I thought sleeping under bridge in Lagos was bad luck until I saw this:

Miami has toughened its restrictions on convicted sexual predators living near schools, parks, or other areas where children are likely to be.

One consequence is that some convicted predators must sleep under a highway bridge. This keeps them from living in areas where they're prohibited, while parole officers can check on them nightly.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106689642

why cant we do investigative journalism and show this on naija TV?

cos most of them are busy investigating how to receive brown envelopes

if u guys thought poverty was in africa alone, think again

Mind you, USA still take care of their own people and still have welfare oh, and Nija has nothing

These are sex offenders being forced to live outside of the community and you compare this to those sleeping under the bridge in Nigeria? How? What has poverty to do with this?

nigeria's poverty cant be compared to america's poverty. but it is not only sex offenders who sleep under the bridge in the US

Uhh, unless I read wrong, their forced to live under the bridges, not because of poverty.

i'm not sure they were forced to live under the bridges, i guess they were denied homes anywhere near children. if they were able to, they would have built homes in isolated places without children, but they cant, so they can only manage under the bridge where there are no children(hope so)

so poverty had a little role to play there too.

If we have to change the topic a little, the poverty in America is crazy, but some are self inflicted.

At least we now know that it's not only in Nigeria that citizens sleep under bridges.

,mama-gee:

At least we now know that it's not only in Nigeria that citizens sleep under bridges.

Clap for Nigeria! 

,mama-gee:

At least we now know that it's not only in Nigeria that citizens sleep under bridges.

rotfl
sth dey do you

Those bums living under the bridge brought that detestable lifestyle - homelessness, upon themselves. Nobody should blame the American Society for their woes. It was a free choice they willingly made by failing to exercise self-restraint on the matter of sex. Let me explain.
American society is an ultra conservative society. Nobody should be carried away by the popular saying that America is a land of freedom. It is freedom within the boundary of law. If anyone transgresses the law, he will found America justice system swift to punish the transgression.
What has this got to do with the bums? Well, in Florida, there is a law passed by the State Legislatures (now replicated in most of the remaining 49 States of the US) to punish sex offenders when caught with jail sentence of a minimum of 25 years. In addition, convicted offenders must register with the State. The registration is then transferred to a federal database of convicted sex offenders. Those guys inhabiting under the bridge have found out that nobody will rent out apartment to them because of their sexual escapades of the past. The database is accessible to landlords who are obliged to check out the federal database to found out if a prospective tenant is a convicted sexual offender in addition to credit references about their finances. The result is that nobody will risk renting out apartments to the bums and they end up living under the bridge.

Those bums living under the bridge brought that detestable lifestyle - homelessness, upon themselves. Nobody should blame the American Society for their woes. It was a free choice they willingly made by failing to exercise self-restraint on the matter of sex. Let me explain.
American society is an ultra conservative society. Nobody should be carried away by the popular saying that America is a land of freedom. It is freedom within the boundary of law. If anyone transgresses the law, he will found America justice system swift to punish the transgression.
What has this got to do with the bums? Well, in Florida, there is a law passed by the State Legislatures (now replicated in most of the remaining 49 States of the US) to punish sex offenders when caught with jail sentence of a minimum of 25 years. In addition, convicted offenders must register with the State. The registration is then transferred to a federal database of convicted sex offenders. Those guys inhabiting under the bridge have found out that nobody will rent out apartment to them because of their sexual escapades of the past. The database is accessible to landlords who are obliged to check out the federal database to found out if a prospective tenant is a convicted sexual offender in addition to credit references about their finances. The result is that nobody will risk renting out apartments to the bums and they end up living under the bridge.

abeem
Yes they made bad decisions, but does that mean that they should be condemned for life? and we wonder why 80% of people who are released from prison in America tend to go back.

back2back:

I thought sleeping under bridge in Lagos was bad luck until I saw this:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106689642

why cant we do investigative journalism and show this on naija TV?

This is scary, they need to be offered a home for sex offenders, atleast.

I mean, people walk under the bridge, while some jog under it at dawn.

Just imagine

this is sad man

It may be scary, but how do you guarantee that they will not repeat the offence. Those expressing outrage/umbrage at American Justice System and having a feeling of empathy for the sexual offenders are saying so because you guys are not privy to the crimes committed by the imbeciles.
Sexual predators are sometimes callous murderers and their victims in many cases are defenseless children who they maim before killing.
Maybe they should be castrated if they want to live in areas where law abiding people reside.

It may be scary, but how do you guarantee that they will not repeat the offence. Those expressing outrage/umbrage at American Justice System and having a feeling of empathy for the sexual offenders are saying so because you guys are not privy to the crimes committed by the imbeciles.
Sexual predators are sometimes callous murderers and their victims in many cases are defenseless children who they maim before killing.
Maybe they should be castrated if they want to live in areas where law abiding people reside.

This shit happens in Africa and in WHITE FAMILIES all the time.

Most molestations do not get reported.

These ARE PEOPLE. If they served their time then they should be released from bondage.

