Sex Predator Gets Second Chance, Reoffends:  Michael Shepard, released after serving a 15-year-sentence for committing sex offenses against children, faces 14 new charges of raping or assaulting at least 7 children after being out of prison 18 months.  Claire McNeill of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Shepard initially lied to his neighbors about his crimes, claiming his sex offender status stemmed from a Romeo and Juliet affair with a preacher's daughter.  He was released from prison after two psychologists determined that he "did not qualify for commitment" to a treatment facility after his sentence.  Shepard claims that the children fabricated their stories.

Milwaukee's Spiraling Violence:  Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has suffered dozens of violent incidents this year, claiming the lives of at least 43 people.  Gina Barton and Ashley Luthern of the Journal Sentinel report that the mayor and police chief have cited the city's concealed carry law, but others blame the increase on police department cuts and a policy barring police from high speed chases unless there is probable cause that someone in the suspect vehicle is a dangerous felon.  The mayor plans to spend $2 million to improve the investigation and charging of gun crimes.

Death Penalty Rare for Child Killers:  Ohio prosecutor Joe Deters' effort to enact legislation permitting prosecutors to seek the death penalty in cases involving the killing of a child has paid off.  Paula Christian of WCPO reports that Deters was outraged when prosecuting child-killer Richard Joseph Klein 18 years ago.  Klein received a sentence of only 31 years for holding down his girlfriend's mentally disabled 12-year-old son in scalding hot water until he died.  Now that the new law has passed, Deters plans to seek the death penalty against a couple accused of torturing their 2-year-old daughter to death.

Texas Aids Arkansas With Prison Overcrowding:  A contract with Bowie County, Texas, allows Arkansas to place up to 288 of its male inmates in a Texas facility.  John Lyon of the Arkansas News Bureau reports that the contract expires on December 31.  "More innovative approaches" yielding long-term impact are being considered.  State prison officials hoped to begin construction of a new 1,000-bed prison last year, but Governor Asa Hutchinson has a different plan to add bed space without building a new prison.  Another alternative, as outlined in Act 1206 of 2015, would allow counties to house state prisoners in regional correctional facilities subject to the governor's approval.