Local law enforcement disputes a claim that there have been no incidents involving parolees transitioning from prison to freedom at the McHaney Street halfway house.
The Rev. Jay Slaughter, who runs the halfway house, has told both the CN and a Memphis TV station that there have been no major incidents, only a few minor ones like missing curfew.
Slaughter told the CN the sex offender parolees are actually more disciplined than the others because prison has prepared them "to be ostracized and criticized."
He told WREG: "Nothing has happened. None of our men have done anything to endanger our community or themselves."
However, several reports from the Blytheville Police Department involve the moderate-risk sex offender parolees either during their time at the halfway house or after they left.
Earlier this week, Conway authorities arrested Robert Lee Harris, 32, after he allegedly absconded.
According to the police report, on Tuesday, Harris' parole officer notified the Blytheville Police Department that the Level 2 sex offender absconded and violated conditions of his parole, no longer living at his registered address.
It says Harris had paroled to the transitional house on McHaney last October, and in February, came to the BPD to change his address to a room at BQ Studios, located in the 400 block of West Ash.
On Tuesday, the BQ Studios owner told authorities that Harris moved out at the beginning of March and his whereabouts were unknown.
Harris is required to verify every six months with local law enforcement and notify authorities of any change in address at least 10 days in advance. In 2006, he was convicted of two counts of sexual assault, which requires him to register for 15 years while in Arkansas, the report says.
Meanwhile, Level 2 sex offender William Morris, 52, has allegedly absconded to California. On Thursday, BPD Capt. Scott Adams told the Courier News that probation officials will be bringing him back to Blytheville, though he had no timeframe.
According to the police report, when Morris' parole officer tried to make contact with him on Jan. 6, Morris' apartment was vacant and his former employer reported he had been gone for several weeks.
Morris' landlord told police that he left in December and took two of her flat-screen televisions out of the apartment. Morris was originally registered on Sept. 10, after paroling out to the halfway house on McHaney.
In September, there was a general information report filed concerning one of the 201 W. McHaney halfway house residents at the time.
A woman reported that the Level 2 sex offender staying at the home appeared to be looking at a school-aged girl who was wearing a school uniform and "sizing her up" as she walked through Williams Park on the morning of Sept. 9.
The incident didn't merit charges, only a general information report.
The report says the woman had been told by a co-worker that several sex offenders lived at 201 W. McHaney and she presumed the man to be a sex offender.
The woman told police that the girl had on headphones and appeared to be oblivious to the man watching her, as she exited the park and passed the house.
"(The woman) advised that she saw the male talking as he looked in the direction of the student and assumed that he made some sort of comment to her," the report reads.
The woman said the girl didn't appear to hear him and never acknowledged him.
"(The woman) stated that as the student neared her, she got the girl's attention and called her over to her," the report says. "(The woman) stated that she told the girl that she needs to be careful and be more aware of her surroundings."
Also, in October, another former 201 W. McHaney resident, 21-year-old Fahren Hayden Parker, was convicted of several offenses, including DWI/drugs, possession of a controlled substance, refusal of a B.A.C. test, among others.
He was arrested by the State Police and is currently behind bars at Ouachita River Correctional Unit.
While the halfway house is seen by some as a place to get their lives back on track, some neighbors are concerned that it is in their neighborhood, located right next to Williams Park.
One of those neighbors, Robert Harris, who is NOT the aforementioned Harris that lived in the halfway house, is upset over the halfway house, saying he moved back to Blytheville after 35 years when retiring.
"It was a nice town," he said. "I like the neighborhood, but with this type of business going in my neighborhood, it depreciates my property. I keep my property up. My next-door neighbor has a young girl there. Now she can't play in her yard. We have put millions of dollars in the park to improve it, so how can a person with his standing in the community do this without getting approval from the residents in the neighborhood? I didn't receive any notice from him -- what's his intention? I didn't get a letter from Blytheville concerning that. I still haven't gotten a statement from him or Blytheville's Code people to tell me about this. Everyone is trying to hide and it's not right. I'm a property owner. I pay taxes and for him to do that and not go by the guidelines of ACIC. This is hurting people."
Slaughter sees the halfway house as a ministry and "the next frontier for social justice."
He said some must stay in jail simply because they have no place to go, which he calls an injustice.
The halfway house operates on state funds. According to Dina Tyler of Arkansas Community Corrections, ACC pays $28 a day per offender for up to 90 days. From July 13, 2013 through Feb. 28, 2014, the agency paid the halfway house, Effort Development, $45,416.
"There are four offenders at the house now," she said. "There were five, but one left this week."
Up to 10 can stay at the halfway house.
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com