A good question?

[gajinoz]

Heard an interesting item on the news this morning. Seems that, in my state, the police are going to warn community leaders if a convicted child molestor who is highly likely to reoffend is living in their area.

Maybe I'm a little naive but why the hell should a POS like that be living in the community if they think he is going to reoffend? How would you feel if your kids were living in the same suburb as some child molesting scum who the authorities think is highly likely to reoffend?

Why is this person not locked away for life?

Have I missed something here?

 

[Gollnick]

Why is this person not locked away for life?

Because that sentence is not available for that crime.

What you're asking for is essentially a one-strike law.

Practical experience has shown that child molesters are statistically very likely to re-offend. And practical experience has also shown that that particular class of criminal seems very unresponsive to therapies and methods available today.

But, once the person has completed his sentence, he has to be released and allowed to try and make a peaceful life for himself again.

 

[gajinoz]

Practical experience has shown that child molesters are statistically very likely to re-offend. And practical experience has also shown that that particular class of criminal seems very unresponsive to therapies and methods available today.

Exactly, so, instead of just telling people that one of them is living among them so everybody has to be constantly worried, why not change the rules so that these people are not able to reoffend. Since they are so evil and since they can't be stopped, maybe it's time for different rules for this type of crime.

 

[pcnorton]

Exactly, so, instead of just telling people that one of them is living among them so everybody has to be constantly worried, why not change the rules so that these people are not able to reoffend. Since they are so evil and since they can't be stopped, maybe it's time for different rules for this type of crime.

I guess because of this: Why stop at that crime? Look at recidivist rates for most crimes/criminals. Hell they can't even stop in prison.

Paul

 

[Matt Shade]

At least in Ohio, but I think in all of the U.S. that law is already in affect. Only the authorities opinion of the convict doesn't matter, they are all released as a registered sex offender. Law enforcement agencies in the locality they live in have to be notified (if they move, they have to register their new location), and the information has to be publicly available, although no announcements are made. There is a website, where you can look. The school district my sister is in sent letters home notifying parents that a convicted sex offender was moving in and gave a link to the county sherrif's website with the list.
I guess thats about all they can do shot of new legislation on sentencing. It seems really stupid, but you should probably be glad it at least works the way it does. Before, those same people were being released and no one was even being told about it!

 

[johnniet]

Why is this person not locked away for life?

In the US, it's because they have to make space for all the mandatory minimum drug offenders.

 

[mwerner]

Hehe- quite true. There are proposed situations (our state is one) wherin a sex offender who is considered to be chronic may be confined (usually in a mental institution) after the completion of his criminal sentence. This has been wrangled around in the courts for some years.

Pedophiles, (and many other paraphiliacs) are indeed chronic, and there is no known effective treatment. This applies to less dangerous offenders as well; we have dealt for years with an "exposer" who has been committing crimes on our campus since the early 70s. When last interviewed, he said that the compulsion is so strong that the only way to stop would be to commit suicide.