Something MUST BE DONE to help registrants with dementia.
An article came out today in Patch (the publication that is notorious for broadcasting the names of registrants during Halloween) with the title, “Missing Sex Offender Last Seen Tuesday Morning: Sheriff”. I normally don’t click on links to Patch because I don’t want to give their site more traffic, but I was curious. Here’s what the story said:
XXX, who is homeless, was last seen at the MCSO’s Child Protection Investigations Division Office at 3526 9th Street West in Bradenton at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
As a registered sex offender, he’s required to check in with detectives and came to the CPI office to do so, the sheriff’s office said. When XXX couldn’t recall the address where he is staying, he left to get the address, but never returned.
XXX suffers from dementia and has a history of becoming lost, MCSO said.
This is awful! There are thousands more like this man, who are suffering from dementia or some other mental or physical impairment that are still forced to comply with registration requirements that are impossible for them to comprehend or comply with, all at the risk of a third degree felony. I can’t speak about this man because I don’t know his history or story, but it’s very possible he’s homeless to begin with because of his status and no shelter will take him.
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I was recently diagnosed with onset Dementia. I would be terrified if I didn’t have a wife that is younger and will help me follow all the rules, even if I won’t remember. My thoughts and prayers go out to those who won’t be as blessed. How draconian and barbaric is a system that does not make allowances accordingly.
The article only touched on a growing problem, the simple fact that the sex offender population is aging yet almost no assisted living facility or nursing home will take registrants in. They are being left the choice of either living on the streets or going back to prison because it is the only place that will take them.
I’m getting a growing number of calls for people looking for mursing homes or assisted living facilities, and I don’t have many leads on those. It worries me. What if I reach a point where I need one of these places?
Derek
I know a guy who owns an entire block in a neighborhood. He ONLY rents to registrants. They are 3 and 4 bedroom homes and rents out rooms so that there are 3 to 4 registrants living together. (Well don’t know him he just is at the registration site sometimes)
Anyway, this is good for several reasons.
#1 Safety in numbers
#2 When the sheriff comes by, he can check on all of them in one day
#3 He owns a van and take a load of them at a time to register
#4 When some SOB tries to lie on you (Like a cop for instance) there are a number of witnesses to what happened.
#5 He is keeping people from living in the streets who have the money to pay but no one will rent to them.
I have watched the guy to see if he is just trying to get over on them and from what I can see, he really cares. He makes sure they never miss their registrations, he helps with handicap registrants, and clears up and questions the registration office may have about any of his guys.
I would say that man is a Saint. A man beyond reproach who puts himself in danger of haters and vigilantes and doesn’t fear.
I would very much like to thank him myself.