. sex offender protests tracking order
By TRUDI GILFILLIANStaff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Updated: Wednesday, February 15, 2006

— A Lower Township woman held a morning protest outside the Cape May County courthouse Tuesday after learning she was one of 250 convicted sex offenders slated to wear a global positioning system, or GPS, tracking device.

In August, then-Gov. Richard J. Codey signed a law authorizing the use of electronic monitoring to track Tier 3 sex offenders, considered the group most likely to reoffend.

“We must use every resource to keep our children safe,” Codey said at the time

Donna Cooper received a letter dated Jan. 31 telling her she was among those required to wear a GPS ankle bracelet that would track her every move.

Cooper, now 38, was convicted of criminal sexual contact in 1992 in a Cape May County case involving her female roommate who was in her 30s at the time. She received a three-year probationary sentence and is subject to registration under Megan's Law.

Cooper, sporting a picket sign and placard over her body, said she has served her sentence, maintains her Megan's Law registration and has had no other convictions since 1992. She said she was arrested in the late 1990s for another offense, but those charges were dropped.

“I have not committed a crime since,” Cooper said.

The law was designed to help the state keep an eye on sex offenders, but Cooper says she is not one of the high-risk offenders it was designed to track.

Her therapist, psychologist George Ackley, agreed.

“She's been stable for a very long time,” Ackley said Tuesday.

Ackley said Cooper was trying to be listed as a Tier 2, or moderate risk, offender. The GPS devices are only being placed on Tier 3 offenders.

“I'm tired of all this,” Cooper said. “I did my sentence. Now I have had death threats, been harassed, can't find work. They're still punishing me.”

So far, about 20 sex offenders have been connected to the tracking system, said Edward Bray, acting deputy executive director of the New Jersey State Parole Board.

“It is an active system, tracking individuals every moment at all times,” Bray said.

The project is a two-year pilot program designed to outfit a maximum of 250 people with the GPS devices.

Bray said the program is tied to the addition of 20 new staff members who will monitor the offenders. Once the new parole board employees start work in late May, the remaining sex offenders will be added to the GPS program.

Since Cooper received her notification in early February, she would likely be connected by the end of July at the latest.

“We've been adding individuals as we can so not to reach unmanageable numbers,” he said.

So far, the program has been successful in tracking and detecting patterns in the movement of offenders that may be of concern, Bray said. “(Monitors) can see if they are falling back into old patterns,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cooper said she has successfully undergone counseling and does not pose a risk to the children the tracking program is trying to protect.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/story/5912418p-5926604c.html

local case, thoughts?

NovAngel · #2 (**permalink**) 02-16-2006, 09:21 AM

thoughts?

Yeah, If they kept their hands out of minor's pants they wouldn't be in this mess....you make your bed you lie in it.

Kadydid · #3 (**permalink**) 02-16-2006, 09:29 AM

ITA^
I say tough ****!

snickers · #4 (**permalink**) 02-16-2006, 09:31 AM

Yeah, If they kept their hands out of minor's pants they wouldn't be in this mess....you make your bed you lie in it

She didn't have her hands in a minor's pants.

Cooper, now 38, was convicted of criminal sexual contact in 1992 in a Cape May County case involving her female roommate who was in her 30s at the time. She received a three-year probationary sentence and is subject to registration under Megan's Law.

As for the OP I'm not sure how I feel about it.

BobbiJo139 · #5 (**permalink**) 02-16-2006, 09:36 AM

I don't think in GPS tracking is going to help. I disagree with GPS tracking in general. I think that money would be better spent on counseling and rehablitating people into society. I think this program if further alienating people from society.

kwright · #6 (**permalink**) 02-16-2006, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by NovAngel

Yeah, If they kept their hands out of minor's pants they wouldn't be in this mess....you make your bed you lie in it.

typical, Did you even read the frucking piece? this particular person committed a sex crime against a 30 year old WOMAN in 1992

NovAngel · #7 (**permalink**) 02-16-2006, 09:43 AM

She was still convicted of criminal sexual contact, plus...

She said she was arrested in the late 1990s for another offense, but those charges were dropped.

Who knows what this was all about.. where there's smoke there's fire. MJ was also accused before and had charges that were dropped, that doesn't mean he's innocent.

Also, they are not being very clear about what she did to get convicted in the OP....she was 24 in 1992.

caribqueen · #8 (**permalink**) 02-16-2006, 09:44 AM

Without knowing exactly what she did, it's hard to say if it's appropriate in this case.

Generally, I agree with some type of tracking system. I don't know enough about trials of GPS to know how effective it is. I also agree that there must be a tier system, so not everyone is subject to the GPS. It should only apply to the more serious offenders. I have problems with the term "sex offender" at all in some situations. Like if an 18yr old has consentual sex with his 17yr old girlfriend. Should he forever be labled a "sex offender", of course not. To use the same term for that kid, that you'd use like for those cases with the creeps in Florida, just seems unfair.

I'd really like to know what exactly she did and the definition of each tier to see if she was wrongly categorized too high. It wasn't a case of adult on minor. I wonder what extent of touching was involved?