Huckleberries Online

2 Cents: What To Do w/Sex Offenders

Posted by DFO

March 11, 2009 10:54 a.m. • 39 comments

In the North Idaho College Sentinel, columnist John Monnier suggests that violent sex offenders should be executed. Quoth: “Take a stand against the violent offenders because they should not be able to live among people who do not cause severe harm to others. They should be stopped with extreme prejudice. Nip it at the bud, and let God sort them out.” Of course, that’s not going to happen in a society that largely eschews the death penalty, even for the most violent criminals. But he does raise an interesting point. What do you do with your run-of-the-mill registered sex offenders? Most would say avoid them at all costs. Unless you can’t, of course. Mebbe you’re related to one. Mebbe a sex offender attends your church. Or community organization. Sex offenders are the modern-day lepers. Deservedly, they bear the modern-day scarlet letter for their — hopefully past — crime. Some of them have committed horrible crimes. Others maginal ones. You can find their photos, addresses, and a brief account of their crimes on the Web. I know two of them in our community, individuals who committed crimes decades ago. They remain crushed by their crimes. I know I should show compassion. But I remain uneasy around them. I wonder what the Good Samaritan would do?

Question: What would you do if a nonviolent registered sex offender wanted to join your church or community organization. Would you give him or her a second chance?

39 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Frum Helen Back on March 11 at 11:16 a.m.
Thank God my children weren’t molested because I would be in prison right now.
marmitetoasty on March 11 at 11:34 a.m.
They should have their tackle cut off…

x
poolman on March 11 at 11:39 a.m.
I once hear a line about alcoholics - it’s like being a pickle. You may have started as a cucumber but once you became a pickle (alcoholic) you will never be a cucumber again - i.e. you will always be an alcoholic - whether you drink or not.

I think people that abuse and molest are pickles also. If it’s in your DNA to do it - it’s just there. Also comparable to kids who like to kill small animals. It’s proven they have a high probability of becoming violent adults and in some cases murders. It’s not a fixable problem and the risk of invoking trust in such people can have horrible and irreversible consequences.

This is the type of criminal that should fill our prison system, not the “victimless criminal” that currently fills our jails. How did our criminal justice system get so sideways that they feel need to let molesters out ASAP, but keep drug addicts and prostitutes locked up ALAP.
JohnA on March 11 at 11:46 a.m.
I was going to suggest something along the lines of what Marmie posted, but her description was as usual much more charming. :)
toadman on March 11 at 11:46 a.m.
“What would you do if a nonviolent registered sex offender wanted to join your church or community organization. ”

Let me ask you this: What if you had a family member who was a nonviolent sex offender (but remains unregistered because of the nature of his conviction, and the state in which he lives)? I do. It’s always more complicated than people think.

Still, I’m not advocating leniency at all…just thinking one situation isn’t like every other situation.
scootermom on March 11 at 12:01 p.m.
Toadman makes a good point.

It’s easy to dismiss sex offenders as scary men hiding in the bushes. But they are somebody’s father, brother or son. They are somebody’s friend.

It’s a difficult situation. But I don’t think that excluding them from the community and painting a big SO on their foreheads accomplishes much.

Most sex offenders haven’t been caught, and they are in your neighborhood. The best thing to do is educate yourself and your family. Learn not to be a victim.
cantyoureadthesigns on March 11 at 12:10 p.m.
Unless you’re going to go with mandatory life without parole sentences for all sex offenders, at some point these people are going to be out on the street again.

The question then becomes, HOW do you keep them from re-offending and therefore prevent additional sexual predation victims?

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40”The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ ”

The only program I’ve heard of that actually accomplishes the goal of reducing recidivism of sexual offenders is the Mennonite church’s Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA).

“The primary aim of COSA is “no more victims.” The Circle meets together regularly as the Core Member transitions into the community, providing practical, physical, emotional, and spiritual support for the Core Member along with holding him accountable for safe living.

COSA was originally developed in Ontario, Canada in 1994. Experience and research across Canada has shown that providing support for sex offenders while holding them accountable is very effective in creating safe communities and in assisting ex-offenders to lead productive lives.

The 2007 study showed that COSA participants had 83% less sexual reoffending than the matched comparison group.”

http://peace.fresno.edu/cosa/
http://www.nicic.org/Library/021192
legaleagle on March 11 at 12:52 p.m.
The real problem is that there is no distinction between types of offenders. Should a 20 year old who has consensual sex with a 17 year old be required to register for life? Or given our backwards laws what about the 15 year male who has sex with a 15 year old female and then has to register?

Just trying to remind everyone that there are a lot of people who have to register who have never been violent or forced themselves on anybody.
saraeanderson on March 11 at 1:27 p.m.
leagaleagle, Washington categorizes sex offenses into different levels, according to things like the severity of the crime and likelihood of reoffense.

And scootermom, I’d thank you to let up on the victim-blaming masquerading as advice.

Oh, and regarding a tendency to abuse being genetic, there’s actually new research that suggests abuse early in life causes brain damage and affects the brain’s chemical processes. You’re right that it’s not a case of mind over matter, but mind itself being matter, which is plastic for only a short while.

