Source: abc7amarillo.com 4/23/25 HEREFORD, Texas (KVII) — The Hereford City Commission has enacted a new ordinance that restricts where registered sex offenders can reside, prohibiting them from living within 2,000 feet of schools, parks, pools, arcades, movie theatres, and other areas where children gather. The ordinance, passed on Monday, imposes a fine of up to $500 per day for violations. Chief Landon Swan of the Hereford Police Department explained the rationale behind the ordinance, stating, “What we’ve found is if we utilize all these different locations with the 2,000-foot radius, it actually…
Read MoreTag: Residency Restrictions (SORR)
IL: Nowhere to go People with sex offense convictions struggle to find housing in Illinois.
Source: chicagoreader.com 4/23/25 ll Ed Cetwinski could think was, “God, I’m out of prison. I can live my life a little bit.” He had just been released from Taylorville Correctional Center after five years behind bars. But even though he’s free from his prison cell, he’s still not free. Most criminal convictions in Illinois include a period of mandatory supervised release (MSR). It’s like parole, but it’s served as part of a prison sentence rather than in lieu of it. People on MSR must adhere to a litany of conditions,…
Read MoreFL: ‘Not welcome here’: Clewiston passes law to keep sex offenders farther away from schools
Source: fox4now.com 4/22/25 CLEWISTON, Fla. — Clewiston passed a new ordinance to push sex offenders farther away from schools. On Monday, city council passed an ordinance requiring sex offenders to live at least 2,500 feet from schools, parks, and playgrounds. Until now, offenders only had to live 1,000 feet away – the minimum state requirement. Clewiston Police Chief Tom Lewis said the city needed to act after seeing more offenders move in – taking advantage of Clewiston’s less strict rules. He said this change brings Clewiston in line with nearby…
Read MoreIN: New Indiana law tightens restrictions on sex offender relocation
Source: wfft.com 4/21/25 An Indiana bill aimed at strengthening safeguards on where sex offenders can live has been signed into law by the governor. The legislation was authored by state Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn. House Enrolled Act 1687 reinforces probation requirements for sex offenders who want to move to another county. It also adds new factors for judges to consider before approving a relocation. Those factors include whether the offender has close family ties—such as a spouse, parent, or adult child—in the area, along with stable housing and employment opportunities.…
Read MoreMN: More sex offenders reside in Brooklyn Park than other suburbs. The city may limit where they live.
Source: startribune.com 4/20/25 Officials question whether residency restrictions in other cities are pushing more registered offenders to Brooklyn Park. Matt Rabe, an inspector with the Brooklyn Park Police Department, answered a call that sparked a lot of questions. Rabe said the caller was trying to place a registered predatory offender in Brooklyn Park after a neighboring suburb had turned them down due to their city’s residency restrictions. Brooklyn Park doesn’t have an ordinance limiting where convicted sex offenders are allowed to live, but is surrounded by suburbs that do. The…
Read MoreFL: USF Reports Residency Restrictions Ineffective
Source: floridaactioncommittee.org 4/13/25 FAC came across the following presentation on a study from the University of South Florida, showing the effects of residency restrictions in Tampa, Florida. The conclusions were that residency restrictions have been ineffective. In fact, recidivism and the number of sexual crimes increased following their implementation. The topic is introduced at 1:09:20 and goes to 2:02:30 Read the report on the FAC website
Read MoreFL: The village of sex offenders
Source: bbc.com 3/12/25 Set among endless sugar-cane fields in a remote part of southern Florida, Restoration Destination is a community made up of registered sex offenders. Created by a Christian ministry as a response to state laws which ban them from living close to where children gather, it is now home to more than 100 men who have been placed on Florida’s sex offenders register for life. Through therapy, counselling and support, Restoration Destination aims to reduce their likelihood of reoffending and help them reintegrate into society. Journalist Conor Garrett…
Read MoreIL: Bill proposes halving distance between sex offenders and schools to 250 feet
Source: mystateline.com 3/17/25 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — A new bill proposed in Illinois would reduce the distance convicted sex offenders are required to observe when living near schools. Senate Bill 2254, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Chicago), would reduce the distance sex offenders are required to stay from schools and playgrounds from 500 feet to 250 feet. Read the full article [Action alert for Illinois registrants and supporters: Call, write, and show up as soon as possible to support this bill to increase housing choices for registrants]
Read MoreIL: Illinois Senate democrats push bill to ease residency rules for sex offenders
Source: prairiestatewire.com 3/14/25 Illinois Democratic state senators have proposed legislation that would reduce residency restrictions for registered child sex offenders, lowering the required distance they must maintain from schools and childcare facilities. Introduced by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford and co-sponsored by Sens. Adriane Johnson and Mary Edly-Allen, Senate Bill 2254 seeks to amend the Criminal Code of 2012 and the state’s sex offender registration laws. Under the proposed changes, the restricted zone around schools and childcare institutions would shrink from 500 feet to 250 feet. Additionally, the bill removes day care homes…
Read MoreFL: UPDATED 3/5/25 Putnam County Sheriff’s Office: ‘Cesspool of sex offenders’ cleared out of local trailer park
