Glenwood: An Introduction

The town of Glenwood sits nestled in a small valley, just off a two lane road that was paved for the first time last year.


Its exact location or zip code is not needed. No one gets mail. And revealing its location would put its residents at risk.

Why? Glenwood is a residence, a sanctuary, for those on a sex offender registry. Any sex offender registry.

They come from all over the country, seeking a fresh start. They seek an escape from strained relationships with their families. Most of the residents had no friends they could turn to for support: they were loners.

Glenwood’s residents live a communal lifestyle. They grow fruits, vegetables, wheat for bread, and raise livestock on a small farm.

A few feet from the farm is the kitchen and eating facility. The residents take turns cooking meals for each other, setting the table, and cleaning the dishes.

Other amenities at Glenwood include: an extensive shared library, featuring books from each resident; a gym with a swimming pool, and an Internet cafe for those residents allowed to use the internet.



Most of the residents work part-time in the nearby city. They have a van for going to work. One resident each day, usually one of the residents working that day, volunteers to drive the others in for work. Gas is paid using a credit card connected to the town.

One of the conditions for living in Glenwood is that all salaries are shared with the other residents in one bank account. The residents use that money for gas, and to purchase items in the city that they can’t make at the farm: meat, cleaning supplies, bed linens, reading materials.

An adult from the city does the resident’s shopping and drives it to Glenwood. The residents pay the adult with a check drawn from the communal bank account.

In general, the city knows of Glenwood and they tolerate them. After all, Glenwood’s purchases and workers contribute to the city’s local economy.