Study Finds Alarming Rise in Homeless Sex Offenders
The case comes just as a new national study is shedding light on what researchers say is a little-discussed but increasingly urgent problem: the growing number of homeless individuals on the sex offender registry.
The Cicero Institute, a nonpartisan policy group, released findings in April showing that in at least 32 states, more than 10 percent of the unsheltered homeless population consists of registered sex offenders. In eight states, sex offenders make up more than half of that population.
In California, sex offender residence restrictions, coupled with policies that bar many from shelters, have pushed a subset of formerly incarcerated individuals into street homelessness. Shelters often exclude registrants from programs, especially those near schools, parks or senior facilities.
According to past surveys, 71 percent of homeless shelters in multiple states bar entry to registered sex offenders outright, regardless of their offense or risk level.
The Cicero Institute recommends developing specialized housing models for homeless sex offenders, expanding secure transitional options under close supervision, and enhancing tracking systems to prevent violations.
The report also calls on federal agencies like HUD to begin tracking sex offender status as part of their annual homeless assessment reports — a step that advocates say is essential for public safety planning.
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As a society are we supposed to feel sorry for them? hMMMMMMM
MrD
Agree with your statement
You are not required to feel anything for anyone.
It’s called empathy. Human beings deserve it.
some get more, some don’t get any unfortunately
The mindset of bad things should just keep happening to people who committed a registerable offense (no matter how long ago and what the offense was) is very counterintuitive. Residency restrictions make no dent in reducing offenses, what they do is create a homeless issue that leaves law enforcement in precarious position and also leads to higher crime often associated with homelessness ( stealing to eat, increased drug use, etc.) It makes society worse and greatly increases the chance of reoffense.
Yes, because people are uneducated on this subject. The Registry includes a potpourri of low-level offenders like urination in the woods, nudity, consensual teen sex, streaking, on one hand, and violent rape on the other, all the same. NO. This is a life sentence crime. What happened to serving time and back into life? Recidivism is lowest. There can be no change, because this is a boogyman-crime where no one will touch change.
It seems you don’t understand the registry. What can get a person on it varies widely but the label and the lifetime on it means everyone is treated with the same label. It’s takes some ability to understand these things to really know the truth of them. My wish for you Mr. D is that one day you gain that ability to understand as well as the basic, humanity defining characteristic of empathy.
Well said Anon.
Look at the states without residency restrictions. They have zero issues with people forced to register. If someone is bent on committing a crime (any crime) no distance restriction, or any law for that matter, is going to stop them.
I should amend my comment to say the states with no residency restrictions have zero issues with PFR’s that the residency restrictions are supposed to prevent.
These trolls know that the registry is illogical. They’re just so fueled by hate they choose to ignore the facts. They get on here spouting off with no data to support their OPINIONS. As soon as you hit them with FACTS and common sense, they cower.
Announcement
Nobody knows it’s a Myth
There are so many things that need to be done to address homelessness to begin with. States need to stop criminalizing homelessness. End residency restrictions for registrants, and so on. But we won’t because we’d rather spend money on imprisonment and Nimbyism.
If LE is so bent on “monitoring” PFRs, they sure have a funny way of going about lol. Wouldn’t they want a physical address to verify instead of chasing someone all over the city trying to locate them? Make it make sense. This is what happens when the legislature piles laws on top of each other instead of repealing the ones that dont work 🤦
I don’t think that sheriff man did anything bad. Victimless crimes. It’s okay in my book. Better to racketeer than sex predator stuff. What do you guys think?
Despite the fact that FAC advocates for change to certain laws, while these laws are in effect, Members may not break the law or participate in any activity that violates Federal, State or Local laws or encourage another to do so.
The same people who do not want offenders to have a place to go will reap what they sew when the homeless end up in the woods behind your house. As an ex-offender myself, we had this issue in our neighborhood in the woods next to us.
It is a catch 22. They can’t stay almost anywhere but no one wants them around their neighborhood. Wait until one of your relatives gets a charge and when all your friends turn on you. When the shoe is on the other foot and you are one the other side of the effects of homelessness, maybe you would have a single cell of compassion.
Funny how someone changes their mind when it is their loved one. None of us want this. Once we were released from all sanctions, that should have been it. But people like me are on the registry for life. And despite the judges stating it is not punishment, we are harassed and sometimes killed by vigilantes who have no connection to our charges.
I think that you are trolling. Racketeering is a federal crime.
