NATIONAL ISSUES:
The Adam Walsh Act (AWA)
March 9th,2009
After a lot of protest the House Judiciary has agreed to allow Laura Rogers, former Director of the SMART Office testifiy at the hearings regarding the AWA.
March 6th, 2009
Surviving Parents Coalition Fears House Judiciary Hearing Aims to GUT the Adam Walsh Act!
March 6, 2009
U.S. Congress to hear Adam Walsh Act Testimony
U.S. Congress to hear testimony regarding the Adam Walsh Act
Erin Runnion, mother of Samantha Runnion, says "The list of witnesses in favor of repealing all of the measures that hold sex offenders accountable, and the state's responsible for effectively tracking sex offenders, significantly outweighs those who aim to protect children more so than predators. How can Congress hold a hearing on the Sex Offender Notification Registration Act (SORNA) and expect to learn anything if they don't invite the one person who was in charge of implementing that Act since its inception? They are barring Laura Rogers, who is the director of this act, from testifying even though she is the one person who can speak to the importance of this act. We fear this hearing has been stacked against protecting children -- in favor of making it easier on predators and cheaper for states not to be involved."
On Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 2:00 p.m., the Subcommittee on Crime of the House Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Congress will hear testimony regarding the Adam Walsh Act (AWA) in a public hearing at 2141 Rayburn House Office Building. To date, not a single state is in full compliance with the AWA. The Surviving Parents Coalition welcomes the hearing and member, Mark Lunsford, will be testifying. However, the one person who was in charge of implementing AWA and knows exactly what the process for compliance requires of states, Laura Rogers, the former director of the SMART Office under the US Department of Justice, has not been invited to testify. The SPC wants to know why and seeks the public's help in demanding that her testimony be heard.
The Adam Walsh Act Working Group (AWAWG) is comprised of national and tribal organizations and experts who are more interested in establishing polices that protect predators over those that protect children. This legislative hearing is supposed to be a means of examining the difficulties government agencies are experiencing in trying to come into compliance with the law, but it is being framed by those who believe the Act has "insurmountable barriers."
The Adam Walsh Act Working Group is asking policymakers to push back the deadline for requiring state compliance with AWA and will have members testifying about repealing portions of this urgently needed legislation.
The hearing, called by Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Chair of the House Subcommittee on Crime, will be the first public hearing held for the Adam Walsh Act, which was passed in 2006. The hearing will include testimony from:
- Amy Borror, Public Information Officer, Office of the Ohio Public Defender
- Madeline Carter, Director, Center for Sex Offender Management, Center for Effective Public Policy
- Emma Devillier, Assistant Attorney General of Louisiana; Chief, Sexual Predator Unit
- Robert Shilling, Detective, Seattle Police Department, Sex and Kidnapping Offender Detail and Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit, Interpol Specialists Group on Crimes Against Children
- Ernie Allen, Executive Director, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- Mark Lunsford, father of Jessica Lunsford
The Adam Walsh Act Working Group, which professes to be concerned with the prevention of sexual violence and the protection of children, currently includes the following members:
Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
The Council of State Governments
CURE
Defender Association of Philadelphia
Justice Policy Institute
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
National Congress of American Indians
National Conference of State Legislators
National Criminal Justice Association
National Juvenile Defender Center
Office of the Ohio Public Defender
About the Surviving Parents Coalition (SPC):
The SPC is a group of parents of children who were abducted, sexually assaulted, murdered, recovered or are still missing. They are dedicated to advocating for legislation and best practices to prevent sexual assault and abduction.
Surviving Parents Coalition Members:
Magi and John Bish, Sharon Brooks, Rosemarie D'Alessandro, Rebecca DeMauro, Michelle Duffey, Karen Foster, Vicki Kelly, Joyce and Drew Kesse, Mary and Charlie Kozakiewicz, Mark Lunsford, Mary and Doug Lyall, Michelle Mesarchik, Mika Moulton, Colleen Nick, Abby Potash, Ahmad Rivazfar, Erin Runnion, Elaine Runyan-Simmons, Caroly Ryan, Mark and Cindy Sconce, Dawn Semmler, Jayann Sepich, Hilary Sessions, Ed Smart, Missey and Greg Smith, Linda Walker and Dr. Maggie Zingman
www.survivingparentscoalition.org
In Honor of the Suffering of Our Children:
Molly Bish, Tamara Brooks, Andria Brewer, Joan D’Alessandro, Miranda Gaddis, Bonnie Craig, Tommy Kelly, Jennifer Kesse, Alicia Kozakiewicz, Jessica Lunsford, Suzanne Lyall, Dalton Mesarchik, Christopher Meyer, Morgan Nick, Samuel Potash, Sara and Sayeh Rivazfar, Samantha Runnion, Rachel Runyan, Lindsey Ryan, Courtney Sconce, Jessica Rae Delatorre, Tiffany Sessions, Elizabeth Smart, Kelsey Smith, Dru Sjodin, Brittany Philips and the countless other child victims
"BE BRAVE"
This website is dedicated to the memory of Bonnie Craig, daugher of Karen Foster. Follow the murder trial of Bonnie's killer by visiting the BLOG page on this site.
