Homeless Sex Offenders: Isolation Isn't the Answer

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-05-30 12:33:00 UTC
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Homeless sex offenders who have served their time in prison face heavy restrictions on where they are permitted to live... even those who are out on the streets. Sheltering sex offenders is nearly impossible and financial assistance is not politically popular. Now, it seems that even one's last resort- living outdoors- is enough to put them behind bars.

Clearly, there is a need for laws protecting the public from dangerous predators. But when should the punishment end?

About a dozen sex offenders on parole in Merced, California were ordered to move from their established homeless encampment or face arrest. They relocated about a mile outside of town and set up camp underneath an overpass. They call the area "a dangerous part of town," according to the Merced Sun-Star:

The colony of about a dozen sex offenders was informed last week that they needed to move somewhere else, but were given no options.

The homeless sex offenders were told to find somewhere that complied with their restrictions, which include staying far from schools and parks.

Finding shelter for homeless sex offenders on parole is an unusually tough task, both because of state laws that heavily restrict where they can live and because helping them, especially in lean budget years, isn't politically popular.On Friday, they were told by California Highway Patrol officers and Merced County Sheriff's Department deputies that they need to go somewhere else within 10 days because they were living on private property.

Jesse, who finishes parole in March, said he's not sure where he'll go next. "I'm just tired," he sighed.

The criminal justice system is not the answer to homelessness. Regulating and controlling those who are unhoused is not the answer to homelessness. Both of these tactics are simply costly forms of denial. A comprehensive and coordinated re-entry program (with permanent housing) for parolees is far more humane and fair than isolating these people under a highway overpass.

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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