Convicted Sex Offenders Back On The Streets
Although this blog has little to do with the actual field of communications, it stems from an article that I read on CNN.com on Tuesday. Thirty-seven years ago this month, then 13-year old Martin Andrews was abducted and held captive for eight days by a two-time convicted sex offender. Andrews describes his captor, Richard Ausley as a “sexually violent predator,” that kept him chained in a box during the abduction.
Tuesday, the Supreme Court was to revisit a method to keep convicted felons of violent sex crimes off the streets: civil commitment. It involves committing an ex-con into a psychiatric facility after their prison term. It is generally stated that sexual predators can never be cured of their urges to act violently, therefore incarceration does little to rehabilitate these criminals.
Personally, would I like to see my taxes go to housing criminals that have minimal chances of becoming rehabilitated, members of society? Better that, than the death penalty. But who or what is civil commitment really for? Extremely violent, repeat offenders? Sadists? Serial rapists? Committing violent criminals like Richard Ausley that sexually assaulted young boys repeatedly seems like a great way to keep him off the streets. But what about 19-year old sex offender convicted of statutory rape for having sex with a 15-year old. Should civil commitment be practiced in this case? I’d feel a lot more comfortable if I knew this would be handled on a case by case basis rather than a blanket for all sex offenders.
