Criminal history should be looked at by OPWDD Kim Canarelli Felter

According to the state Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, every person living in group home facilities has a diagnosed developmental disability.

In the article “25 sex offenders in group housing,”

Sept. 21, Jennifer O’sullivan, a spokeswoman for OPWDD, is quoted as saying: “OPWDD only provides services for people with a diagnosed developmental disability as defined by state law, and is obligated under the law to provide needed services to those who qualify regardless of a person’s clinical or forensic history.”

That means, it could be every person in an adult home for persons with disabilities has a developmentally diagnosed condition but, I promise, not every person with a legitimate diagnosis of developmentally or intellectually disabled is a sex offender.

Sex offenders are convicted felons. They were sex offenders first. According to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services, there are 40,863 convicted sex offenders. Some 779 are registered but the risk of repeat offense has not yet been determined.

I think it makes a fairly good sense to ask OPWDD:

While OPWDD is obligated by law to provide needed services to those who qualify regardless of a person’s clinical or forensic history, why aren’t they taking into consideration criminal history?

New Berlin