CA: Sex offender in Marin County will be turned out on streets; unlikely allies say that’s not safe
A 68-year-old registered sex offender has no time left on his stay at a Marin County hotel and his case manager is making an unusual plea for someone to house his client so that he doesn’t have to sleep in a tent under a freeway.
“The day I get released, I’m supposed to be on the street with diabetes,” said Socorro de Jesus Mayen Alvarado, whose first language is Spanish. He is a registered sex offender who served three years in prison after being convicted for molesting his girlfriend’s nieces more than a decade ago.
However, despite these stark philosophical differences, there are at least two things these unlikely allies do agree on: Giving sex offenders stable housing cuts down on recidivism rates and knowing where they are living is better for public safety.
Over the last two weeks, BACR re-entry case manager Dennis Villalobos Sabino has called dozens of homeless shelters and churches to put up Alvarado.
While some didn’t have room or never called back, other shelters directly told Sabino that they wouldn’t house a registered sex offender.
“Because of this status, they rejected us,” Sabino said. “I keep getting the same story. The 290, the 290, the 290, the 290, the 290,” in reference to California’s penal code that requires sex offenders to register with the state. “They’re rejecting him and closing doors on him. I’m all out of options at this point.”
I know we The U.S government) doesn’t go by the U.N council, but their bill of rights states:
The right to housing is the economic, social and cultural right to adequate housing and shelter. It is recognized in some national constitutions and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Isn’t it odd, you have on one hand, people being released but no place to live. Then you have the “Civilly” committed folks still locked up past their sentences and no relief in site to get out.
I guess you could be more accepted in society if you killed someone or messed up thousands of lives as a drug dealer/trafficker. Mess up someone’s life or many people’s lives by stealing their identity or committing fraud and that is acceptable and forgiven but if you commit a sex offense then it’s never forgiven no matter what you do. I experienced this same scenario in Alachua county at the St. Francis house in Gainesville, Fl. Thank god I had VA benefits and was able to get help through the VA. However, most of the help the VA did try to to assist me with, the doors was also closed all because of the registry. Tried to get section 8/Hud housing, nope. There was another housing program the VA tried to help me with but I can’t remember the name of it but again the answer was No.
Tim
That is the same with jobs. I never had a problem getting a job even with my charges. But almost every time, a while down the road, someone would complain (Either an employee or a customer) that they saw me on the registry and they were not going to be a customer to a place with sex offenders risking their safety.
The last job I worked at, I walked up behind my boss quietly and saw him viewing my registry page. I never told him I saw him looking at it but we barely spoke a word to each other after that. I was the second highest ranking person left after they downsized. I waited until the boss went on vacation and called corporate and told them I was leaving my keys with the temp worker and I quit.
HR called me and interviewed me about what happen. I gave them 7 years of dirt on the boss and how he treated me like shit. The temp was making twice what I made after 7 years and he just started and wasn’t even an employee. 3 months after their investigation, that location was closed and boss was let go. Am I laughing at him about it? No, I am not an evil person, but he got exactly what he deserved.
That was a long time ago and have not worked in almost a decade and probably never will again since I am disabled. I am just a bit away from being able to draw social security.
Side note, the boss did not hire me and was told not to mention registry to anyone when I was hired. I was like well Duh. Years later I put two and two together and realized it was someone in my extended family who spilled the beans. That bastard got what he deserved as well. Not sure I believe in Karma, but if I did, he sure got a double dose of it.
Why are officials so surprised after misinformation campaigns when they can’t seem to put the toothpaste back in the tube? The entire sex offender targeted system should just be abolished…but….politics. Science shows it’s not working. Politicians who know nothing think they can fix it. The world was a better place before the registry.
If the streets aren’t safe why not get rid of restrictions placed on one group of felons/ Misdemeanors in the ever expanding sex offense crimes category. When give up liberty for safety; we lose both. Well America we have lost both due to the registry; which hasn’t kept anybody safe and has cost registrants their freedom with or without a technical violation. Politicians, Judges, and fellow citizens; tear down this registry and let freedom for all in a free society. Otherwise continue to be a hypocritical society and laughing stock across the globe.