Homeless Shelters’ Policies on Sex Offenders: Is This Another Collateral Consequence?

People who are required to register on a sex offender list are more likely to be homeless, in large part because shelters are less likely to accept them. This study surveyed 57 homeless shelters in four mid-western states and found that most shelters have policies against accepting people with sex-related convictions. The study also found that many shelters are more likely to make exceptions to other prohibitive rules, such as not allowing people under the influence of drugs, than they are to rules about sex convictions.

Rolfe, S. M., Tewksbury, R., & Schroeder, R. D. (2017). Homeless Shelters’ Policies on Sex Offenders: Is This Another Collateral Consequence? International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 61(16), 1833–1849. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X16638463