DeMaio Demands End to Placement of SVPs in Residential Communities and Immediate Termination of Controversial Liberty Healthcare Vendor
California State Assemblyman Carl DeMaio is blasting the recently released state audit of the Conditional Release Program for Sexually Violent Predators (SVPs), calling it a “political cover-up designed to protect corrupt bureaucrats, not the public.”
The Legislature’s oversight hearing on the controversial SVP Conditional Release Program is scheduled for tomorrow, and DeMaio – who has led the fight against the reckless release of SVPs into residential neighborhoods – is warning that the audit completely fails to hold anyone accountable and deliberately ignores the misconduct of Liberty Healthcare, the private contractor running the program.
“This audit reflects everything wrong with Sacramento – showing that unaccountable bureaucrats and a rogue contractor have put child rapists, pedophiles, and violent predators back on the streets – all while lying to the public and endangering our families,” DeMaio says.
DeMaio, who represents a district that has repeatedly been targeted for SVP placements, including Rancho Bernardo, Poway, and Jacumba, says the audit is a “rubber stamp for corruption” and is demanding immediate legislative action to shut down the program entirely.
Ahead of the hearing, DeMaio highlights the five biggest failures of the SVP audit:
1.No Accountability for Liberty Healthcare:
Despite years of documented failures, including deceptive licensing practices and hiding placement locations from the public, Liberty Healthcare faces no penalties and no reform. The audit acknowledges that Liberty has ignored recommendations dating back to 2019, yet nothing has been done.
2. Secrecy and Community Deception:
The audit glosses over how liberty and the Department of State Hospitals secretly place SVPs in residential neighborhoods, including Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Jacumba, without notifying residents or law enforcement.
3. Violation of State Law on Placements:
While the law requires SVPs to be placed within 30 days, the audit concedes the state takes an average of 17 months, some waiting four years, with zero consequences for this blatant violation of the statute.
4. Soaring Costs for Taxpayers:
The program’s cost has skyrocketed by 74.2 %, reaching $11.5 million a year, with no plan to fix the waste. Taxpayers are funding a broken system that protects predators more than the public.
5. Public Safety Risks Minimized:
The audit claims the program has a lower re-offense rate. Still, given the documented oversight failures and lack of robust law enforcement monitoring, there is no confidence that the true risk posed by SVPs is being accurately reported – or that the public is being adequately protected.
“Our neighborhoods are not dumping grounds for violent predators – and I won’t stop until this reckless program is shut down for good,” DeMaio says.
DeMaio confirms he will confront state officials during tomorrow’s hearing and press for his three-point plan as outlined in AB 22 to shut down the SVP placement scheme:
- No placements in residential neighborhoods.
- No placements on tribal lands.
- No placements as transients.
DeMaio’s legislation would establish strict safeguards on where SVPs can be placed, ensuring dangerous predators are not dumped into vulnerable communities under the current broken system.