Sex offender treatment provider looking for new location
PORTLAND, Ore. – A sex offender treatment provider, located near homes, schools and a Boys and Girls Club for nearly a year, is moving out the of the Southeast Portland neighborhood they had called home.
Whole Systems on Milwaukie Avenue was the subject of a heated neighborhood meeting Monday night in Westmoreland. Neighbors were furious that they were in the dark about the center’s existence.
There are no signs outside the building, but the door can be seen from the playground of the nearby Boys and Girls Club. The Montessori school is also less than 300 feet away.
Johneen Manno, director of Whole Systems, showed up at Monday night’s meeting but was asked to leave.
Tuesday morning, a sign taped to the inside of the door simply said "MOVING."
It’s unclear where the center will move. Manno told KATU’s Thom Jensen by phone that she is currently looking for a new location.
Ron Shaw, who owns the property, said he released Manno from the five year rental contract to allow the move.
“I didn’t just want to ramrod her out of there in one month or so, because it’s not the type of business where you can just move out overnight,” said Shaw.
One hundred twenty convicts from Clackamas and Multnomah counties receive court-ordered counseling at the center for crimes like molestation, possession of child pornography and rape of a minor.
“As a parent, I wouldn’t want this kind of situation anywhere where there’s children,” said Natalie Mandarano, who owns a business across the street from Whole Systems. “Maybe a jail? Maybe they should have these meetings in a jail. I don’t know.”
Treatment clinics like Whole Systems can end up in any neighborhood where businesses already exist. That's because there's no local or state agency that decides where providers like Whole Systems can operate.
Clinicians and counselors are not required by law to operate under location restrictions, like a certain distance from a school, according to a spokesman for the Oregon Health Licensing Agency. They don’t have to notify neighbors either.
KATU News found 15 active sex offender treatment centers in Multnomah County and six active clinical therapists in Clackamas County, including Whole Systems.
"We will follow this because we don't want it to go to another neighborhood," said neighbor Shannon Quimby. "That is our goal. Our goal is not just our neighborhood - no neighborhood."
KATU's Thom Jensen and Bob Heye contributed to this story.
It's pretty common knowledge that the vast majority of sex offenders victimize their own family members or other people known to them. Stranger assaults are relatively rare. I would think clients who are actively participating in a Sex Offender treatment program (whether voluntarily or court-ordered) are at even lower risk than the others who are out there and not yet identified. This treatment center provides a valuable service, and I'm grateful someone is willing to do it. I admit, though, they could have picked a better location if only to assuage the fears of the torch-and-pitchfork-wielding community.
Sex offenders have the lowest recidivism rate of all criminals except murderers, according to dozens of university, federal and state studies. Not all sex offenders have victimized children, and over 1/3 of sex crimes perpetrated against children are committed by other children. 95% of kids are abused by family or friends who aren't on the registry. While these people are scrambling around looking for witches, they ignore people like Sandusky who was not on the registry.Â
There is a nice room at Brooks they could use... I think it has a big smokestack over the top.
This is horrible. Â Everyone deserves treatment. Â But no, lets not provide services like these so instead of possibly getting help, they can just go do it again.
 @Ixyavi Would be interesting to see who is there asking for help, and who is there because the judge said they had to. I don't think there's an effective treatment for child rapers. I'm not including teenage dalliances in that category. I'm talking actual predators. And I don't believe that attending a meeting mandated by the state, comes close to touching the illness.
 @Lips  I'm guessing that all of them were sent by a judge, since it's for "offenders". I can't imagine what this sort of treatment is though, or what it's supposed to achieve if these are actually rapists and molesters -- I'm with you, there's no fixing someone who's that messed up. I wonder how many of them are simply there because they got caught taking a wizz in an alley...
 @badcat I'm going by the original story, where they clearly stated these offenders were predators, molesters, and/or charged with rape of a minor.
N.I.M.B.Y.
 @archon312 Damn-it!! You beat me to it!!
 @archon312 if not in your back yard then whose?
The Wapato Jail is vacant for use. It might be serve as a reminder of where they could end up if they ever violate again.
 @Dirtman Sir, that would be the answer, but trying to make it happen with MCSO ain't going to happen because of $$$$$$$.$$,
How about City Hall
 @Lo Pan City Hall? How about Sammy's bungalow itself?
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 @Lo Pan Yeah exactly. Sammy's office is usually empty since he spends all his time in the bathroom.. All in all it would seem quite fitting.
 @Jamie  @Lo Pan Everyone does since it has become public with a plethora of homeless male youngsters looking for a buck...
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@HarryJuku @Jamie I'm convinced that there's a small percentage of the community, identifying itself as heterosexual/conservative, that is absolutely OBSESSED with Sam Adams and his restroom habits. Weirdest freakin' thing.