Bwj
Once Opinion ( maybe differnt from yours) it’s not Trolling. Lets not start this again please,?
So, if I understand this way of thinking correctly it means this option is just more control over where a person can live and be free. Instead of being incarcerated a sex offender will only be incarcerated on the outside of prison. As it is now one wrong step in the wrong direction can lead to incarceration . This is only getting worse.
I absolutely agree with sex offenders being banned from shelters. Too many kids (unfortunately) are staying there,
The recidivism rate for sex offenses is almost non-existent. They should not be banished from their homes and communities unless they prove that they are going to re-offend. If they do re-offend then they should be in jail. But if they have done their time, they should be able to live at home…like murderers can!!!!!!
How about the ones with kids? Are my kids and different then others?
All children are equally deserving of protection. There should be no family separation policy when it comes to shelters.
Jacob
Precisely correct..ALL
Mary, you do realize that there are kids on the registry too. And many registrants also have kids, should they be shut out of shelters just because their parent (who has the same likelihood as offending as anyone else in the shelter) has served their sentence and paid their debt to society?
We have shelters where this is not an issue. Women and children stay together and separate from the men. The only restrictions I believe they make is regarding bringing any kinds of drugs into the facility. This policy has been in effect for 15+ years and I haven’t heard any reports in the news of there being problems of that sort.
No, Mary. Offenders who completed punishment are people, humans, citizens, fathers, brothers, veterans, real people with families, lives, dogs and cats – you and all have sinned. Previous offenders are not animals, not boogymen, not monsters. Offenders have been punished, and now deserve the freedom to get back to life. Sex offenders have the lowest recidivism rate next to murders. The Registry is too broad – it includes on the low side, urination in the woods, nudity, consensual teen sex same age, viewing illegal pictures, selfies, streaking, and on the other end, violent rapists. But your mind treats them the same. Ref storm shelters, if a storm will cause death, you, as another person, need to offer them humanity. Shelters are controlled. Taxes pay police and guards to oversee public places. Police take an oath to protect and service all the public, including these people you fear. Grow up and fear not. Bad, Bad, Bad. Ref other shelters, your rules are creating the homeless situation, so acclimate. Kids have parents who are responsible to watch their kids. Teach them about strangers. Do not leave them alone. Your job. Crimes are committed by anyone, and less so, by registrants. Maybe, get educated and get a real opinion.
I think there is some sort of village in Florida where they can live? Not sure if it’s correct
M
How is this even relevant?
M
There is a village in South Florida near lake Okeechobee.
Having said that, not all of us have to live somewhere else. I have own my home for 22 years now, crime was 34 years ago and nothing since.
When people try and buy on a street, it is up to them to check if any registered persons live on the street and not go off on me who have been here 22 years and they move in and want me to move?
I am laughing all the way to las Vegas. I have zero restrictions on where I live and if someone wants to live on my street and give me dirty looks, eventually they will get wrinkles from scrunching up their faces when they pass buy.
I always wave and tell them “Have a blessed day”. I mean it sincerely, but it seems to piss them off even more which is an issue between them and God. (And maybe the real estate agent who wanted to make a sale and not tell them an offender lived here). If I had the money, I would buy the entire street and rent out to other offenders who have no place to go.
No, there is not. FL has the most draconian restrictions against registrants in the nation. As good as he is, Desantos and voters in FL are guilty. FL is causing the homelessness. FL has been censored for this failure. Academics have shown in study after study that distance from a school has NO impact on sex crimes. Signs in front lawns have no impact. Sex crimes are not caused by registrants, but by those unknown by the public. LE has knowledge of all registrants, and that is enough. Public servants who refuse to protect the interests of registrants in FL are not censored; they take pictures of themselves. Voters are fear mongered and there is no public outcry for the public restrictions on those finished with punishment, be they citizens, fathers, sons, brothers, veterans. Shame on those in power in FL for violation of the intent of the founding fathers and the Constitution.
As a father of a registrant, I have seen how unfair the legal system in FL is to my family and my son. They told him after he got out of jail to be at an orange grove where his permanent address was now to be, because he couldn’t live anywhere else. If not for God’s grace and a lot of work on our part, he would be homeless. As a professional cello player, you can imagine how that would turn out. Our laws are unfair, unjust, put a lot of strain on other family members and just designed to punish registrants until they die. I hate what society has become especially to those who never hurt anyone at all but got the “label”.