In our last podcast and blog we learned that there are a number of organizations that advocate for registered citizens/registered sex offenders, including efforts to educate the public and get questionable legislation overturned or modified. There are also programs and projects that have risen to help sex offenders with food, shelter, and other necessities. While some have become defunct, others are thriving. Because the sex offender registry has been with us for over 30 years and the numerous oppressive sex offender laws have been on the books for almost as long, some are realizing that this whole vast empire, with its real intent to perpetually punish sex offenders, is wrong and quite probably unconstitutional. They have not just stood by and done nothing. Some have put boots on the ground, offering much needed help to RSOs.
There is a program in Florida called Florida Justice Transitions. It is a privately operated support agency. At one time, back in the 2010s, it operated a housing program in a place called Palace Mobile Home Park in St. Petersburg, FL. This place was given the unceremonious name “Pervert Park” because it was known for housing a large number of convicted sex offenders due to Florida’s oppressive residency restrictions. After a dispute with the Palace Park owner, FJT moved its housing program to Clearwater, FL.
Transitions, as FJT is known, formerly housed and monitored its clients, offering counseling and addiction therapy. As of 2025 it has moved away from providing housing specifically for sex offenders. Now they concentrate on other things for individuals reentering society after incarceration. [1, 2, 3]
However, a place that does still exist is Miracle Village, east of Pahokee, FL, which is a town next to Lake Okeechobee’s southeastern shore. The village consists of 54 duplexes and 6 family units. Miracle Village is operated by Matthew 25: Ministries, an organization with the stated goal of providing prison aftercare. With over 100 RSOs living there, it is one of the largest communities of its kind in the U. S…Miracle Village’s relations with nearby Pahokee were initially difficult but have improved considerably. [4, 5]
Titus House Ministries, headquartered in Tijeras, NM, a suburb of Albuquerque, focuses on helping registered sex offenders build confidence and view themselves through the lens of God’s love, emphasizing repentance and restoration. Their mission statement says they are a mentoring and advocacy agency that is faith-based. They help Registered Citizens/sex offenders who are incarcerated or released to integrate back into society, and they help family and friends of RSOs. This ministry also has what it calls its Circle of Concern. This is aimed at breaking down isolation and fear by providing a safe place for registrants and their loved ones to get together, build community, and learn ways to step out and take charge of their lives and overcome the stigma they face. The Circle of Concern itself is a group of…registered citizens/former sex offenders, family, and friends that meet on Zoom once a month. [6-9]
Prison Fellowship, headquartered in Washington, D. C., has a broader mission of working with prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families, offering various programs and resources. Included in that mission are programs and resources specifically designed for sex offenders. The Good Samaritan Network in Tallahassee, FL, is a ministry that provides housing, food, and other support services for men transitioning from prison, including those on the sex offender registry. [10, 11, 12] This is not an exhaustive listing for those who provide help for registered citizens. We would also refer you back to our previous blog as well as our previous podcast, which concerns sex offender advocacy and law reform. The organizations listed and mentioned there can also help you if you are on the registry.
What we have seen over the past three decades or so that the sex offender registry has existed is an increasing number of restrictions enacted against RSOs. In previous podcasts and blogs, we have pointed out everything from the ineffectiveness and unjust nature of the registry to the fact that there is hope. Over this same time period, people have stepped up to start doing something about the registry and the oppressive sex offender laws. There has been some success, some progress made, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Efforts to push back against the laws and the registry need to be ramped up, not stepped down. Educating people about the harsh and unfair nature of these elements is mandatory. That is our part in this effort.
One thing we believe that has helped build momentum for aid and reform is the fact that a lot of people now have loved ones on the registry. It did not matter to many of these people until they saw it in action firsthand. That is good. But for the rest of you who are not presently affected in any way by this system, just because it doesn’t affect you doesn’t mean you should sit idly by and let this go on. This is the United States of America. We have rights, even those of us who are registered citizens. This retroactive, perpetual punishment is unjust, and it must be stopped.
As we have noted in other blogs and podcasts, the system as it stands now increases the risk of recidivism. Meanwhile, the politicians go on and on about the need for the registry and their draconian sex offender laws, playing on the ignorance and the I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude of the public, thereby snagging votes and keeping the prison industry rich and thriving. If we are as good a nation as we claim to be, then every life must matter, even those of prisoners and RSOs. Besides, with the government already violating our rights, who’s to say that they aren’t violating yours also? Corruption spreads until it is stopped.
There will always be people who will not change. Some folks are incorrigible. There is always risk involved in helping someone. At the same time, giving people a chance by leveling the playing field will decrease the chance of people reoffending, including sex offenders. We commend those who have stepped forward to help, and we encourage you to continue doing so. In our next blog and podcast, we are going to take a look at a situation which is a case study in why the sex offender registry and the proximity laws should be abolished permanently.
