Sex Offender Proximity (H 8502)

We opposed this legislation which would vastly expand the state’s current law restricting where registered sex offenders can live. In doing so, we believe this bill would actually be counter-productive to promoting public safety and should be rejected. Among other things, the bill would prohibit all level one and two sex offenders from residing within 1,000 feet of the victim’s residence, workplace, or school; would prohibit level three offenders from residing within a mile of those locations; would expand GPS monitoring requirements; and would give probation and parole officers uncontested and uncontestable authority to decide where an offender can live.

Research has demonstrated the inefficacy of sex offender residency restrictions. Stable housing and supportiveservices reduce recidivism, but residency restrictions like these undercut that goal. Residency restrictions can also make supervision of sex offenders in Rhode Island more difficult. Existing restrictions are often a contributing factor to individuals becoming homeless and a barrier to their exiting that state to stable community placements. It is clearly preferable for the public and law enforcement to have ex-offenders residing in a known location, where he or she can be regularly checked.