OHRSOL is a dedicated group of volunteer advocates committed to promoting and supporting cost-effective, evidence-based policies, practices, and laws that balance the need for public safety with the goal of rehabilitating and reintegrating those convicted of a sexually oriented offense.
OHRSOL members and supporters envision an environment free from arbitrary laws such as public sexual offense registries, residency and proximity restrictions, and lifetime labeling that is not evidenced or proven to be effective in predicting, reducing, or preventing sexually oriented offenses.
Focus
- Provide evidence and education to lawmakers, the media, and the public by dispelling existing myths about individuals convicted of a sexual offense
- Promote legislation that supports a limited sexual offense registry based on empirical data and individual risk assessment
- Seek to avoid unintended consequences associated with registration that may harm registrant families
- Support judicial actions and litigation that are consistent with the constitutional rights of United States and Ohio’s registrant population
- Encourage evidence-based community policies and practices that support reintegration
Current Goals
We are taking a project-oriented approach to accomplishing our Vision, Mission, and Goals.
Our projects seek to mitigate the harmful, unintended consequences of registration on registrants and their families.
History
In the early 2000s, Ohio RSOL (OHRSOL) and its partners were involved with several successful challenges to residency restrictions and the retroactive application of the Adam Walsh Act to persons whose offense occurred prior to 2008. Ohio RSOL incorporated in 2016 and began operating under the name “OH-RSOL” (or OHRSOL). Here are some OHRSOL accomplishments:
- Supported hundreds of callers to the National Association for Rational Sexual Offense Laws (NARSOL), served on the Board of NARSOL, and organized the NARSOL conference in Cleveland in 2018.
- Challenged the adoption of new residency restrictions in Brook Park, Ohio and successfully influenced the City Council to mitigate the severity of the new ordinance.
- Lobbied for legislation to allow certain youthful offenders to petition for modification or termination of the duty to register; the legislation passed in 2020.
- Received a favorable ruling on amicus brief that a court must allow an out-of-state offender to demonstrate that the state of conviction found him to be low risk, despite a requirement of lifetime registration. OH-RSOL also submitted comments to proposed rules on SORNA.
- Provided numerous member services, including publication of The Advocate, development of talking points, recommendation of a mapping tool for determining compliance with residency restrictions, and creation of a list of employment resources.
- Granted interviews on TV, radio and newspaper publications, and testified in favor of, and in opposition to, numerous bills in the Ohio General Assembly.
Members and Partners
OHRSOL welcomes members and partners, especially in these areas:
- Advocates needed to support and promote rational sexual offense laws.
- Witnesses needed to testify in favor of, or in opposition to, proposed legislation.
- Legal representation needed on challenges to residency restrictions and on petitions for modification or termination.
- Volunteers needed to work on OH-RSOL project goals.
- Individuals and organizations needed to support and promote our Vision, Mission and Goals.
Plaintiffs and legal counsel needed to challenge unconstitutional policies, practices, and laws which create unintended consequences for registrants and their families.