During her tenure as First Lady of Pennsylvania, Michele
M. Ridge focused on crime prevention, victims' rights, and
the prevention of violence by and against youth. Through
her leadership as chair of the Governor's Community
Partnership for Safe Children (Children's Partnership), the
Communities That Care® prevention planning system was
implemented as the process by which the Children's
Partnership assists communities in their efforts to prevent
youth violence.
Under her leadership, Communities That Care® operated in 128 sites in 58 counties across
Pennsylvania. The Communities That Care® planning system helps communities curb youth
violence by reducing child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, academic failure, illiteracy, and other
risk factors that make children more likely to commit crime.
Mrs. Ridge's leadership in both implementing the Communities That Care® planning system
and stressing the importance of using scientifically proven prevention programs has gained her
numerous awards, including the Society for Prevention Research 2001 Public Service Award
(along with then-governor Tom Ridge). Mrs. Ridge continues to serve the Children's
Partnership as a member.
In February 2002, Mrs. Ridge joined the Channing Bete Company as the national spokesperson
for Communities That Care®-a prevention planning system that gives communities a foundation
for improving children's lives, which is currently being used in more than 400 communities
across the nation. She held that position until April 2005.
Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1947, Mrs. Ridge is the oldest child of the late Army Major
Howard Moore and the late Margaret Nagle Moore. On account of her father's military career,
Mrs. Ridge, her brother William, and her sister Maureen lived throughout the country and
abroad. She returned to Erie in her junior year of high school, graduating from Strong Vincent
High School in 1965. She received her bachelor's degree in European history from Seton Hill
College in 1969, and earned her master's degree in library science from the University of
Pittsburgh in 1971.
Well respected in the field of library science and literacy,
Mrs. Ridge was director of the Erie County Library
System in northwestern Pennsylvania for nearly sixteen
years, managing a central library and six branches.
Mrs. Ridge and her husband, former Secretary of
Homeland Security Tom Ridge, have two children,
Lesley and Tommy.
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Are Americans aware that their teenagers are e-mailing and texting nude photos of themselves and others? This could result in both teens being charged with creating, distributing and possessing child pornography with time in prison and being listed on a Sex Offender Registry for a lifetime.
Are Americans aware that if they receive one unwanted e-mail or text of child pornography on their computer or phone and a service technician finds the old/deleted file they will be charged with possessing child pornography? Resulting in time in prison and being listed on the Sex Offender Registry for a lifetime.
Are Americans aware that if they have knowledge that their juvenile child is having consensual sex with someone of 18 years or older, they (the parent) can be convicted of indecent liberties by person of supervision and listed on a Sex Offender Registry for 15 years, 20 years or for a lifetime?
Are Americans aware that middle schoolers have been convicted and listed on Sex Offender Registries for pinching other middle schoolers on their rear-end?
Are Americans aware that because of the “Victim’s Rights Laws & Rape Shield Laws” an ACCUSATION ALONE is sufficient for a conviction, a prison term of 5 to 25 years or even life and then being listed on a Sex Offender Registry most likely for life?
Are Americans aware that NO evidence, NO witness, NO dates or times have to be given by an accuser?
Are Americans aware that they CAN NOT defend themselves by supplying evidence or witnesses that can prove an accuser is lying and had motive to lie?
Are Americans aware that some States (Virginia) allow an accuser only 21 DAYS to recant a lie? Any amount of time after 21 days, the wrongful conviction, the prison term and remaining on a Sex Offender Registry stands. If a witness was found 15 years after a murder case that could convict the murderer or if DNA was discovered to free a wrongfully convicted person 25 years later why can’t an accuser recant and the conviction be stricken from the record?
Are Americans aware they are no longer innocent until proven guilty in America when there is a sexual claim; they are guilty and not allowed to prove their innocence?
There is a huge difference between stealing a newspaper and robbing a bank, both crimes are considered theft but both are differentiated by law and society.
Are Americans aware that the current laws that label someone as a Sex Offender in the U.S do not differentiate?
Whether you are accused of teenage consensual sex, urinating in public, mooning or streaking, pinching or touching someone or being a serial rapist upon your return to society, conviction and sentence will be the same.
