In many states an excon does not regain his 2nd Amendment rights.
Not only do I have no constitutional problem with warrantless searches for parolees, I encourage them.
No.
Look folks do damnable things in their youth. Sometimes they commit felonies. That doesn’t mean that they should be second class citizens for life.
If they get out of prison and clean up their act, that’s all we should ask of them.
This is more about expanding the ability of the police to enter people’s homes on a whim, than it is real public safety issue. If there is reasonable cause, these departments can get a warrant easy enough.
Once one group can be targeted for warrantless searches, the easier it is to expand the people eligible for this sort of thing. For instance, how would you like it if contributors to this and other public forums were included into that group?
Don’t sign off on this. It’s a ruse at your expense.
In NC, if you are on probation or parole, your PO can search any time, any where without a warrant. It’s a condition of probation/parole. I have no problem with it.
Uh, it is not only a convenience to the state.
First, it costs a tremendous amount of money to house individuals. That is your tax dollars.
Second, it offers a citizen a pathway back to society and becoming a good citizen.
Third, parole serves as a cost effective means of supervising a parolee to ensure they are taking their medications, getting the psychological help they need or taking behavior modification classes.
Fourth, the parolee can re-engage in work and prove they are worthy to be released from the supervision of the government.
And finally, a parolee is a citizen of the USA and has constitutinal rights, just as you and I do.
If the state or any other jurisdiction has not evidence or probable cause that a citizen is violating the law or endangering others, then NO ONE has the right to violate your rights.
Can they come into the house you are paroled in? Sure.
Can they search your house or car or property for no apparent reason? Absolutely not.
Can they require urine or drug test. You bet.
Which part of the constitution does a citizen give up in your utopian world where Precog supercedes the right of the individual?
On the 2nd amendment, no one should deprived of their right otherwise they have lost all other rights under the Constitution.
Of course, some who engages in a violent crime, with the use of a firearm should be excluded but I can think of no other category where a person should be deprived their rights.
Indeed, in many states even after the sentence is complete, felons do not retain the right to vote or carry firearms.
Parolees have significant restrictions on their freedom, including having to report periodically to a parole officer. In fact, I am very surprised that in SC they do not have to submit to anything the police ask. At the very least, the parole officer should be able to order it.
Searching them for no reason at all or insufficient reason for a warrant is harassment plain and simple.
Like it or not, felons are still citizens.