A bill that would require long-term care facilities to check if prospective residents have a criminal history or are on the sex offender registry before they are admitted drew some heated opposition Wednesday from organizations representing providers and an advocate for abolishing the sex offender registry.
At one point, Anwar and Cindy Prizio, executive director One Standard of Justice, an advocate for restorative justice practices and a critic of the sex offender registry, got into a heated argument about the bill after she called it âa public policy disaster in the makingâ during her testimony.
âPlease donât allow one sensational crime to turn good intentions into bad policy,â Prizio said. âWe all want to protect our vulnerable populations. OSJ stands ready to provide help to the committee in developing an effective solution.â
Prizio said thereâs no âneed to create a new bill every time there is an isolated high-profile incidentâ and that the bill is unfair to a class of people who already have had their rights âsucked dry by the system.â