Are Americans aware that a VERY large number of Registered Sex Offenders have never touched or raped anyone, let alone a child?
But guilt by association on the Sex Offender Registry labels them all as a “pervert”, a “pedophile” and a “predator” for life.
Are Americans aware that their State’s General Assembly (Virginia 2006 & 2008) broadly re-classified Non-Violent Offenders to Violent Offenders? This includes many offenses that had NO physical contact.
The situation that has been imposed upon the “Registered” is that; under the guise of protecting our children, the Legislators are in fact repeatedly trying, convicting and re-sentencing Citizens without even notifying them that this has occurred. To resentence a Citizen of the United States without giving them the opportunity to testify on their own behalf is clearly a violation of their Constitutional Rights.
Our Legislators have taken a group of people and used them as a platform to win elections and instill fear into the parents of our country so that they look like heroes. People that are not child-molesters, pedophiles and perverts have all been bucketed into one massive Registry and must endure a lifetime of shame.
The Sex Offender Registries are extremely costly both financial and to the families of the registered.
Contrary to popular belief among the Legislators there is indeed hardship related to being listed on a Sex Offender Registry. The lives being destroyed are not just the “registered”, but their spouse, their children and every family member sharing their name and address.
When you are a “Registered Sex Offender”, you struggle to find and keep housing, employment and your family because of the stress and humiliation that the Registry creates within yourself, your neighbors, your co-workers and vigilantes looking for justice for a victim they don’t even know.
The Sex Offender Registries are not protecting anyone, they are a means to humiliate, degrade, re-prosecute and destroy the lives of thousands of innocent Citizens.
The Studies below have proven that the current Sex Offender Laws, the Registries and the Residency Restrictions are ineffective and damaging. Our Legislators repeatedly state inaccurate recidivism rates (the rate to reoffend) of “sex offenders” to the public to gain support of voters and to push through flawed legislation. The recidivism rate for “sex offenders” is significantly lower than that of murders, drug dealers and users or armed robbers. An interesting fact since Sex Offender Legislation is based on the assumption that “sex offenders” will recidivate with new sexual offenses. There is also a study conducted by the Attorney General’s of numerous states that proves the Internet is not as dangerous as our Attorney General and Legislators have convinced you to believe that it is.
• No Easy Answers: Human Rights Watch Study, September 11, 2007
• The Adam Walsh Act: Scarlet Letter, by Lara Geer Farley, April 17, 2008
• Fact Sheets Examine Impact of Sex Offender Registries: Justice Policy Institute, September 2, 2008
• Collateral Damage: Family Members of Registered Sex Offenders by Jill Levenson, Ph.D. January 2009
• Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technologies: Final Report of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force to the Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking of State Attorneys General of the United States. December 31, 2008
• Residential Proximity to Schools and Daycare Centers: Influence on Sex Offense Recidivism, An empirical analysis by Jill Levenson, Ph.D. December 23, 2008
• New Jersey DOC Study on the Effectiveness of Sex Offender Registration, February 11, 2009
• Registering Harm: How Sex Offender Registries Fail Youth and Communities, Justice Policy Institute, November 21, 2008
A new book written by Dr. Richard Wright titled Sex Offender Laws: Failed Polices, New Directions concludes that the proliferation of “Sex Offender” Legislation over the past 20 years in America that were meant to memorialize an assaulted, murdered or missing child have largely failed. They have NOT, reduced Sex Offender recidivism rates (5.5%), provided safety, healing or support for victims, reflected the scientific research on sexual victimization, offending and risk or provided successful strategies for prevention.
Dr. Wright interviews Patty Wetterling, the mother of an abducted child says twenty years later that there are many issues with current policy and “We have not built into the system any means for success”. If Jacob Wetterling’s mother can see that current laws and policies are failing why can’t our government?
The fear and loathing against Registered Sex Offenders that is currently considered acceptable needs to stop before additional Citizens and communities are harmed.
Our Legislators need to rectify this mess they have created by bucketing ALL sexual related acts into Sex Offender Crimes. The broad brush that the Legislators have been allowed to use across our population will continue to grow until it reaches into your home and labels you and your family.
The Registries need to be returned to their original intent, to list only the most dangerous, untreatable and repeat offenders.