That BRUTAL ass Republican Government in Florida should AT LEAST provide housing for these ex-offenders if they are NOT going to allow them to melt back into the society.

Republicans are THE MOST HYPOCRITCAL quacks and fakes in america. They are filled with gays, Molesters, Adulterers, Rapist, Liars and the SCUM of the earth, and lets not talk about their Greed.

This has nothing to do with REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATS. Let’s not turn it into what it is not.

These men where sex offenders, some AKA Child MOLESTORS. They are NOT PRISONERS. Simply that PEOPLE do not want them living in their neighborhoods and so they are out there under the bridge. By the way, SEX OFFENDERS on the most part go back to the same and this is what scares people the most.
People want to solve the problem but it still remains that no one really wants them in their backyards, period.

if those guys are criminals then they should be locked up. if they've served their terms then they should be re-integrated into society . . that is what happens when people are released from jails. if they are likely to get back to their offence then a new law should be made to lock up child offenders for life.

because i dont see any sense in keeping them under the bridge where they will be converted from sex offender to armed robbers . . . . unless there is something i dont understand

WOW!

There sure are bums in this country but it is not to be compared with other countries because you are held accountable here unlike Africa or some parts of Europe for that matter, people have a huge say in what happens here unlike most places. Those talking about them paying for past mistakes will change their tune once they have kids, anyone that will molest a child is sick to say the least. Some do get rehabilitated but they have to go the extra mile to show they have repented and those you see under the bridge are probable there by choice so stop yakking about what you don't know. Even poverty here doesn't compare to Africa, we call fast food eaters poor here but only the rich can afford such in other places.
"Who feels it knows it, " The guy talking about the GOP must be new because most of those "hard core" laws at the Federal level actually came during Bill's presidency. The USA doesn't even compare to Canada let alone those small European countries

NO ONE is keeping them under the Bridge. NO ONE is doing that except the law which demands they do not come within so many miles of various establishments as a result of their record. They could always move to other states where such laws are not obtainable but to assume these men are being FORCED to stay there is not right. They knew the law before they committed their crimes ( well most of em did).

By the way, how many people are willing to allow them back in their houses, let alone their neighbourhoods? I mean it is easy to post sympathetic responses online but would you open your doors to a convicted sex offender, even after he has served out his term and all? lol

Kobojunkie:

NO ONE is keeping them under the Bridge. NO ONE is doing that except the law which demands they do not come within so many miles of various establishments as a result of their record. They could always move to other states where such laws are not obtainable but to assume these men are being FORCED to stay there is not right. They knew the law before they committed their crimes ( well most of em did).

Clear and precise

there is no sympathy for child offenders . . . but at the same time there is no support for life under a bridge. either way, there is a problem that will impact the society negatively. because you dont learn mathematics or religion under bridges. you can only learn more bad things. and for people who are already vulnerable to crime. . . . being ex-child molesters . . that is double disaster.

if there was available funds, those guys will not be under a bridge. so lack of money . . . also known as poverty, contributed to their being under a bridge. period. although poverty in florida is not the same as poverty in ijebu ode

This is NOT really ABOUT MONEY. You do not see ex-thieves, and ex-bankrobbers complaining they are unable to find places in neighbourhoods, do you? I mean even if the offender had $1000 to his name, and knew of a place where he could rent a room for $200, what good would that do him the motel is right next to a school and the law prohibits him from being up to 1000 yards from one of those?

crime, drugs, teenage pregnancy, homelessness, violence, etc are all linked directly or indirectly to one word . . . poverty. if the president's son was a child molester and he is released he wont be under a bridge.

i understand why they cant get a home in a normal neighbourhood but again we have a situation where a human being is under the bridge and the word poverty cannot be removed from the picture . . no matter what.

Uumm . . . . This is not Nigeria!!! If the president's son was a molestor, be sure the People/media will do a good job making sure he too sticks to the rule.

no, he would live in a big house in the suburbs , away from children . . america is big enough . . there are houses that can be isolated in the suburbs and at least 20miles from any other house that may have a child . . i saw some comfy house in a ''jungle'' the last time i went to ohio . . it was a distance from the gate to the front door. . . this guy is rich. . . and there was no other house near it . . rich guys can afford that and perhaps if their son has such a problem they will put him there, comfortable and yet in tune with the law . . .

so u see . . .with real wealth . . . you can never be under a bridge . . not even in florida

pres-elect
How come murderers and robbers in America don't have a label on them like sex offenders do to prevent them from getting houses.

perhaps you can forward that question to attorney general Eric Holder

Is it the states Job to make sure sex offenders have real wealth or something? If Individual citizens have their own destiny in their hands, when it comes to their wealth, why are we worrying about whether sex offenders have real wealth or not? If you are not wealthy and you choose to break the law, why should it be the laws business whether you have real wealth or not?

davidif:

pres-elect
How come murderers and robbers in America don't have a label on them like sex offenders do to prevent them from getting houses.

because a sex crime is severely frowned upon in american society?