Landlord to sex offenders in Ware, on registry himself, says safe home cuts risk
The following are excerpts from an article which can be found here.
Many of the 23 registered Level 3 sex offenders who live in Ware rent from another Level 3 sex offender who owns several properties and plans to provide a home for other offenders who need help.
Upon release, many registered sex offenders say they have a difficult time finding housing or a job because of their crime and addresses and photos made public through the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board. Mr. Pentlarge, who has advocated for discontinuing the Sex Offender Registry because of its prejudicial effects, said that is the main reason he tries to help other Level 3 offenders.
“I think members of any group that is discriminated against should help each other,” he said. “Obviously, if someone is getting out (of prison) and has a safe and secure place to live, hopefully a job, and access to appropriate services, that substantially reduces their chances of reoffending.”
“People ask why are all these sex offenders living on Pulaski Street?” Mr. Pentlarge said. “They’d like to live in Paxton, but they can’t afford to. They can’t get a job because they’re on the Sex Offender Registry. They can’t even get a job at Walmart or Lowe’s.”
Town Manager Stuart B. Beckley said the number of Level 2 and Level 3 sex offenders in town doesn’t seem to be a high number.
“If you look at the (Sex Offender) Registry Board, you can see a variety of offenders in a variety of towns,” he said. Police Chief Shawn Crevier said he doesn’t recall a time when any registered sex offender living in Ware has reoffended. The chief, a lifelong town resident, said he had wondered if there was a connection between Mr. Pentlarge and the number of registered sex offenders living in town.
Ware, which has a population of fewer than 10,000 people, has a significantly higher level of registered sex offenders, particularly at Level 3, than other communities in the area, including Belchertown, Palmer and Ludlow, which have larger populations.
According to the Sex Offender Registry Board, Ware, with a total population of 9,707, has 13 Level 1 sex offenders, 16 Level 2 sex offenders, and 23 Level 3 sex offenders.
Ludlow, which has more than twice the population of Ware, has seven Level 3 sex offenders, roughly a third of the number in Ware.
Mr. Pentlarge said he is committed to not reoffending. The shame and pain that he caused family, friends and acquaintances is something he never wants to repeat, he said. He has apologized to his four victims, he said. Two of them, now adults, visit regularly. He said they had court orders prohibiting contact lifted.
He said he was surprised by the intensity of the media’s interest in Mr. Shanley’s release from prison. As the priest moved in, a woman stood outside his door with a sign that said, “Beware.” He was also told of two people throwing garlic at the house where Mr. Shanley now lives.
“This is a level of hysteria that makes you think we’re not that far removed from the witch hunts of Salem,” he said.
Robert A. Prentky, a psychologist who worked at the state treatment center in Bridgewater for sex offenders civilly committed after being deemed sexually dangerous, said restricting where registered sex offenders can live could do more harm than good.
The forensic psychologist was contracted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015 to lead a three-year pilot program on campus sexual assault predator treatment. In a telephone interview last week, he noted that housing restrictions are not imposed on other criminals, including those released from prison for homicide and those with long histories of drug dealings and abuse.
“As long as there are housing restrictions that are placed on sex offenders, we create more of a problem than we solve,” said Mr. Prentky, who directs training programs on forensic psychology at Fairleigh Dickenson University in New Jersey. “They have to live somewhere. When housing restrictions are severe and draconian, we end up with all the sex offenders living under a bridge.”
Mr. Prentky, who provided Mr. Pentlarge with counseling after his release, said the likelihood of Mr. Shanley reoffending is decreased because if he were to reoffend, he likely would die in prison. “The risk to reoffend is inversely related to age. The risk goes down as age goes up,” he explained.
Mr. Pentlarge said he understands that parents want to protect their children. But focusing on Mr. Shanley or him “isn’t remotely close to what they need to do.” He pointed out that the vast majority of sex offenses are committed by someone the victim knows – family members, friends and acquaintances.
“It’s basic good parenting,” he advised. “They need to have open, loving relationships with their children to be able to discuss candidly with their children what’s going on in their children’s lives.”
Why do the “Yankees” up north seem to have more sense about this than these idiot rednecks down here do? I’m referring to what the sensible mayor of the town said as well as the forensic psychologist. Common sense. Wow.
Education of our government officials is so important. They, who have only paranoia and media hype, to support their positions need to start listening to reality. There is so much good they could do if only they would open up to facts, even sit down with some of the SROs for honest, frank conversations. Many of the politicians seem to be afraid to do so. Maybe they are afraid that the harm they have been doing over the years will be revealed. I am so thankful for organizations like Florida Action Committee and NARSOL who seem to be able to gain at least a limited ear of those making laws.
CAPT that is coming in the near future. Everytime the Government label one of our loved ones; they put an entire family on the other side. Reason we are here.
The pendulum swings slow for those who have no voting rights anymore. The politicians have found too many ways to exploit Sex Offenders for purely political reasons. Placing one group of people in a pariah category will eventually cause to many problems for social integration. That’s the political plan! Viola! Perpetual prisoner group. The Jews had a yellow star. Americans should not be subjected to uncivilized, inhumane treatment. What would The Founding Fathers think of this. One day America will reflect on this time & ask,”What were we thinking?”, but until then many American citizens will subjected to this incivility.
If I had the money or win the lottery, I would buy an entire community for S.O.s only, with houses to live in (GATED) for our protection, away from any restricted zones, and post a great big sign saying ” IF YOU AREN’T A REGISTERED CITIZEN (s.o.) YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE, SO GET OUT” and see how everyone else likes being not welcome.
I think society would love that. A leper colony.
Strongly against that idea.
Not meant to do that, but I can see your point. I just meant for someplace safe and secure for S.O.s to call a home. Again, Sorry, not meant to be a leper colony! I just get so angry at people who treat S.O.s disrespectful and less than a person.
I think society would fear it & create a law or ordinance prohibiting any offender from living within 500 feet of another SO. Like Lake County Florida has done.
We don’t need to buy a gated community, that fuels their desire to see registrants locked up and off limit. Pay the politicians, they work for the money.
I can understand the frustration in this comment. Having to travel 70 miles to get a haircut or 14 miles to get a loaf of bread…when a grocery store is only a mile or so from home is frustrating. The solution is educating people who should be knowledgeable on a subject before they go about destroying lives.
My son is being uprooted and evicted from living with his uncle who is the only family he has down in Florida and the only source of stability that is able to deal with my son’s memtal health issues. My son was just released and went back to live with my brother in his apartment and within a week the apartment complex put a note on the door saying they were being evicted. Apparently someone looking for an apartment did a check and reported to management that my son was living there. They put a note on the door telling my brother and son they had 7 days to vacate just because my son is on the registry. He does nothing but pretty much stays to himself in the apartment and is on probation. My brother tried talking to the property manager and explain that his nephew is being monitored and on regular probation not SO probation and has no residency restrictions but the manager told him he was following state law and then threatened my brother to NOT try and take any legal matter with this. I am very suspicious about this whole situation and as to the unprofessional way this notice was served. Wasn’t even done by mail just put on the door. The manager did say that if my son moves out then my brother can stay until the end of his lease. My son called his PO and Spot to inform them and his PO said that another offender is looking for a roommate and my son will probably go stay there just so he isn’t on the street but his mental health is something that really worries me as it is going haywire right now. I just don’t want this to be a set up to try and get my son for a violation of any kind and then we have more trouble. He is just trying to get through this so we can somehow move on. Our family has been turned upside down and we worry about our son, brother, uncle, grandson everyday.