Judge Swift: Changes needed

The judge believes local legislators will assist in getting the law on sex offenders changed.

By ED RUNYAN

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — Judge Thomas A. Swift of Trumbull County Probate Court is seeking help from a variety of places to give greater protection from registered sex offenders to nursing home residents.

Judge Swift, president of the Ohio Association of Probate Judges, recently wrote to Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann to inform him of his concern for the safety of nursing home residents after he learned that more than 3,000 registered sex offenders live in Ohio nursing homes.

Judge Swift added that Ohio law does not require nursing homes to notify their residents, prospective residents, family members or guardians that registered sex offenders live in the facility.

“In fact, some nursing homes may be soliciting registered sex offenders and transferring them between homes to fill beds,” he wrote. It also appears that some states are sending their registered sex offenders to Ohio, he said.

Sheriff’s departments in Ohio are required to notify neighbors living within a 1,000-foot radius of a registered sex offender’s new residence, school or employment, but it doesn’t require notification of nursing homes or group homes, Swift said.

“If they are going to accept registered sex offenders, the family and court should be notified,” he said.

“As a probate judge, I want to know that a ward will be safe before authorizing the placement in a nursing home,” he wrote. “I also believe family members want to know if their loved one has a registered sex offender as a roommate.”

Seeking help of lawmakers

Judge Swift sent the letter to state Sen. Capri Cafaro of Hubbard, D-32nd, and state representatives Thomas Letson of Warren, D-64th, and Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles, D-65th. He believes all three representatives are supportive of changing Ohio law to better protect nursing home residents through notification by the nursing homes and the sheriff’s department.

Though there is already proposed Ohio legislation to notify the nursing homes of a registered sex offender, the nursing homes most likely already know they have registered sexual offenders, Judge Swift said.

He also e-mailed the other probate judges in Ohio of his concerns and has sent letters to nursing homes in Trumbull County, asking them to notify him if they have any registered sex offenders as residents and to notify him of any that they accept in the future.

runyan@vindy.com