Latest news with #registry
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
News 5 investigates: Why is the Alabama child abuse registry easy to get on but hard to get off of?
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WKRG) — Did you know you may be on the child abuse registry and not even know it? Baldwin County's first Safe Haven baby box blessed in Daphne 'I've had corporate professionals, all the way up to a medical doctor, come to me and say, 'I went to apply for this job, and they said I came up on this Child Abuse and Neglect Registry and I had no idea,' said attorney Jacy Fisher of Greg Varner Law Firm in Birmingham. What's worse, family attorneys told News 5, is that it is way too easy to end up on it and nearly impossible to get off of it, even after a court decides you did nothing wrong. But a new policy may offer a glimmer of hope to some people who, for years, have battled the bureaucracy of the Alabama Department of Human Resources to clear their reputation. Candace and Joshua Odom are a young couple living outside Montgomery. They are the proud parents of two active boys; Knox is 6 years old and Jax is 4 years old. But they had to fight to keep their family together because of a trip to the emergency room, when Knox was 18 months old. Candace was five months pregnant with their second son when their pediatrician suggested that they start sleep training Knox. But Knox would cry and cry and never seem to stop. Again, the Odom's consulted their pediatrician, but he advised them to stick with it. One morning, when Josh went to wake Knox up, he made a horrifying discovery. 'I walked in the door, and he was picking himself up… and when he turned around…his whole face was purple, and he had dried blood on his face, and I didn't know exactly what happened,' said Josh. 'I kind of…my thoughts were racing…. I had a million thoughts running through my head. The only thing I could think of at the time was maybe he had hit his head on the crib railing because it was an oak crib.' They rushed him to the local hospital, but as the day went by, Candace, who is a social worker, sensed that something was wrong. 'The staff treated us very coldly. Like for the full day, we didn't have any interactions with nursing staff…like nobody came into our room. It was just very odd,' she said. She told her husband 'They think we hurt him.' Later that evening, Candace got a call from a DHR worker. 'I can still hear my screams. How they sound and just having to walk out of the hospital because he was asleep….having to walk out of that hospital and tell him goodbye, not knowing if, or when, I was going to see him again,' said Candice. 8 of 15 arrested in Fairhope immigration enforcement operation had previous criminal histories: FBI During the phone call, DHR stated that they had to leave their son's room, and they were barred from the hospital. If they couldn't find a relative to agree to take care of Knox immediately, he would go into foster care. The Odom's called Joshua's mother, Melinda Odom, in panic. She agreed to take care of Knox on a full-time basis. That night started a five-month period where the couple was not allowed to see their son. 'He was a baby when he went into hospital and the next time we saw him… he was a little boy. We missed that whole transition' said Josh. But before they were able to see Knox again, DHR tried to take their second son. It was the grandmother, 'Mee-Mee,' who noticed that Knox was making peculiar movements, including banging his head on hard surfaces. Their attorney suggested that the grandmother install a video camera in his room. 'We had over twenty videos showing him banging his head into the crib repeatedly on his own…and it turned out that a physician who was an expert in Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosed him with self-injurious behavior and pretty moderate ASD' said Fisher. Josh and Candace paid for Knox to begin treatment for autism, while trying to regain custody. When Candace gave birth to their second son, Jax, DHR dug their heels in. Candace describes what happened. 'I had just given birth. I was in the bathroom and the nurse comes in, 'Miss Odom, the DHR worker is here to see you.' You're in such a vulnerable position. She was like….'we're going to be filing an order to take Jax into custody.'' A family court judge denied that emergency pickup order. DHR then filed another petition, with the same judge asking for full custody of Jax, claiming he was in imminent danger from his parents. The judge denied that too, demanding Jax immediately be returned. The same judge would later return Knox home as well — nearly $100,000 later the family was reunited. 'The judge was very adamant in his order that he believed that those children needed to be returned to their parents and that DHR had really exceeded their discretion and their power in how they handled this case,' Fisher said. Even though the judge cleared the parents of wrongdoing, Josh and Candace are still on the Child Abuse and Neglect Registry. The Alabama Administrative Code states that 'a report of child abuse or neglect must be entered into the registry within three working days of an accusation of abuse.' Escambia County storm damage: Tree crushes Brewton woman's home, flooded roadways, creeks Attorney Alison Herlihy, of Herlihy Family Law, explained that people think that they will be automatically removed if they are cleared by a court or if DHR concludes in their investigation that you have done nothing wrong; however, that is not what happens. 'If you get reported to DHR, they have to investigate. If the investigation concludes that basically they think you are the perpetrator of the abuse, or neglect, then that finding will be 'indicated.' It's probably what most of us would call 'guilty' but that's not the word that they use,' said Herlihy. 