convicted sexually violent predr
Douglas Badger will be housed ia
residential neighborhood in Borrego Springs.
This placement by California's
Department of State Hospitals is
moving forward despite fierce
opposition by the community.
CBS8's Richard Allen has more oe
impact of this decision and thew
move to audit the current syste.
And this is the house on Zuni Tl
here in Borrego Springs they convicted.
Sexually violent predator Douglas Badger
will be moving into later this month.
Just across the street from
a family with children
and our plan was to grow old he,
Terry Kell Meyer moved to Borreo
Springs six years ago with her e
children, two of whom are death.
A place where I felt like it.
My kids could just grow up and n
around and not lock doors and fl
feel safe in the neighborhood, e
says. That sense of safety is nw
gone after a judge in March appd
the placement of sexually violet
predator Douglas Badger in this
3 bedroom house across the stret
despite intense public protests.
The 80 year old, diagnosed with
schizophrenia and sexual sadism,
has served 5 separate prison tes
for convictions ranging from
child molestation to kidnapping
to sexual assault. Douglas Badgr
is moving in a sexually violent
predator a stone's throw away fm
me and everything has to change,
Kell Meyer says. She and her family are
now moving, forced out by this place.
I'm losing my home. I'm losing my home.
Is the current system working?
Well, I would say it's not work.
State Senate Minority Leader Brn
Jones is now calling for an audt
of the state's conditional relee
program for sexually violent predators,
or Svp's, who are disproportiony
placed in rural communities like
Borrego Springs and Hocumbo.
It's not fair. For these neighborhoods,
This proposed audit would
examine the state's exclusive
contract with Liberty Healthcar,
which has managed California's P
conditional release program since 2003,
which includes finding housing r
these sexually violent predator,
as well as overseeing their ongg
treatment and providing supervin
through the use of a G PS:.
Device. It's
never been rebid.
It's never been scrutinized,
Jones says. This audit is crucio
getting clear answers to a progm
that he says is shrouded in. Secrecy.
Most importantly, what's the recidivism
rate of these sexually violent predators
once they are released to liber?
How many of them have to go bac?
How many of them reoffend?
Which is the worst part
of this whole program,
is that we have these monsters in prison.
We let them out and then they reoffend.
That's just unconscionable to me
that we would allow that to hap.
This audit would also examine we
our state tax dollars are going.
According to Jones, California
currently pays as much as $350,0
a year for each sexually violent
predator released into the community.
Douglas Badger will be the third
sexually violent predator relead
into San Diego County in the past year,
bringing the total county wide to AIDS.
In other states, they actually have a
much stronger, much stronger. Programs
Borrego Springs resident Sarah Rodgers,
who holds a PhD in psychology,
has been asked to testify next month in
Sacramento on the need for this audit,
a topic she studied extensively,
for instance, in the state of Florida.
They must complete inpatient treatment.
She points out that Liberty had
previously been in charge of
Florida's SVP in House treatment
program until the state opted
not to renew its contract in 205
since they got rid of Liberty.
Yes, they have a much better
program in place today.
Roger says that in California,
inpatient treatment by Svp's has
only completed about 40% of the
time before being conditionally
released into the community.
The state of Florida, it's grear
than 95% treatment completion re
inside the for inpatient treatm.
Rogers also points out
that in the Tampa area,
some Svp's have been placed in
Group home settings in industri,
not residential areas. Jones.
Says he'd like to return to the
pass system of placing these
SVP's into housing on either fie
camps on state property or in a
trailer located on prison groun,
a practice that was challenged in court.
They're still
in, you know, paroled.
They're still not in prison.
But the trailer was on the
prison grounds where the state
is keeping an eye on them,
not some unsuspecting neighborh.
With children and families,
families like Terry Kell Meyers,
who believes the judge did not y
listen to her or her community n
placing Douglas Badger on her St. that
this could happen to anybody.
You know, this could happen to it just
happened to happen to our streen
our little our little neighborh.
But there are many more sexually violent
predators that they're trying to place, and
Jones plans to formally request
this audit next month. If appro,
it should take 18 months to complete.
In Barranco Springs, Richard Allen, CBS8
Thanks, Richard.
Now CBS8 did reach out to the se
for comment on this proposed au.
In a statement, they said quote
the California Department of Ste
Hospitals remains committed to
providing effective treatment
in a safe environment and in
a fiscally responsible manner
and to assure public safety.