California policy change on sex-offender housing, Part 2
Whither Jessica’s Law?
In our earlier post from this week, we noted the evisceration of that California statutory enactment by state corrections officials acting in the wake of a state court decision rendered earlier this year.
The result: An estimated 4,200 — if not more — sex offenders convicted of crimes against children previously who were under voter-approved housing restrictions are now free to live where they want to in California.
And that, understandably, raises alarm bells for diverse critics of the revised policy.
“That’s scary for victims,” says one commentator, in regard to the thousands of offenders who are now free of locale-related restrictions. As noted in an article discussing the policy change regarding the sex-offender housing ban, individuals no longer subject to the housing restrictions will still be monitored by criminal authorities through tracking technology. Moreover, they must keep state officials duly informed of their address and any relocations.
Understandably, that does not mollify many state residents and voters, given the recidivism that is often cited regarding convicted sex offenders.
As AP-culled information notes, state corrections officials greatly underestimated the number of paroled offenders that would be eligible for removal from a blanket housing ban forbidding them to live near areas where children congregate.
Notwithstanding their flawed assessment, they say that they are simply following the judicial decision from earlier this year that mandated a policy change. That ruling deemed blanket housing restrictions too severe a sanction and violative of offenders’ constitutional rights. Justices stated that there was a disconnect between that policy and the need to protect California children.
The matter is certain to continue receiving wide media coverage, and attempts to modify it seem likely. The co-author of the original initiative that was passed by voters as Jessica’s Law says that she plans to pass new legislation next year that will grant state judges more discretion over housing decisions in given cases.
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