Most people have to work. There are not a lot of individuals outside of retirement age who have adequate financial support from family members, and even a number of retirees struggle to make ends meet. It is equally true that many people have to have their own place to live. Some may be able to live with family members or friends, but a lot of times this is not possible for whatever reason. Registered citizens are no exception to this rule.
We readily acknowledge the challenges that renters and employers face when dealing with RSOs. For one thing, the proximity laws, always a challenging factor, exist in every state and they are not uniform. Some renters’ property may lie in exclusion zones, making it impossible for them to rent to RSOs. Some employers’ businesses are in the same restricted areas, thus even if they wanted to employ a returning registered citizen it could not be done. Besides that, the burden of choosing unrestricted places to work and live lies upon the offender anyway.
Even so, there are other businesses, factories, or other places of employment, and a number of places of housing, where RSOs can live legally, yet often they face obstacles when trying to obtain jobs or places to live. A lack of stable housing and unemployment are significant risk factors that increase the chances of sex offenders reoffending, as these barriers prevent successful reintegration, create financial stress, and lead to social isolation, making them more vulnerable to recidivism. Housing instability, in particular, is a strong predictor of reoffense, disrupting treatment and support, while joblessness fuels desperation and lawlessness, undermining efforts to stay crime-free. [1]
Renters and employers, you can say that RSOs are not your problem, but based on the facts, they are your problem! While it is true that registered citizens are still responsible for their actions regardless of their circumstances, you setting them up to fail and then placing all the blame on them when they do is unconscionable. Yes, they were responsible for their actions, but by not providing housing and employment to them you are also at fault for their failure and making another victim! You listen to your insurers whispering in your ears about liability and you cower before social media, afraid that someone is going to post about you renting to or employing an RSO. Thank God America’s founding fathers were not made of the same stuff that you are. If they were, we’d be pledging allegiance to the Union Jack—or worse! Do you want to be courageous and virtuous renters and employers? Well then give registered citizens a chance.
There is an age-old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Although that is typically a medical application, people seem to use this philosophy also in dealing with people who have been in trouble with the law, particularly when it comes to sex offenders. Folks listen to the news and nobody likes RSOs, not the mainstream media and not conservative news outlets. To them we are a bunch of incurable deviants, social lepers to be forever outcasts. Crime shows paint sexual offenders as being incorrigible. Lawmakers and law enforcement stereotype us as a bunch of unredeemable perverts waiting to snatch up someone’s kid or to rape somebody. Between all these negative portrayals, many employers and renters take the approach of not hiring or renting to any RSOs at all. This is further fueled, as noted earlier, by such factors as insurance and social media.
No matter what category of crime, there are some people who are never going to change. We do not expect you all to be mind readers, magically being able to tell who is going to stay on the right path and who is going to offend again. However, lumping all of us together into one category is grossly unfair. You may argue that because of what we did, we don’t deserve another chance. Guess what? The fact that we are out of prison implies the opportunity of a second chance! Why deny all of us that because you’re afraid one person is going to make you look bad?
Employers, don’t you know that a registered citizen may turn out to be one of the most dedicated workers you’ve got? Chances are hard to come by for us when we get out of prison, particularly for older people, and when we get a chance to work, many of us will strive to be the best we can. Whether it’s the probationer or parolee who is mandated to have a job or if it’s someone who isn’t “on paper,” so to speak, but who needs the work just as badly, the registered citizen who works for you will in all likelihood do an excellent job for you. By giving an RSO a job you are helping to reduce their chance of reoffending also. You are contributing to the safety of society not by excluding them from working at your place of business but by allowing them to be a part of your team.
Renters, don’t you understand that registered citizens will be grateful to have a place to live? Just as jobs are not easy for RSOs to find, neither are homeless shelters because many of them will not take people convicted of sex crimes. [2] We have already pointed out that homelessness is an especially strong aggravating factor in RSO recidivism. A registered citizen whom the law would permit to rent from one of your residential properties, be it an apartment, a trailer, or a house, for instance, will have a stable place to stay. Many who are afforded this opportunity will be thankful and, to the best of their ability, will pay their rent. By turning them away even when they can legally rent from you, you are pushing them to the point of giving up and committing other crimes. Give them a place to rent from and you are helping to make our society a safer place for all.
Obviously, if you are an employer or a renter who falls into a category where you are not allowed by law to hire or house RSOs, this does not apply to you, but you should not wish for registered citizens’ downfall. People who have committed sexual offenses are often painfully aware of what they have done and deeply regret it, and no, it isn’t always just because they got caught. Many of us are horrified at what we did and do not want to do it again.
For those of you who are allowed to hire or house registered citizens, once again we appeal to you to give them a chance. How humane is it when RSOs gets out of prison, folks are wanting these ex-convicts to straighten up and live right, then when they try, their feet are constantly kicked out from under them? How can they do anything other than fail if every chance for them to better themselves keeps being taken away by folks who want to play judge and jury after these folks have already done their time? Even if they do not reoffend sexually they could run afoul of probation or parole conditions or, in desperation or anger, commit other crimes.
We are at pains to get you to understand that yes, no matter what drives such individuals over the edge, we realize that they are still responsible for their actions, both morally and legally. But to deny that failing to give them chances was a contributing factor is sheer nonsense. It is irresponsible and immoral to hold such a position! Please, hire RSOs if they qualify for the jobs they are applying for and can work at your place of business legally. Please, rent to RSOs if there are no restrictions against them living in one of your properties. Your example of courage and compassion will not only help these individuals to move on with their lives and become good citizens, it can also spark badly needed changes to a system that needlessly perpetuates punishment against RSOs long after they walk free of the razor wire.
REFERENCES
[1] Google: “Search Labs | AI Overview: Do Lack of Housing and Unemployment Increase the Chances of Sex Offenders Reoffending?” Retrieved 12/17/2025; slight editing.
[2] Google: “Search Labs | AI Overview: Is it True That Many Homeless Shelters Will Not Accept Registered Sex Offenders?” Retrieved 12/19/2025.