3/5/25 UPDATE: firstcoastnews.com “Tents housing sex offenders behind Putnam County Sheriff’s Office headquarters taken down” 3/3/25 UPDATE: actionnewsjax.com “‘It’s just rough’: Registered sex offenders in Putnam County claim to be displaced” Source: actionnewsjax.com 2/28/25 PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A “cesspool of sex offenders” was cleared out of a Palatka trailer park on Friday afternoon, according to Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach. On a Facebook Live, DeLoach said more than 22 convicted predators and sex offenders living in the area were cleared out. The trailer park, located at 3600 Balsam Street,…
Read MoreOH: More than 60 people displaced after Akron apartment building deemed unsafe, including 20 sex offenders
Source: cleveland19.com 2/18/25 AKRON, Ohio (WOIO) – More than 60 people are without a home on one of the coldest days of the year. According to the city of Akron, the façade of the Parkside Apartments on S. Main, St. came crumbling down on Feb. 9. On Feb. 13, the Summit County Division of Building Standards deemed the building to be an imminent danger to residents and the surrounding community. During their inspection, they also found a fire panel wasn’t working and issued an immediate evacuation. On Feb. 14, the…
Read MoreMD: Registered sex offenders living next to Maryland schools, parents outraged that it’s legal
Source: wsbt.com 3/18/23 BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Registered sex offenders living just feet from schools – it sounds like a parent’s nightmare. But WBFF found that it’s happening in Maryland, and it’s perfectly legal. Registered sex offenders living next to Maryland schools, parents outraged that it’s legal (WBFF) “I didn’t think that was possible,” said Casey Gerlach, a Baltimore County mother. “It’s terrifying,” added another Baltimore County mother Mary Frances Gensor. Maryland is home to about 6,500 registered sex offenders. According to the sex offender registry, nine offenders in seven locations live…
Read MoreWI: Glendale likely to challenge plan that would house sex offenders near child areas
Source: jsonline.com 12/7/24 The City of Glendale, Wisconsin is challenging a plan that would house two sex offenders in Milwaukee, right near Glendale’s border and near several places children often visit. At the city’s Dec. 9 Common Council meeting, officials will vote on whether to approve a resolution that would seek the plan’s reversal. The two offenders were both convicted in 1989, one for first-degree sexual assault and the other for second-degree sexual assault. The proposed resolution invokes a Glendale ordinance prohibiting convicted sex offenders from living within 1,200 feet of specified places…
Read MoreFL: Westlake City Council blocks future registrants from living there
Source: cbs12.com 7/17/24 WESTLAKE, Fla. (CBS12) — The Westlake City Council unanimously signed off on plans to enact stricter requirements on sexual predators and offenders – with one minor change. The measure is designed to protect the youngest residents of the area’s fastest-growing city and its main focus is widening the zones where predators are allowed to live, keeping them further away from children. … Under the new regulations, schools, parks, community centers, playgrounds, and “other places where children regularly congregate” would be no-go zones. The proposal originally included libraries,…
Read MoreNY: This Law Effectively Banishes People from New York City (podcast)
Source: nyclu.org 6/6/24 SARA is billed as a way to protect New Yorkers from people who could harm children. But research shows these types of geographical restrictions don’t increase public safety. The NYCLU recently filed a lawsuit challenging the misleadingly-named Sexual Assault Reform Act, or SARA. SARA is a New York law that prevents certain people required to register on the state’s sex offender registry from knowingly being within 1,000 feet of a school at any time and for any reason. It’s also been interpreted to prevent people subject to…
Read MoreAlabama Court Rules Residency Restrictions Violate Constitution
Source: ACSOL A federal district ruled yesterday that a state law in Alabama that restricts where registrants may live violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The court’s ruling was made in a 162-page decision that carefully reviewed the language of that state law as well as its impact upon more than 20,000 individuals required to register. According to the court, one part of the challenged residency restrictions adversely could affect the ability of registrants to attend church, participate in political events, visit family and access public libraries. Another…
Read MoreWI: Seventh Circuit considers challenges to Wisconsin sex offender laws
Source: courthousenews.com 4/18/24 One case challenged who gets defined as a sex offender, while another raised questions about where sex offenders can feasibly live while on supervised release. MADISON, Wis. (CN) — The Badger State’s sex offender laws faced scrutiny on Thursday, with a Seventh Circuit panel hearing back-to-back arguments against them in the state capital. The first two cases of the day were brought by people listed on the Wisconsin sex offender registry. Plaintiffs in both cases argued — through the same attorney but for very different reasons…
Read MoreNY: Concerned Watertown mom wants increased residency restrictions
Source: thedailynewsonline.com 4/19/24 WATERTOWN — A mother of a 4-year-old boy had no idea that a registered sex offender who was convicted of sexually abusing three children was living next to her and across the street from a home day care business. The young mother, Sierra Penrose, is now working on reviving a state Senate bill that would prohibit sex offenders from living near such daycares. The bill, which was first proposed a decade ago, hasn’t gained traction, even though it’s been reintroduced several times. The proposed legislation would…
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