[Vision2020] Sexual offense legislation (was News from
theLegislature)
Kai Eiselein, LatahEagle Editor
editor at lataheagle.com
Wed Feb 1 15:36:58 PST 2006
All,
Try putting yourselves in the shoes of the parent who's child was sexually
assaulted.
Try feeling the anger, the sadness and the guilt. Yes, guilt: for not being
able to protect your child. Try waking up at night in a cold rage, feeling
like a failure because your child has been hurt at the hands of another and
you can't do a damn thing about it.
Go through the experience of taking your child in for a police interview and
a medical interview. She's three years old and doesn't understand what's
going on, you just try to calm her and tell her its ok..... while you hold
back your tears and feel shattered inside.... but you don't let her see
that.
Try to listen calmly as the interviewing detective tells you the interview
was "graphic".....you don't want to know and can't take much more.
Then listen to the prosecuting attorney tell you they won't prosecute
because your daughter is to young to take the stand...."It won't hold up in
court."
And the man that did this to her walks off scott free.
Then re-live it every time you hear of another child sexual abuse case.
Then tell that parent to think rationally.
That parent is me and I can tell you, the anger and the hurt NEVER goes
away.
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com
[mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]On Behalf Of Art Deco
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 2:22 PM
To: Vision 2020
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Sexual offense legislation (was News from
theLegislature)
Tom,
Thank you for your good questions.
Unfortunately, I do not have any good answers. Child sexual abuse is a
difficult topic to get most people to discuss rationally, let alone many of
those in the conservative Idaho legislature (who seem to have trouble
discussing a number of topics rationally). There is also a paucity of
competent research in this area, or at least there was several years ago.
Given the often horrible consequences to the victims and their families,
it think it is well worth tracking child sexual abusers by satellite to help
prevent further harm, and passing that cost onto the offender whenever
possible.
Voluntary castration for male offenders, though controversial, may help.
I simply lack the knowledge of all aspects of this problem to provide
insightful, useful answers which have a high probability of working.
There is also the problem of innocent people being convicted. Two things
lead to this:
1. False child sexual abuse accusations can arise from conflicts in a
relationship, motivations of revenge, a weapon that is used in a child
custody dispute, etc.
2. Over conviction-enthusiastic/poor/non-objective work by some of the
so-called sexual specialists who help investigate complaints and prepare
them for trial.
From Boundary County experiences, I believe this to be true. There is a
rather young man now serving a life sentence without possibility of parole
for a child sexual abuse crime that I do not believe he committed.
Before the trial, I thought he was guilty. But during the trial several
things changed my mind:
The complaining witness, a jilted girl friend (and not the mother of the
child), was a little too vindictive on the stand despite a lame
cross-examination by the defense attorney, the child's mother who denied
that any of the alleged acts took place was to me a convincing witness for
the defense, the sexual expert was too conviction-pointing-enthusiastic and
I thought she perjured herself just by observing her body language and tone
of her voice, the sexual expert was only cross-examined perfunctorily, the
victim was obviously very carefully coached on what to say and her language
did not vary a bit -- it seemed memorized and even then, made without
conviction, the defendant was represented by a public defender who obviously
didn't prepare for the trial and showed by a number of behaviors that he did
not believe in his client. When a prosecutor can villianize a defendant
with impunity, the alleged crime is really repugnant, and the defense
attorney disengaged, it is much easier to get a conviction than an
acquittal.
I wish there were better answers. I know that there are intelligent,
properly motivated people working in this area, but at this point we don't
have a lot to show for it. Let's hope we soon will.
Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
deco at moscow.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Ivie
To: Art Deco ; vision2020 at moscow.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 9:42 AM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Sexual offense legislation (was News from the
Legislature)
Wayne,
How do you feel about some of the sexual offender measures the legislature
is contemplating? I have heard that there are proposals to require satelite
tracking, increasing registration requirements for violent offenders
(quarterly for violent, yearly for the others), increasing the registration
fee for "regular" offenders to $40 from $10 (keeping violent offenders at
the $10 x 4 =$40) and keeping the indigency clause (that is, if offenders
can show that they are indigent, the fee is waived), and possibly a bill to
limit how close they can live to schools. There may be others I am not
aware of also.
