Officials in Placer County, California, are up in arms and complaining mightily that a 66-year-old registrant who has been designated a Sexually Violent Predator is about to be released in that county.
Never mind that he was convicted more than 30 years ago and has completed many years of treatment. Never mind that experts have determined he no longer poses a current risk.
Instead of relying upon these facts, Placer County officials and other government representatives are crying “not in my back yard”, otherwise known as NIMBY. And they appear to believe that the louder they shout NIMBY, the less likely the registrant will be released in that county.
Perhaps that’s true. But if it is true, it raises the question of where should he live?
Two additional counties – Kern and Santa Cruz – are also being considered for his release. And what will happen if he is released in one of those two counties? Chances are we will hear NIMBY shouted in those locations.
The NIMBY cry we are hearing now in Placer County is a cry we have heard before. Just last month the mayor and about a dozen residents in the city of Fairfield, California, protested with signs outside the home where registrants on parole reside.
It is a home by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), a state agency not known to be friendly to registrants. It is also a home that requires registrants to live by a strict code of conduct. And don’t forget every registrant who lives there must wear a GPS device that tracks their movements 24/7.
We also recently heard a loud cry of NIMBY in San Diego County where a group of parents and residents demanded that the school board lobby for residency restrictions. The restrictions they demanded would, in effect, prohibit all registrants from living in that community.
Then there is the federal appellate court that upheld an existing residency restriction of 6,500 feet in a small town in Wisconsin. This court ruling will ensure the town that registrants cannot live there.
The overriding question for all registrants, whether on supervision or beyond, is where should they live? The only options appear to be living in the community, staying in custody for the rest of their lives or being killed. The first option, of course, is the only rational choice. The second option would significantly increase already bloated prison populations. And the third option is not humane.
It’s time to look at the facts. The rate of re-offense for individuals required to register is extremely low. Registrants on parole have a re-offense rate of less than one percent, according to CDCR. And the federal government has determined that registrants who are no longer on supervision have a re-offense rate of about 5 percent. Compare those facts to the fact that about 95 percent of people who sexually abuse children are not on the registry, but instead are teachers, coaches, clergy, and family members.
Given these facts, one could conclude that registrants make good neighbors and keep your children safe. Perhaps the best cry should be IMBY (in my backyard), not NIMBY.
It’s time that sex laws be completely revamped. A sexual predator is far different breed of cat than is an older man being seduced by some horny teenager. There is no distinction between these “crimes” yet all such situations are treated as though they are life altering TRAUMA. Of course the courts and organizations that track such situationslabel all encounter as “abuse” and never consider the actual situations in which a sexual encounter occurred. Rather than accept any sexuality of anyone under the age of consent, it’s easier to hate hate hate and hate even more. It never ends. And we wonder why we have the society we do today. After my arrest I disclosed to a foreign coworker the exact things that happened that landed me in so much trouble. I didn’t hold anything back and gave every detail I could remember, even stuff that I was embarrassed about myself. The man literally stood there laughing, almost to the point of disbelief. He finally sat down continuing to chuckle and said if all that had happened in his native country the entire family would be kicked out of the police station for wasting officers time with such complete nonsense. He gave me some wise words.. “if you go to prison, when you get out, get OUT of the U.S. !” And he was right. We have gone too far in the assumption of trauma. Even worse when the only trauma is the humiliation to a teenager on the witness stand when she never wanted to be there in the first place. In this regard her life, her sexuality is put on display to be exploited by the court system simply for their own agenda, her life be damned. Now a predator? That’s different, and the registry does not distinguish these differences.
It is amazing how indifferent these residents are about the the proliferation of mob looters and shoplifters that are doing real present moment damage to communities. Retail stores are closing across the country, some essential to the communities they served for groceries and baby supplies, and if the stores stay open they just pass the loss on to us that pay until they can’t support the loss and then close. But who knows who these thousands of looters are and who gives a thought to where they live? But a guy that did a single offense 30 years ago is demonized and feared and scorned.
So inhumane treatment of these folks. Wonder how many well connected $$$$ politicians have been able to circle outside of these crazy orders and protect themselves and or family members. Pretty sure it goes on every day…
You left out cops.
Maybe those who have to register find out about others in their local community who have crimes with convictions and start protesting their living in their neighborhoods with other residents.
For example, if someone who has a driving under the influence conviction, who happens to live in their neighborhood, then they should be protested against because you never know when they’re driving through the neighborhood inebriated, especially around Halloween which is the most dangerous time for children to be victims of drunk drivers.
