Residency Restrictions
Residency restrictions do not improve public safety and create barriers to the stability that prevents recidivism.
Oppose Residency Restrictions
Advocates for Change opposes the blanket use of residency restrictions for individuals on the sex offense registry. Peer-reviewed research consistently demonstrates that these restrictions do not improve public safety and create significant barriers to the stable housing, employment, and community connections that are proven to reduce recidivism.
Why Residency Restrictions Don’t Work
Residency restrictions keep communities safer by keeping registrants away from schools and parks.
Peer-reviewed research has consistently found no significant relationship between residency restrictions and reduced sexual reoffending. Residential proximity to schools or daycares is not related to recidivism.
Restricting where registrants live is a minor inconvenience worth the added safety.
Restrictions force individuals into isolated areas and increase homelessness — making them harder to monitor and more likely to reoffend. Nearly half of those affected report being unable to live with supportive family members.
Stable housing close to family, employment, and treatment is essential for rehabilitation. Federal research confirms that housing stability within the first month of release significantly reduces return-to-prison rates.
The Situation in Colorado
Colorado has no statewide residency restriction law for individuals on the sex offense registry — a policy position consistent with the research. However, several municipalities have enacted their own local ordinances creating buffer zones around schools, parks, and childcare facilities:
- Aurora — prohibits registered individuals from living within 1,000 feet of schools and childcare centers
- Lakewood — buffer zone ordinance restricting housing near schools and parks
- Thornton — local residency restriction ordinance
- Westminster — local residency restriction ordinance
This patchwork of local restrictions creates confusion, limits housing options, and pushes individuals into less stable situations — the exact conditions research shows increase rather than decrease risk. Advocates for Change supports maintaining Colorado’s state-level position of no blanket residency restrictions and urges municipalities to repeal local ordinances that undermine public safety.
Expert Consensus
Opposition to residency restrictions is not a fringe position. Leading criminal justice organizations, district attorneys’ associations, sentencing commissions, civil liberties organizations, and treatment providers have all testified against these restrictions, citing that they:
- Don’t work to prevent sexual offenses
- Create housing instability and homelessness
- Reduce employment opportunities
- Strain law enforcement resources
- Undermine the rehabilitation goals of the justice system
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Evidence Over Fear
Help us oppose residency restrictions in Colorado and advocate for policies that actually improve community safety.