Florida Sex Offenders Told to Seek Shelter in Jails and Prisons, or Leave State During Hurricane Irma
Registered sex offenders across Florida might have a hard time finding safe shelter as Hurricane Irma begins pummeling the state Sunday. Many shelters across Florida were at capacity over the weekend, and few had let in sex offenders. Some were told to report to their nearest prison or jail, while others were shunned, according to local reports.
Florida’s efforts to police its sex offender community have long made national headlines, in part because the state has so many that it can make it difficult for them to find legal housing. Florida forbids registered sex offenders from living close to areas where children congregate, forcing some into homelessness. A recent state study found that the number of registered sex offenders had jumped by 44 percent over the past 10 years to more than 26,000. Adding those serving time in jail or prison pushes the number to more than 66,000.
In northern Florida, the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office warned sex offenders to turn themselves in. Officials posted this message on Facebook: “All Sex Offenders who is seeking Shelter, Please Adhere: ***All male sex offender’s that are on active supervision living in Gadsden County, if they elect to evacuate, will be required to report to the Gadsden County Annex Prison. All female sex offenders on active supervision living in Gadsden County, if they elect to evacuate, will be required to report to the Gadsden Correctional Facility in Gretna. If the sex offender or sexual predator is not currently being supervised by the Department of Corrections, the Department of Corrections will not be responsible for those offenders. Sexual Predator not being supervised by DOC, should not be allowed where children congregate I.E. shelters FOR YOUR PROTECTION, LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL BE AT EACH SHELTER LOCATION.”
In Central Florida, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office set up a special shelter space for registered sex offenders at a local high school in Wesley Chapel. “They need someplace to go just like any other citizen,” sheriff’s spokesman Kevin Doll told local reporters. Offenders who showed up at shelters where children were present faced arrest.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd made national headlines last week when he said anyone with outstanding warrants who sought shelter would be taken to jail. He also tweeted that the county “cannot and we will not have innocent children in a shelter with sexual offenders (and) predators.”
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Carrie Hortsman said the county told registered sex offenders to go to Pasco County or find their own solution. “I mean there are hotels and motels available,” Horstman said. “… A lot of people have been leaving the state, so they can also flee north.”
When I first registered, back in 1998, and they took my DNA at the jail (I was never incarcerated though), that visit shows as an ARREST on my criminal record. I hope that check-ins at shelters don’t show up as an arrest for anyone, but it wouldn’t surprise me. They may have seen my DNA extraction visit as an arrest since I was compelled to appear.
As I was reading at my morning devotions this morning I ran across a couple of verses in the Bible that brought to mind the so-called law enforcement officials who felt justified in turning away RSO’s and their families seeking shelters from the hurricane. Here it is:
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautifully, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanliness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matt. 24:27-28). Jesus berated the church leaders for placing unbearable burdens on the people and then excusing themselves from the same burdens. Jesus, after giving forgiveness, told the recipients to go and sin no more. If only some of our law enforcement “scribes and Pharisees” would take the time to educate themselves before they make such draconian policies, they just might find that the hate they have amassed over the years has long been a waste of their time. To allay negative connotations on all ex-offenders is the same as saying all police officers are bad just because a few can’t stay within the confines of the law. All of us have done things we are not proud of and wish we could undo, but that is not possible. We can, though, march into the future and display acts that show we are changed individuals. Unfortunately the ‘unforgiving system’ we are forced to live in tries to prevent that from happening. Evil resides in the hearts of all men and thankfully we all are not held responsible for what we might do like RSO’s are. The Constitution is supposed to protect all citizens from such scrutiny but does not do so in all cases. Fortunately the ‘light’ is starting to come on in many of our court rooms. Many thanks to FAC and NARSOL for flipping that ‘switch’.
I love the Bible verse and since Shady Grady spouts about being a Christian all the time we should make it our motto when dealing with him to just post “Go and sin no more”