Last issue, in “The Outcast at the Gate,” Alastair Gee wrote about an organization called Circles of Support and Accountability that believes the best way to protect society against sex offenders who are released from prison may be to carefully re-integrate them into society. Research shows that COSA groups might decrease recidivism; research also shows that restricting where offenders can live within cities does little good in preventing sexual violence against children. In early March, California’s Supreme Court decided that the statewide laws preventing offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks violated the rights of those living in San Diego County.
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