When a prisoner convicted of child sex abuse has served his sentence and is being released into society, very many do not have a home to go back to. They are then allocated local authority and/or private rental housing in towns and cities. No one tells their new neighbours of their conviction and release and he is then free to associate as he wishes. The alternative is that the neighbourhood is alerted to his presence, but this could lead to trouble, as obviously parents want to ensure their children are safe. The Police are made aware but do not have the resources to monitor the person 24 hours a day. They will never admit that there is a convicted Paedophile in their area.
The question is :- Where do we as a society put those people when they are released - A supervised hostel perhaps. The following questions need to be addressed.
1- Is the safety and well being of the released prisoner of greater value than that of the community at large?.
or
2 :- Should the safety and security of children take priority?.
This is the dilemma which Governments of both colours have had to consider. Not very successfully.
What do others think ?.