IN- Where Should Sex Offenders be Allowed to Live?

It is a myth that, former offenders will recidivate in the neighborhood where they live. In fact, a Minnesota DOC study of former sex offenders that did recidivate, found the following:

"Based on the examination of level three re-offenders (deemed MOST LIKELY to recidivate), there were no examples that residential proximity to a park or school was a contributing factor in any of the sexual re-offenses. Enhanced safety due to proximity restrictions may be a comfort factor for the general public, but it does not have any basis in fact.

The two level three offenders whose re-offenses took place near parks, drove from their residences to park areas that were several miles away. It appears that a sex offender attracted to such locations (school, bus, parks, etc.) for purposes of committing a crime is more likely to travel to another neighborhood in order to act in secret rather than in a neighborhood where his or her picture is well known." Minnesota DOC. (Note: Phillip Garrido drove 160 miles away from his home to kidnap Jaycee at her school bus stop. Sarah Tofte "What can we learn from the Garrido case? 9-21-2009)

Further, if a child is supervised by a parent (required by laws in every state. Check Child Protective Services law for your state) then there is no possibility of danger to the child.

10-10-2009 Indiana:

The story about a bus stop near the house of a sex offender has raised questions about where sex offenders should be able to live. Some lawmakers want to add more rules and prevent them from living near a bus stop.

There are close to 3500 registered sex offenders in Marion County and they live all over the place and in some cases within a mile or less of a school bus stop.

There's already a law saying offenders with crimes involving children can't live within 1,000 feet of a park, school, or youth program center.

Should they be forced to move away from bus stops too? The mother of a convicted child molester speaks out. "It's unfair they have decided to prosecute anybody. We don't have laws that say there's a drunk driver that can't live near you or somebody who's robbed somebody."

Note: What this mother says is very true, ex: when a drunk driver is going home from a bar -most likely where they got drunk- they are driving drunk in the neighborhood where they live endangering everyone, including children at bus stops -if during the day-.

But Lawrence city leaders see it differently; they want to add school bus stops to that list by creating an ordinance or something else.

A law could be challenging though especially at the bus stop at East 47th Street and Karen where 68 offenders are located around that bus stop.

American Civil Liberties Union Attorney Ken Falk says there's little if any evidence that proves a new restriction will deter predators.

"There may be a bus stop on this corner this year. It may be moved to the next corner. So does that mean the offender has to move every year, every six months?"

Mapping out a solution won't be easy, but Lawrence City Officials hope to sit down with school leaders soon and come up with a game plan by the end of the week. ..Source.. by WXIN-TV