Bill blocks some sex offenders from living in N.D. state parks

2-2-2011 North Dakota:

Under a proposed piece of legislation, certain sex offenders would no longer be allowed to live in state parks.

House Bill 1435, introduced in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, is being pushed by the attorney general's office after it became known that sex offenders were legally registering their address as that of a state park.

"We learned of at least one individual probably more who are registering their addresses, and appropriately registering under the current system of the law, their addresses as they're required to do, and they've been listing at state parks because that's where they were living at the time," Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said.

No one can live in state parks for more than

14 days as it is, and under this bill, sex offenders could still live in the park for three days since that is the amount of time they have to register their address.

The bill would only apply to moderate- and high-risk sex offenders, like child molesters, as opposed to low-risk offenders, which Stenehjem described as people who committed a sexual act with someone more than four years younger in the context of a relationship.

Sex offenders are rated from low- to high-risk by the Sex Offender Registration Advisory Committee, which considers factors like employment, residence and the crime itself to judge an offender's likelihood to reoffend.

Sex offenders who follow the law often have trouble finding a place to live since many landlords don't want to rent to them. Some end up homeless.

That was the case for Timothy Profrock, who, after serving nine years in prison, was evicted from a Mandan apartment and spent the next several weeks moving from park to park with his family before ending up at Fort Lincoln State Park.

Stenehjem said the bill was not written to include local parks because he believes they should come to that decision on their own. The bill only applies to moderate- and high-risk offenders because they are the most dangerous to children or people staying in tents versus a secure structure like a house.

The committee voted unanimously to give the bill a "do pass" recommendation. ..Source.. by REBECCA BEITSCH, Bismarck Tribune