'If they either think A) 'you didn't do it' or B) 'there is not enough evidence to say that you did it or not;' then the finding will be 'not indicated.' But regardless which finding it is, you are on the registry because you have been reported.' She pointed out that anyone can accuse you of anything — 'a neighbor can be mad at you and report you.' Both Herlihy and Fisher think that hundreds of people are on the registry and don't know it. DHR's Deputy Commissioner of Children and Family Services, Karen Smith, won't discuss specific cases like the Odom's, citing confidentiality restrictions. We asked Smith, 'do you think everyone who is on the registry, who has been indicated, deserves to be on that list?' Smith answered, 'I do.' We asked 'why?' 'Because there was an allegation of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Those individuals had an opportunity to interact with staff,' Smith said. An administrative law judge overturned the staff decision to indicate Candace. Because she is licensed to work with children and vulnerable adults, DHR's code allowed her to defend herself in a court hearing where she could present evidence as to why she shouldn't be marked as indicated on the registry. Josh does not have a license to work with children. He works for the Alabama Department of Revenue, therefore, he wasn't given the same shot to clear himself. 'So, I can't volunteer for anything with children. So, like sports teams…coaching Little League baseball… obviously they would do a background check, and I would…well, I know they would see that I had been indicated for child abuse,' Josh said. Josh's mother explained how it feels having her son on the registry. 'It is the most horrible thing. It haunts me. Joshua came from nothing. We've lived in a rural area for our whole life. He put himself through the University of Alabama, him, and Candace both did. Worked very hard. Got out, got a job and we all were so proud. Now they get to start their families and for him not to be able to be a full dad, it kills me.' Candace still struggles to this day. 'I hope one day I can forgive these people, cause I don't want to carry this, but I'm still working on that,' she said. 'I would just like to see change in the whole system, especially, I don't see how someone can be put on a registry after being proven innocent in court. My whole life being in the United States of America, my whole life, I've heard we're free, born free and now, I question it. I don't think we're really free. I think we're free until something like this happens and I would just like to see more change and accountability,' Josh said. News 5's investigative team went to Montgomery, where DHR told us that a policy change is coming. Effective June 14, anyone accused can request a hearing. This is welcome news to Josh and Candace's attorney, Fisher. 'Any person who DHR finds responsible for abuse or neglect, even if they're not a caregiver or professional, is technically entitled to an administrative hearing,' Fisher said. 'But, here's how it works. Once you get the indication letter saying he's been indicated for abuse or neglect you have 10 days.' Stephen Nodine withdrawing from Mobile mayor's race We asked Fisher how she found out about the policy change. 'So, it was actually brought to my attention after you all interviewed Karen Smith that she claimed that the policy had changed and I think I found out the first week of May and I found an amendment deep, deep, in the inter-webs that was signed on April 30 that said that this new policy would go into effect June of 2025. But, I had not heard of it prior to that and none of my colleagues had heard of it either.' News 5 asked DHR whether the policy change would help anyone who previously had not been entitled to a hearing in front of a judge. 'For people who did not get their due process, who did not get their day in court, who did not get to go before anyone and have their say, and for people to see them and them present their evidence,' said Fisher. 'Do you think they should be able to do that now? Should it be retroactive?' Smith said that, 'if someone wants to have that conversation with us, we would be open to having that conversation and looking at the information, but I cannot guarantee you that it would be retroactive.' We asked whether she believes it should be retroactive. 'I think it would probably depend on the situation,' Smith said. Since Josh is still listed on the registry as 'indicated,' there is currently no way for him to be removed from it. Anyone on the registry who is 'not indicated' can request to be taken off after five years if there have been no new complaints against them. For, Candace, still on the registry, listed as 'not indicated,' she must wait three more years before she can attempt to be taken off the registry. Family attorneys with whom we spoke are convinced there are hundreds of people on the registry who don't even know they're on it and were never given due process. Many of those people are surprised to find out they are on the registry when a background check discovers it during a job application, divorce, or custody battle. At least for now, Josh will have to continue watching his sons play ball from a distance. 'I just have to watch from the sidelines and just try to help them as best as I can from there.' If you believe you've been caught up in the system or treated unfairly by the government or in some other way, let us know. Email your information to us. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Just over 50 people taken off Nova Scotia's primary care wait list in May
This image shows a close up of a stethoscope. (Credit: Pexels) Nova Scotia's primary care waitlist went down by just a few dozen people last month. There were 91,423 people on the Need a Family Practice Registry as of June 1, according to Nova Scotia Health. The health authority says 51 people in total were attached to a provider or removed as a result of ongoing validation work that confirmed they have a health-care provider. Last month, there were 91,474 Nova Scotians on the waitlist. The percentage of the province's population on the registry is now down to 8.6 per cent. Nova Scotia Health says it will update the registry again in early July. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Medscape
23-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Does Family IBD History Affect Outcomes in Paediatric IBD?