Just saying…NIMBY
Well I think that like in Florida miracle village should also have one similar in every state.A section of land designated for offenders and their family’s to live off of and not have to deal with angry neighbors spewing venom to people that have done their time for their mistakes.In reality murderers and human traffickers should have a website for them as well maybe that will help take off so much focus on thec290 registrants.Food for thought.
This makes no sense at all. Whomever designated this person as a SVP did him no favors at all, and it is clear that a reclassification is necessary here. If all of the professionals are stating that this person is no longer a danger, then why the SVP designation?
This is the core reason that people are screaming NIMBY. Change his classification and all’s well that ends well. This is an easy fix, and it just takes someone with a spine to make it happen. For an offense committed more than 30 years ago certainly cannot leave this person a SVP.
Again, this isn’t grade school and it’s also not rocket science.
What it is, is a lack of knowledge about the level of risk [people forced to register] hold individually., The stigma of …[thinking a person who molested a] child always …[molests children], as well as a …[person who committed a rape] will also harm a child, Its the fear of the lie that our government placed of society. To believe “All” …[people who committed a sex offense will recidivate], and will reoffend. Which we know is not true. Until we are able to be heard, and put all the cards on the table show our hands only then will the community relax.. they have to feed on the negative hype not the truth that not all …[people convicted of a sex offense] re offered. eg. Like those 20,000 or more …[people] who [were]… [convicted]… of sex crimes over 30 years ago with ” NO RISK ASSESSMENT “” Who have been able to be productive member of society, rise a family’ work live without committing any other serious or violent crimes ( like myself.)
Congrats government this is the outrage you’ve created when you made a big stink out of sex offenses, made a registry calling all on it … “forever dangerous” and took everything away for a person to reenter society successfully. How about you start enacting laws based on facts, not emotions or what makes you look good in public? Enough with the assumptions because y’all sure like to make asses out of yourself.
There’s an organization in Long Beach CA, That helps PFR find places to live and all types of other resources, They even help you get section8
The leader of this organization has been fighting the city and LBPD over where and how many sex offenders she can houses at one time for years.
She told me the started out just helping the homeless in 2007 BUT eventually had to switch into helping all these 290 registrants, though they are still dedicated to helping the homeless 90% of there clients are 290’s.
When I was there I met a lot people from all over California who got chased out of their original county’s by “law enforcement and NIMBY”
It doesn’t seem like there is much outreach, information dissemination, or counter-protests at these protests to inform/educate these ill-informed people about where the real danger is. Which is someone close to you and not someone on the registry. It’s just a fact with mountains of data to back it up. Here’s a pamphlet explaining it for you with citations, now go away because you are literally wasting your time being here.
It is not enough to defend SOs. The public needs education. Some of the legislators are knowledgeable, but most focus on “looking tough on crime.” If the public were better educated it is not as likely they would go along with this legislator behavior.
Washington State edition of Where should they live?
Resident of Enumclaw transitional home for sex offenders will not return. Stevan Knapp was removed from Garden House in July due to “credible threats” to his safety; a judge ruled it is not in his “best interest” to return
“Knapp was temporarily removed from Garden House after being found to have violated his conditional release terms, none of which appear related to criminal or sexual violations.
According to Department of Corrections, Knapp sharpened a dowel into a weapon due to his rising levels of paranoia and anxiety in part due to “constant harassment and threats to his safety from the community.” Knapp is not allowed to have weapons of any kind.”
According to the King County Prosecutor’s Office, Superior Court Judge Suzanne Parisien ruled today, Aug. 23, that “the present conditions at the Garden House LRA are no longer in Mr. Knapp’s best interest, physically, psychologically and/or emotionally,” court documents read.
She clarified that Knapp was not removed from Garden House because of the various conditional release violations, but because of “significant safety concerns… related to increasingly fervent public protests surrounding the LRA location and what has been credibly described by Mr. Knapp as constant harassment and threats to his physical safety.”
More proof that these laws leads to myths that promote fear and hatred.
Thank you JB, vdfy well stated article! Where do we go? Big corp apts deny saying u did NOT pass backgroubd, better your credit check is good, we cant just have you here, tgey wont renew and besides it will make our residents feel uncomfortable. Thx 4 applying, try elsewhere. If your fam has blacksheeped you you’ve got no where else to go as a single male, maybe living in a old delapidated van, friends say but weve got kids…siin to be homeless, thought gov is trying to correct houseless population, not trying to add more ..