Submitted by Washington House Democrats.
The process of releasing sexually violent predators in Pierce County may change due to a bill in the Legislature proposed by Rep. Christine Kilduff, D-University Place. HB 1825 focuses on keeping families safe and provides Pierce County more tools to object to conditional placements in local communities when an offender’s crime was not committed in that county.
Sexually violent predators are placed in local facilities after spending a number of months or years at the special commitment center on McNeil Island.
“Lakewood and the rest of Pierce County can no longer be expected to be the primary location for release of potentially dangerous individuals in our community. It is unfair and puts local families at risk,” said Kilduff. “This legislation reforms the release process to fairly distribute sexually violent predators across the state and gives county prosecutors an option to object when proposed placements would put the community at risk.”
Current law does not do enough to guide courts when considering proposed “least restrictive alternative” placements of sexually violent predators and Pierce County receives a disproportionate number of these individuals. HB 1825 requires the Department of Social and Human Services (DSHS) to review possible placement locations much earlier and waive fees for treatment providers in underserved counties. This encourages equitable geographic distribution of those sexually violent predators across the state.
Under this bill, courts must consider prosecutor objection to a conditional release of a sexually violent predator into their county. DSHS must also provide notice of any change of address of a sexually violent predator.
HB 1825 passed out of the Public Safety Committee on February 21.
russell payne says
using the same old scare tactics. please let me know of any sex offenders that have repeated there crime after release. you are safer with a released sex offender next door than a paroled murder next door. what scares people is the umbrela title of violent sex offender, very few have a violent background, most are for inproper touching of a minor, non violent
Tprattie says
This is about placing violent offenders in Residential Adult Family Home Businesses with other vulnerable residents who have no clue they are living with a potential violent person. We recently just had a senseless death in an AFH because of this. Repeat offenders? Many of these offenders ARE repeat offenders that are placed in the Commitment Center because they are and have been deemed most likely to reoffend. As for “better to have them next door” tell that to the mom who’s 11 year old daughter who was molested and murdered by a “repeat offender” and was their neighbor. The rights of a repeat offender, someone who is deemed more than likely to reoffend? What about the rights of innocent children? Innocent, unsuspecting people that need help with daily activities? Don’t come back with “they’ve done their time” – in a society that lessons their time because of “good behavior” under confignment is irresponsible. Our vulnerable citizens are not an experiment. Human rights need to also protect our children, elderly and vulnerable, not just those who prey on such.