In patients with paediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a familial history of IBD did not exhibit an increased use of immunomodulators or biologic agents compared with sporadic forms of the disease, but those with Crohn's disease (CD) had a higher need for perianal surgery. METHODOLOGY: This observational retrospective case-control study was conducted using a prospectively maintained registry since 2006, focusing on adults diagnosed with paediatric-onset IBD. This study included patients diagnosed with IBD at the age of 17 years or younger, all of Caucasian ethnicity and born in Spain. Patients with familial forms of IBD were defined as those having at least one first-degree relative with IBD, and those with sporadic forms of IBD had no family history. Each patient with a paediatric-onset familial form of IBD was propensity score matched with four patients with paediatric-onset sporadic forms of IBD, and 655 patients with CD and 440 with ulcerative colitis (UC) comprising familial and sporadic forms were included. Data collected included demographics, IBD diagnosis details, the use of immunomodulators and biologic therapies, and surgery timelines, with a median follow-up duration of 100 and 102 months for patients with CD and UC, respectively. TAKEAWAY: Among patients with CD or UC, no significant differences in the percentage of patients exposed to immunomodulators were found between those with familial and sporadic forms of the disease, nor in the median time to the introduction of immunomodulators. The use of biologic agents did not differ between patients with familial and sporadic forms, with no significant differences in the median time to the initiation of treatment. Patients with familial forms of CD showed a higher requirement for perianal surgery than those with sporadic forms of CD (18.3% vs 10.5%; odds ratio, 1.91; P = .014). = .014). No significant differences in the proportion of patients who underwent intestinal resections and total or segmentary colectomies were observed between familial and sporadic forms in those with CD and UC, respectively. IN PRACTICE: "Having a family history of IBD in children with IBD should not be a criterion for changing the treatment algorithm or for anticipating a worse prognosis," the authors wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Carlos González-Muñoza, Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain. It was published online on May 12, 2025, in the Journal of Clinical Medicine . LIMITATIONS: The registry primarily included adult patients, potentially underrepresenting paediatric-onset IBD cases. The findings may not be generalisable to non-Caucasian populations owing to the homogeneous genetic background of the cohort. The absence of data on genetic polymorphism further limited the study's conclusions. DISCLOSURES: This study did not receive any external funding. Some authors reported receiving educational or research funding, travel grants, and advisory fees and serving as consultants and/or speakers for several pharmaceutical companies.
