On an ever-shrinking patch of sand at the underbelly of the Julia Tuttle Causeway, tents and shacks are filling with those who have raped, touched and fondled. A colony of convicts who can do little more than create a community of their own.

There are 66 here now — three times as many sex offenders as just a year ago.

”People call this place a camp, like it’s pretty and fun,” said Osvaldo Castillo, 29, who was convicted of molesting a 6-year-old boy. “It’s not fun at all. We are living like animals and trying to make the best of it.”

There have been breakdowns, suicide attempts, heart attacks. All set to the backdrop of gentle Biscayne Bay and the evolving Miami skyline, a luxury teasing them as much as the address posted for them in the state registry: “Transient.”

The 65 men and one woman living here are anything but transient. They are replacing tents with wooden structures. A solitary weight bench is now a bench among benches. They’ve added a fridge, a sofa, a football.

When morning arrives, men embrace their wives — some of whom arrive by car overnight — and begin the day. The men must be back at night or face being sent to prison for violating parole.