Sex Offender Restrictions May Backfire, Increase Risk
We’ve long known that people convicted of drug and alcohol related crimes and blue collar economic crimes such as theft were more likely to commit new crimes if they didn’t have access to things like a place to live, clean clothing, a telephone number to use on job applications, and all of the basics that make running a productive everyday life possible.
We have to believe, though, that legislators sincerely thought they were reducing the risk that sex offenders would repeat their crimes when an increasining number of jurisdictions enacted laws regulating where a convicted sex offender might live. For instance, there are restrictions on how near to a school a sex offender may live-and in some states, those restrictions extend to parks, bus stops, and a number of other locales presumed to be frequented by potential victims.
While that makes a lot of sense in theory, California officials are reporting that it’s not working out exactly as planned. The restrictions are making it difficult–sometimes impossible–for convicted sex offenders to find housing. And it turns out that just like other classes of criminal, sex offenders are more likely to commit new crimes when they lack a stable environment and a known location. The California Sex Offender Management Board says that forcing sex offenders into a transient lifestyle actually increases the threat.