RNZ News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Firearms registry is keeping NZers safe
The firearms registry is less than two years into a five-year implementation programme. File photo. Photo: 123RF The Firearms Safety Authority says an external review shows that its registry is keeping people safe, but the ACT Party still insists the review was not strong enough. The ACT Party formally invoked its "agree to disagree" clause in the government's coalition agreement over the firearms registry, after National rejected the party's request for a more "thorough and independent review" in the next financial year. In a statement on Tuesday, the authority's acting executive director Superintendent Richard Wilson said the Ministry of Justice review showed the registry should continue. "The firearms registry is less than two years into a five-year implementation programme and it's really clear what the benefits are," he said. "The registry is an essential part of a bigger system to deal with firearms harm in our communities. It is designed to mitigate the risk of firearms falling into the wrong hands through greater transparency and accountability when firearms are imported, manufactured, bought and sold." The registry was established in 2023 in response to the Christchurch mosque attacks that left 51 people dead and dozens more injured. Wilson said the registry gave frontline police access to real-time information to support risk assessments when police responded to "critical incidents". "The majority of firearms licence holders are good law-abiding people. Unfortunately, there are still a few who divert firearms to unlicensed offenders," he said. "The registry is a significant tool to support police to detect this offending. Over time the registry will increasingly make it more difficult for firearms to move from lawful hands into the black market of unlicensed people, including gangs, extremists, or criminals. "The registry also helps licence holders have more confidence when buying or selling firearms. They can check firearms have not been stolen. "I acknowledge all licence holders who have filled in the registry so far and are doing their bit to make it harder for criminals to access firearms." Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said on Sunday that she asked the cabinet to consider that the registry did not meet the commitment in ACT's coalition agreement. "The purpose of the review was to establish a clear evidence base, covering public safety impacts, government costs, compliance burdens for licensed firearms owners, and international comparisons. In my view, the review failed to deliver on these objectives," she said. One of the review's findings that the registry was justified if it prevented just two fatalities a year was "speculative and unsupported by evidence", McKee said. "Without a clear model of risk reduction or causal link to public safety outcomes, that claim is difficult to defend," she said. Police Minister Mark Mitchell said on Sunday that he saw no need for a further review. "The review was commissioned under the associate minister for justice, which is Nicole McKee, who was able to put the terms of reference together. We've had a review," he said. As of 1 May, there were more than 400,000 firearms and almost 14,000 firearms parts registered to known locations and licence-holders. More than a third of licence-holders had entered their details into the registry. Police have also confirmed an "internal employment process" had begun at the authority after concerns were raised by staff. RNZ was recently alerted about concerns of a "toxic culture" in the unit with allegations of bullying and concerns about the management of complaints. The authority is a business unit hosted within New Zealand Police. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
11-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Police minister Mark Mitchell says second firearms registry review not needed
Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi The police minister says a second review of the firearms registry, called for by ACT, would not produce a different result. The ACT Party formally invoked its "agree to disagree" clause in its coalition agreement with National over the firearms registry on Sunday. Earlier this month, ACT MP Nicole McKee asked Cabinet to consider that the recent review of the firearms registry didn't meet the commitment in its coalition agreement. But Mark Mitchell told Morning Report that's not the case. "We just don't' agree with that. It was a review done by her ministry and she set the terms of reference for that," he said. "That's where we agree to differ, we think there was a good job done and don't think there would be any difference at all going through to a set reviewer, a review of a review. "We accept the findings of the review." This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. McKee said the review's conclusion that the registry is justified if it prevents two fatalities a year is unsupported by evidence and asked for a more thorough and independent review. Mitchell disagreed and said he doesn't believe another review is in their best interests. "We absolutely believe that it was (evidence based). It was a good review, we don't think having to go back and review again would fundamentally change anything," he said. Act MP Nicole McKee Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone However, Mitchell did downplay the significance of ACT invoking the "agree to disagree" clause. He said he had no concerns over ACT's approach to the firearms registry. "We've been very clear what our position is on that. We're working very closely with ACT on that, I've got a very good working relationship with minister McKee," he said. "She's doing a full rewrite of the Arms Act; it's a big piece of work. There are some things we're not going to agree on, and we've got a mechanism to be able to deal with that." President of the NZ Police Association Chris Cahill also labelled the ACT Party's push for a further review of the firearms registry as pointless. He said McKee's comments over the justification of the registry hinging on the prevention of two fatalities were disturbing. "I'm disgusted that she thinks two lives aren't worth worrying about, that is a disgusting thing to say but it's also a very narrow interpretation of what the firearms registry is doing," he said President of the NZ Police Association Chris Cahill. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver Cahill also said it was unfair to judge the registry so soon. "It's only been going for less than two years, it takes five years for it to be fully implemented so you would certainly wait for it to be fully implemented and then operating for a few years to see what's the true value of what it is," he said. "But I think within 12 months what this review has shown is it's very valuable." However, McKee said the review focused on operational costs to the government, but gave little weight to the compliance costs for firearms owners or the cost of a dealer's registry. She said it also did not consider privacy concerns. McKee said, despite the differences on the registry, the coalition partners continue to work constructively together on the rewrite of the Arms Act. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
