Question: When you think of a facility for sex-offenders which is described as “a structured environment with close supervision by professionals and observation by their peers… a tight web of supervision, treatment, surveillance”, what comes to mind?

Call me crazy, but I can’t think of a better structured environment with professional supervision and surveillance for these disgusting, perverted freaks of nature than a prison.

Well, apparently there is a debate currently going on in Colorado about what to do with sex-0ffenders who have been released from prison but still have high likelihoods of recidivism. This article tells the sad story of five poor little sex-offenders who tried to live together in a Denver suburb.

It all began in 1999 when five men dutifully went to the Lakewood Police Department to register as sex offenders.

Each gave the same address, which grabbed the attention of city officials, who quickly took action to close the house. Soon the City Council passed an ordinance permitting only one sex offender to live in a house in a residential area.

Lakewood’s approach spread like wildfire, with 16 other metro- area cities promptly passing similar regulations.

The citizens of Lakewood were obviously unhappy with the concentration of disgusting, perverted freaks of nature and therefore passed a law restricting said concentration. The five poor little sex-offenders were obviously offended and upset. They were living together for accountability and a stable environment. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the two teenage boys living in the house next door, frequently unsupervised, let alone the other families and children in the neighborhood. So, the five poor, little sex-offenders moved away into a different group home for other disgusting, perverted freaks of nature like themselves.

Here’s the plot twist:

But governments that passed laws over the past few years to keep sex offenders from living in group homes in their jurisdictions may have done so at the cost of public safety.

A number of studies, including one released last month by the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, conclude that restricting where offenders may live does not prevent repeat sex crimes.

Instead, the restrictions encourage sex offenders to “disappear,” blending into communities where they live in the privacy essential to committing new sex crimes, the studies say.

“Frankly, sex offenders like being told they can’t be around other sex offenders,” said Greig Veeder, executive director of Teaching Humane Existence, a sex offender treatment program. “It ruins their privacy. They can’t commit their crimes unless they have privacy.

Moral of the story? The laws against sex-offenders concentrating in residential areas backfired. Studies are now showing that these disgusting, perverted freaks of nature are less likely to re-offend if they live in “group homes” with 24-hour surveillance and staff, treatment, and accountability.

What keeps that from happening is having sex offenders living in a structured environment with close supervision by professionals and observation by their peers, English said.

“Residency restrictions prevent us from having sex offenders living together,” Veeder said, “but 25 years of my experience and significant research all support that the more you can make them live together, the easier it is to control them.

“It’s far better to have snakes in a basket than running around loose in the yard.”

The Colorado research, based on a 2004 survey of sex offenders, found that high-risk sex offenders living in shared living arrangements had significantly fewer probation and criminal violations than those living in other living arrangements.

Violations also were more quickly reported because of the heightened peer and professional oversight. Quick reporting is essential for speedy action to protect potential victims, the study noted.

“Offenders hold each other accountable for their actions and responsibilities and notify the appropriate authorities when a roommate commits certain behavior, such as returning home late or having contact with children,” the 2004 Colorado report said.

Again, call me crazy, but doesn’t that sound a lot like prison? These disgusting, perverted freaks of nature should obviously not be allowed outside barbed wire fences when they have such a high rate of recidivism. Group homes? Warm fuzzies by being accountable to your new best friend forever if you come home late or snuggle with children? Whatever. I say forget the baskets, keep the snakes in the slammer.