WSJ: After Prison, Few Places for Sex Offenders to Live. I know that sex offenders are perhaps the most unpopular population in the United States, but I also feel strongly that there are so many reasons for all of us to care. First of all, sex offenders are still human - once they have paid their debt to society, they deserve a shot at another life. Second, not all sex offenses are created "equal" - many labeled sex offenders, like the man in the WSJ story above, were themselves victims of overzealous prosecution (in the WSJ story, he was 17, she was 14, it was consensual and they later wed). Third, if you are truly concerned about public safety, you would do well to consider that homeless sex offenders are even harder to keep track of for parole and law enforcement, and have a harder time reincorporating themselves into post-prison life than those with a stable home and job. Finally, if we truly care about stopping sex offenses and better improving our communities for everyone, we would pay more attention to the way prison is conducted - the way prisons are currently run, they do little to prepare prisoners for the world outside of prison or help them address psychological and mental health issues. Re-entry work - especially for sex offenders - might not be an easy subject, but it cannot be ignored.
See also: NYTimes, Sex Offenders Living Under Miami Bridge.
Miami New Times (photo above): Sex Offenders Say There's No More Room Under The Bridge.
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