(AgapePress) - A recent study found that 76 registered sex offenders in a two-county area of Northwest Indiana were living within 1,000 feet of schools and day care centers. Under present Indiana and Illinois law, convicted sex offenders cannot live within the 1,000-foot buffer zone while they are on probation or parole. However, State Representative Ralph Ayres is drafting a bill that would permanently ban these offenders from the restricted area. And a second Ayres bill would extend the ban to school bus stops and other areas where children regularly congregate or receive services.Ayres says many citizens see the need for this legislation. He notes, "A lot of people are disgusted that there are situations where someone could live that close -- literally right across the street from an elementary school or day care center -- and that person had been previously convicted, [but is] not in violation of state law because they have completed their sentence and their probation or parole."Unfortunately, the congressman says, current Indiana law allows known child predators who have satisfied the terms of their probation or parole to live anywhere they choose. However, he points out, the two proposed bills are not breaking totally new ground but are rather "extending the statute" to make the temporary restrictions permanent. Also, Ayres adds, "The thousand-foot buffer in Indiana is a standard for enforcement of laws for protection of schools and, in many cases, day-care centers as well. So I'm hopeful that we will have the support of churches and school officials in our community."The representative says it is the government's responsibility to ensure that sex offenders are nowhere near schools, especially since such criminals are usually repeat offenders. Unfortunately, in some states laws that require a 2,000 foot buffer zone are even now being challenged in state and federal court.
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