The village of sex offenders

Available for over a year

Set among endless sugar-cane fields in a remote part of southern Florida, Restoration Destination is a community made up of registered sex offenders. Created by a Christian ministry as a response to state laws which ban them from living close to where children gather, it's now home to more than 100 men who’ve been placed on Florida’s sex offenders register for life. Through therapy, counselling and support, Restoration Destination aims to reduce their likelihood of reoffending and help them reintegrate into society. With the future of the community uncertain and claims Florida’s sex offender residency laws are driving people into homelessness, journalist Conor Garrett goes to Restoration Destination to ask if the men who live there deserve a second chance. This programme contains interviews with convicted sex offenders, references to sex crimes and other scenes which listeners may find upsetting. Producer: Conor Garrett Executive Producer: Georgia Catt Sound mix: Giles Aspen