It’s hard to pity a man who molested three mentally disabled adults in his care, just because, two years after leaving prison he’s still seeking a permanent home, says The Oregonian in Portland. The man, 54, who was released in 2004, has been rejected by dozens of apartments. The only places that will rent to him are run-down buildings in areas where prostitutes make a living and drug addicts get their fix. Officials charged with supervising thousands of Oregon sex offenders are finding it increasingly difficult to get jobs, inpatient drug treatment and, most of all, housing. Parole and probation officers say if a sex offender can’t find a place to live, it’s tough to make sure he’s getting treatment and staying away from temptation. “We’re not taking their side, saying ‘Oh, poor them,’ ” said Scott Taylor of the Oregon Department of Corrections. “We don’t want them to abandon all hope of being able to succeed.”
A dozen sex offenders told The Oregonian about the challenges they faced finding a place to live. One 68-year-old man spent a few thousand dollars fixing up a rental house and installing new carpet before neighbors told authorities the house was close to a school for pregnant teens and he was forced to move. “Part of the problem is the public doesn’t make a distinction between people who are trying and people who are not — it’s just so easy to say no,” said Sarah Frost, a officer who supervises the offender who molested the three mentally disabled adults. Frost says that despite his past, he’s one of the ones trying to rebuild their lives.
Link: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1168068321298110.xml&coll=7