(NewsNation) — Sex offenders in one Florida county are being told they cannot enter shelters during Hurricane Milton and must stay at the local jail instead.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly announced that anyone labeled a sexual predator by the state would not be welcome at regular shelters, directing them to stay at the county jail if they are in an evacuation area instead.
It’s not the first time Florida counties have barred people on the sex offender registry from shelters. In 2019, during Hurricane Dorian, officials told sex offenders to stay out of shelters. One resident spoke to Prison Legal News and called the experience “traumatic” and said they would not subject themselves to it again.
Not all counties are taking the same approach, however. In Marion County, a separate shelter was announced for those on the registry.
Sex offenders risk felony charges if they try to stay at a regular shelter where children are staying, giving them fewer options for evacuation during a storm.
A 2018 law also adds an additional hurdle for those who might evacuate instead of heading to a shelter by requiring sex offenders to register temporary addresses within three days and update their driver’s license or ID with that address within 48 hours of departing.
Those who aren’t able to do that receive a mandatory sentence of six months of GPS monitoring and a maximum of up to five years in prison.