Interesting story from the Tampa Tribune on a sex offender living under the Selmon Crosstown Expressway in Tampa.
Zackery Hicks, 42, became homeless after recently released from prison. He couldn't afford an apartment. He couldn't live with family, because they lived within 1,000 feet of bus stop and daycare facility. And homeless shelters wouldn't take him because of his conviction. So he found this field under the Expressway and, due to his mandatory curfew, he must stay in his "residence" from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. or go back to jail.
In essence, a kind of forced homelessness.
Although I've never read about another Tampa Bay man in this situation, it is a huge issue in Miami and Dade County. Last year, Miami New Times reporter Isaiah Thompson won a few journalism awards for his series on dozens of sex offenders who were dropped off by prison officials to vacant lots under interstate bridges, because there was literally no other place they could go because of tough sex offender laws. (Read his stories here and here.)
With elected officials looking to enact tougher legislation locally, I'll bet you're going to hear about more of these cases.
(h/t to Ybor City Stogie)
This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2008.