NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Costume parties, jack-o-lanterns, haunted houses and handing out treats are forbidden under newly issued Halloween guidelines for Tennessee sex offenders on probation or parole.

The guidelines are meant to clarify policies that prevent offenders from interacting with children, said Board of Probation and Parole spokesman Jack Elder, and were not enacted in response to any specific problems the board has seen during the Halloween season.

The restrictions prohibit sex offenders from attending special Halloween events like corn mazes and haunted houses, handing out treats, displaying Halloween decorations, accompanying trick-or-treating children or wearing costumes.

They apply to all sex offenders on probation or parole – about 2,000 of the 8,100 registered offenders living in the state – and not specifically to those offenders whose crimes involved minors.

“No matter what their sex offense might have been, they must adhere to the same rules,” Elder said. “Any sex offender is not supposed to have contact with minors. They all sign the same directives.”