Registered Sex Offenders as Neighbors....
Internet Safety Educator
4 Comments
Would you want to live next to registered sex offenders and pedophiles?
The Palace Mobile Home Park in Pinellas, Florida, is creating quite the buzz.
For the past few years, this particular adult-only trailer park has been a safe-haven for sex offenders. Out of the 200 park residents, 98 are registered sex offenders. In fact, about 600 sex offenders have lived there the past few years. The offenders are offered low-cost housing and counseling services. And according to authorities, only one offender who has lived here has re-offended.
So this leads to the obvious questions:
- Once these offenders have "paid their dues", and comply with all requirements of their release, should they be allowed to live their lives as the rest of us?
- Do they deserve a second chance?
- Would you feel comfortable or safe living near a registered sex offender?
Are there sex offenders in your neighborhood?
When is the last time you checked your area sex offender registry ?
Reader Comments (4)
Hey Queen Jace
recidivism of sexual offences is apparently high. Statistics will argue their positive case either way.
I think that taking the liberty of another human being, especially a child, should result in a double punishment - a legal and an ethical one. The ethical punishment is that the offender stays known as an offender for the rest of their life. The victim has to stay affected for the rest of their life, even if they work through and integrate their trauma.
I would not live near the trailer park. That is like stepping into a pit of venomous snakes.
hmm....good questions Jace
to be honest I would feel uncomfortable about living near a trailer park like this one....
still it seems to be working for them living all together in one community.....
ideally I don't think integrating these people back into the community is a good idea...
my suggestion would be to have them live on an island in their own self sufficient community....
Hi Ms Megan,
It's a very interesting question, isn't it? Perhaps those who do not have children, would feel differently than those who do have kids?
You made some excellent points, as always!!!
Hi Laketrees.
That has been suggested before---not the island part, but place all the registered sex offenders in one area. I think even if I did not have children and lived in that particular trailer park, I would feel extremely uncomfortable living there, probably being an ex-police dispatcher.
Often times it seems in our country, we protect the criminal more than the victim. Although these men have paid their "debts" to society, what about those little children who have to struggle with this for the rest of their lives? What about their famlilies?
Hard questions. Great answer. Thanks!