I’ve got links if anyone’s interested, but can’t dress them up in HTML.
Cabbage Boy on March 11 at 1:54 p.m.
Sara, no need to learn HTML. Just post the whole hyper line in plain text.

like this.
http://www.spokesman.com
JamesBond on March 11 at 1:56 p.m.
I remain perplexed by people who argue that someone should be executed. Why? It NEVER happens. NEVER. We put people on “death row” in Idaho, and they NEVER get executed. What they get is a lot more legal rights for appeals, taxpayer financed, and they often get favorable court decisions. Victims families are left to spend years and years and years reliving the whole thing. It is nuts. The most effective and final form of punishment is a fixed life term.

Wake up, people!
scootermom on March 11 at 2:22 p.m.
It was certainly not my intent to blame victims.

I think more resources should be dedicated to teaching children, at an early age, that some touching is inappropriate and that they should tell someone. Most children are abused by someone they know, not strangers. Teenagers, and young adults, should be taught that no means no.

I think it gives us a false sense of security to register offenders, and pretend that we’ve taken care of the problem.

Education is not blame.
florined on March 11 at 3:32 p.m.
Wow, so many, many threads to be woven into the fabric. For example, please keep in mind that not all sexual abusers are men…yes, statistically most are, but not all. And as several have mentioned, not all offenders are predatory; i.e., not all go seeking victims. I think that’s why so often the offender is known to the victim…the proximity, the availability helps create the situation. That’s why people of all ages need to be taught and empowered to difuse the situation, by running away and telling someone they can trust. Please let them have someone they can trust.
toadman on March 11 at 3:39 p.m.
Incidentally, KHQ just reporting the arrest of a pants-less man in a truck using his body as an amusement park near an elementary school in Spokane…see:

http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=9989901

How very timely, eh?
marmitetoasty on March 11 at 3:41 p.m.
**scootermom on March 11 at 2:22 p.m.

It was certainly not my intent to blame victims.

I think more resources should be dedicated to teaching children, at an early age, that some touching is inappropriate and that they should tell someone. Most children are abused by someone they know, not strangers. Teenagers, and young adults, should be taught that no means no.

I think it gives us a false sense of security to register offenders, and pretend that we’ve taken care of the problem.

Education is not blame.**

Im finding it very hard to understand the thinking behind your comments scooter…..

How do you tell a 7 year old or a 13 year old to speak out, who is being abused by someone they know and whom that someone threatens nasty consequences should they TELL….. please dont pass the buck onto the innocent victims….as much as these children KNOW they should tell, they are often to frightened…

just like education does not always stop teenage pregnancies..

just like education does not always stop drug and alchol abuse..

just like education does not always stop vandals and mouthy little sods that shout abuse at the elderly….

Many of these abused kids are TO FRIGHTENED to tell anyone, they truely believe what the abuser tells them..

and on that note Im going to bed…. nite

x
Cabbage Boy on March 11 at 3:52 p.m.
kids will often not even want to talk about it when they are forced to admit it. They don’t understand the long term effects of hiding it, they just know that there will be hell to pay if they speak out. It doesn’t have to be a threat by the perp, just a kid understanding the shame and ridicule that will come as a result of speaking up.

And I don’t know about others, but when I first encountered these stupid “education videos”, I remember thinking, DUH! As a 3rd, 4th or 5th grader, I already knew “green zones” from the “red zones.” I just thought the education was a waste of time and rather patronizing.

What kids need is someone that loves them. Someone that isn’t afraid to hold them or give them a hug. It is one of the most deceiving and awful tricks of the devil to use the “prevention of child abuse” to alienate these poor kids even more.
toadman on March 11 at 4:01 p.m.
Teaching children at a young age about inappropriate touching is fine, in my opinion. But Marmie is right.. most abused children won’t talk about it.. or will be too afraid to talk about it.. and.. if it’s someone they KNOW, saying no will be confusing to them. Very confusing.

Perhaps educating adults about the outward signs of physical sexual abuse in different age children would be even more appropriate. They train teachers in what to look for, why not parents?
marmitetoasty on March 11 at 4:19 p.m.
One last comment before climbing me apples and pears to bed…….

Toadie…… in my job I HAVE to attend and update my ‘Child Protection’ courses…… we HAVE to know the signs of many abuses…. something just as sutle as a usually funny noisey loud child that chances to a quiet intravert child…or a child that might flinch when in my care……. we have to look for signs and log ANYTHING we feel is not right and any marks we see upon a child, even with a parents explanation of why and how ……..and we have 3 lines of help and advice… Social services, NCMA (national childminders association) and Ofsted which is the govening body of care and educational of children and whom under we have tough inspections… we have much back up here if we so much as suspect anything….

So adults here that deal in anyway with children are very well educated on the subject..

really going to bed now LOL - just had to send an email to dear Don S…

x
Stickman on March 11 at 7:32 p.m.
I’m with you John, Marmite says it best.
hhuseland on March 11 at 8:03 p.m.
I do have a problem with having the label hang over a lifetime for a marginal offense. An adult that has been convicted for let’s say, fondling a willing 15 or 16 year old while in the lab of booze, and is a one time offender, should not have to face the rest of his/her life as a predator. Even Murderers, that flagrantly take a life, get final relief after spend some years in prison. Are there tracking devises for them?

This flying in the face of justice because it is an issue that inflames our sense, as parents, should not be absolute, and needs to be modified.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.