Jessica's Law Blamed for Steep Rise in Homeless Sex Offenders

by Shannon Moriarty · 2010-01-26 15:55:00 UTC
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In just three years, the number of homeless sex offenders in California has increased a whopping 2400 percent. Who or what is to blame for this skyrocketing figure? Believe it or not, it's Jessica's Law, passed by voters in November 2006 and designed to protect children from paroled sex offenders. What's a state to do when a law intended to bolster public safety is actually exacerbating the threat of recidivism?

Today, there are 2,200 paroled sex offenders who are homeless in California. This is up from 1,257 a year ago and just 88 in September 2007. The causal link between the passage of Jessica's Law and the onslaught of homeless sex offenders is undeniable. What, you ask, is at the heart of the issue here? Housing.

Jessica's Law bans sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park where children "regularly gather," according to the Mercury News. These strict requirements have created real difficulties for paroled sex offenders looking for places to live. Even if housing is available within approved areas, it may be unaffordable. The requirements have also created clusters of sex offenders in places like unmonitored motels, which are not sustainable forms of housing nor necessarily safe for children.

To make matters worse, there are few re-entry programs for any type of ex-offenders, including those charged with sex crimes. This lack of programmatic assistance usually means that upon their release from prison, people are responsible for finding a place to live, often with little financial or family support.

Officials in California have changed their position in the past year; instead of saying that homeless sex offenders pose a threat to public safety, they are saying that Jessica's Law poses a threat to public safety. Instability, they say, increases the likelihood that repeat crimes will be committed. Now that the causal link has been established, which steps this budget-strapped state should take next is an entirely different question.

It's a complex issue, and it will be interesting to see how things take shape in the coming months. While immediate steps should be taken to see that the public is protected, it's important to note that not every convicted sex offender poses a threat after his or her release from prison. Connecting former inmates with decent and stable housing is necessary for both protecting the public from the threat of recidivism and allowing those who have served their time to move on with their lives.

Photo credit: The Snitch

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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