Safest to pay Verse's costs, experts say

Contra Costa Times ^ | 2/7/5 | Bruce Gerstman

[SmithL]

Once out of prison and mental hospitals, sexually violent predators such as Cary Verse do not pay for their rent, food or even magazines.

At first, taxpayers do.

As part of the Department of Mental Health Conditional Release Program, the state covers expenses of each offender because the person is still technically in the state's custody.

While those who oppose financially supporting sex offenders say that California taxpayers should not be responsible for covering their expenses, offender advocates say that paying for them is the only way they will remain stable and out of trouble.

"(Verse) is in our custody and we've got to provide him safe housing," said Department of Mental Health deputy director John Rodriguez. "He's our responsibility and we need to take care of him."

Two Bay Point attorneys have offered to rent a cottage to Verse there. A Contra Costa Superior Court judge is expected to make a decision soon on the proposed move.

The Department of Mental Health's goal is to cover each offender's daily expenses until they get a job and become independent enough to support themselves, Rodriguez said. Ultimately, and if possible, predators should reimburse the department, he said.

Verse took a part-time job two weeks ago with a carpet-cleaning business and hopes to be financially independent at some point, Rodriguez said. He believes the state should support offenders if it stops them from reoffending and victimizing people in the future.

"There's no cost you can put on that," he said.

The department budgets about $104,000 per individual each year. Offenders must demonstrate that they have no other means of support, said the department's forensic services chief Jim Rostron. At this point, two men -- Patrick Ghilotti and Cary Verse -- are in the release program for sexually violent predators. The department pays much less for Ghilotti, who lives with his wife, Rostron said.

These outpatient expenses compare to $3,364 that the Department of Corrections spends on average for each parolee who leaves state prison, said department spokeswoman Terry Thornton. In most cases, ex-convicts walk out of prison with $200 -- the same amount since 1973 -- and are on their way, Thornton said.

The department authorizes offenders to use money for specific purposes and requires them to submit receipts as proof, Rostron said.

Providing a measure of financial stability to predators released back into the community makes the community safer, said Scott Matson, research associate for the Center for Sex Offender Management, based in Silver Spring, Md. Predators such as Verse are unlikely to find a job and need a home and basic daily costs covered so they can use skills they learned during their treatment programs.

"They need to be able to focus and maintain their stability in the community," Matson said.

That should occur as fast as possible, said Drew Molloy, president of American Probation and Parole Association, based in Lexington, Ky. He acknowledged that conditionally released predators often struggle to find housing and a job, but should be accountable for their own supervision.

"The goal should be for them to pay for their own monitoring," he said.

A local taxpayer group considers the sex-offender conditional-release expense a "gross misuse of public funds." It makes more sense to ensure that Verse continually checks in with the law enforcement agencies assigned to him, said Ken Hambrick, chairman of the Alliance of Contra Costa Taxpayers, a conservative taxpayer organization.

"Verse ought to be treated like everybody else as far as the state pays," Hambrick said.

[SmithL]

Your tax dollars at work:

COST TO TAXPAYERS

Cary Verse's actual expenses paid by the state Feb. 4, 2004, to Feb. 2, 2005

Housing: $21,058

Food: $2,733

Transportation: $969

Personal care/entertainment: $4,160 (includes clothing, phone, household needs, mail, etc.)

Medical: $15,275 (includes testing such as polygraph, urinalysis, medications, etc.)

Therapy: $8,728

GPS: $2,254

Administrative: $48,823*

[donmeaker]

"the only way they can stay out of trouble".

I have two daughters. I am developing a "I-Wonder" brassier-holster that will carry a two shot .38 special derringer on each side.

No, the tailoring is being done by my ex.wife. No hand on work for me.

[Orange1998]

I think Austin Powers has the patent. :)

[austinmark]

..."Verse took a part-time job two weeks ago with a carpet-cleaning business..."

Way To Go! Let the SEX OFFENDER into strangers houses, have a good LOOK around, maybe there's some KID'S around, maybe MOM'S all by herself, maybe he will just have his way with them/her ........ etc, etc, ........