myfoxtampabay.com: Have sex offender laws been effective? - Some lawmakers say no, want to change them.
“We've learned that residency restrictions don't make any difference,” said State Representative Rich Glorioso , a Republican from Plant City, Florida. “They have not been shown to stop repeat offenders.”
He says there’s a better way and calls it the "circle of safety." His plan restricts where sex offenders can hang out. It’s designed to keep sex offenders from loitering near kids. The proposed law would keep them 300 feet away or the length of a football field.
“We don't care where these guys are sleeping,” said Rep. Glorioso. “I want to know what they're doing when they're awake.”
Rep. Glorioso has introduced a bill in Tallahassee. It doesn't eliminate residency restrictions, but he thinks if his "circle of safety" law passes, over time there will be no need for the current rules which force sex offenders to live together in tents, trailers or motels, and the general public will be safer for it.
