The New Hampshire Citizens Union to Reform Sex Offender Registration (NH-CURSOR) was founded in August, 2007, by Manchester residents Jeremy J. Olson and Laurie Peterson, in response to the aldermen of Manchester considering passing an ordinance to place restrictions on where registered sex offenders may live within the city. This website went live on September 1, and has since been expanded to encompass a broader array of sex offender registry–related issues, not just residency restrictions.

Laurie

Born and raised most of her life in New Hampshire, Laurie Peterson is a mom of three sweet children, and a wife to the most honorable man she knows: Michael Peterson. She started her crusade against New Hampshire’s sex offender laws because of the effect they have on her family. Michael was required to register as a sex offender after a 1997 conviction for statutory rape when he was nineteen years old; his partner was a fifteen-year-old female who had claimed she was seventeen on the evening in question. Much to the surprise of Mike’s friends and family, mistake of age is not a defense in the state of New Hampshire. Michael’s registration requirements are for life, and there is no relief in sight. Each year these laws have gotten worse and have created more and more hardships on the Peterson family. Initially a non-public registration, Michael is now posted online as if he were an actual child molester. What the online registry fails to point out is that Mike was nineteen at the time of the offense, that the young lady misrepresented her age, that Mike is married with three kids, and that he has had no other convictions since that fateful day more than ten years ago. With time on her side, Laurie is committed to provoking honest discussions about sex-offender policy, instead of the mass-produced hysteria that currently dominates the political and public-policy landscape. The pendulum has swung too far to one side, and she will continue to fight for meaningful and effective change to return the pendulum back to the middle.

Jeremy

Jeremy J. Olson is driven by his love of liberty, and what is right and just. Indeed this passion is what inspired him to move to the “Live Free or Die” state in 2007. He is outraged at the over-inclusiveness of those listed on the sex-offender registry and has taken a personal interest in devoting his time to tackle these complex issues. With emotion dominating much of the horizon on sex-offender policy, Jeremy is dedicated to weaving logic back into the law. It is his strong belief that individuals, not the government, know what is best for their families, and that people, not registries, protect children from sexual violence. Please join us in our fight to bring common sense back to the table regarding sex-offender policy. If you’re a citizen of New Hampshire and are interested in becoming involved, or have any questions, comments, or criticisms, please contact us and let us know!

Former names

When first founded, we went by the name “Citizens United to Reevaluate Sex Offender Registries” (CURSOR) and were also referred to as “Citizens United to Reform Sex Offender Registries” and “Citizens United to Remedy Sex Offender Registries” sometimes. We changed our name to The New Hampshire Citizens Union to Reform Sex Offender Registration when we relaunched on 2010-04-07.

Legal

NH-CURSOR is an unincorporated association under N.H. RSA 292. We are not a corporation, non-profit, or political action committee. Donations are not tax-deductible. This website and all of NH-CURSOR’s activities are entirely supported and paid for by volunteers.