Efforts are underway in the state legislature to help determine where sex offenders should go after they're released from prison.
It's a question sure to spark debate in communities across Wisconsin…where is the best place to return a convicted sex offender to society? It's a question State Representative Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford) hopes to answer. He wants to make sure communities know when a sex offender is placed there and those individuals are placed in areas where they have the least chance to re-offend.
Suder is heading a special committee on placing sex offenders. He says they're considering a number of possible solutions, such as creating “exclusionary zones” where offenders can never go. Suder says such solutions would probably require the use of new monitoring technology to help keep a close watch on offenders.
The panel is made up lawmakers and community experts. Suder says they'll rely on the experience of members to come up with proposals, as well as looking at what other states are doing. He hopes to have a legislative proposal ready by the spring session.
sopva091906.mp3 (515k)