Personally, I think satelite tracking may be very expensive and it is my
understanding that the court already can require it as a condition of
release for violent offenders. Whether they do or not is another question.
I agree with increasing the registration requirements but I think they
should ALL (viol! ent or not) have to register quarterly and pay $25 each
time. That would be enough to pay for the extra manpower to keep track of
them, yet it would give more up to date information. I don't think there
should be an indigency clause, period. Especially at the current rate of
$10 a year, they can come up with that without the taxpayer having to foot
the bill. I do think it is a good idea to limit the distance a CHILD sex
offender lives to a school or park. Without the limit, it is like putting
me in the middle of a buffet line and telling me I can't eat anything. It
just isn't going to happen! That may be a bad analogy, but maybe you get my
point. -Tom
Art Deco <deco at moscow.com> wrote:
! Shirley gives us this information from testimony before the
legislature:
"Sexual offenders comprise 19% of the prison population. There are 33
violent sexual predators in the state. Mr. Beauclair believes a system
should be assessment driven, and there should be a better assessment of
those likely to re-offend. We do not have an effective treatment program
for sexual offenders."
Thank you Shirley for this information (the entire report). I am not
trying to be a smart-ass but how can you identify those likely not to
re-offend?
Times may have changed, but in the 1980s when I was involved with many
others in northern Idaho in trying to prevent child sexual abuse and trying
to improve the methods by which such abuse was discovered and prosecuted,
the was a 93% recidivism rate. I have followed this problem with some
reading and I am unaware of any progress made in identifying those unlikely
to reoffend once caught and/or convicted.
Perhaps, Mr. Beauclair or someone on this list could bring us
up-to-date.
A few years ago one country, Denmark, did reduce the recidivism rate of
male child sexual abusers to about 3% by mandatory castration. However,
with the advent a few years later of the testosterone patch, such a method
lost some of its effectiveness.
Child sexual abuse is a horrible problem in itself, one which experts
generally agree is under-reported, and one which many times leaves lifelong
debilitating scars on its victims' psyches which affects there behavior and
ability to enjoy a healthy sex life among other things. I encourage you to
attempt to deal with thi! s problem in such a way that the actual number of
incidents can be greatly reduced.
Respectfully,
Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
deco at moscow.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Shirley Ringo
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 4:41 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] News from the Legislature
Visionaries:
Today, the Department of Corrections reported to the Joint
Appropriations and Finance Committee. It was an interesting report. You
may be interested in some of the details. (I apologize for the length.)
Mr. Beauclair joined other agency heads in expressing concern about his
employees. Low pay is a serious issue. That, combined with stress of the
work contributes to the department’s losing 30% of employees each year. The
cost of training a new officer is $10,000.
Accrued overtime for correction officers in 2005 required comp time of
63,323 hours. The cost of that comp time is $1,196,000. At $10,000 per
officer for retraining, the cost of losing 275 correctional officers is
$2,750,000.
Sexual offenders comprise 19% of the prison population. There are 33
violent sexual predators in the state. Mr. Beauclair believes! a system
should be assessment driven, and there should be a better assessment of
those likely to re-offend. We do not have an effective treatment program
for sexual offenders.
The offender population forecast anticipates an average increase of 5.6%
a year over the next four years. That means the incarcerated offender
population will increase almost 400 a year over the next four years.
The Department has attempted creative solutions to growth. They have
triple bunked, used tents, remodeled facilities, added cots, streamlined and
shortened sanctions. We cannot stretch the system further without risking
intervention. By a Federal Court Decision, we have been required to send
inmates out of state. In part, the decision reads, “After reviewing the
record in this case, the Court is convinced the IDOC officials would prefer
to incarcerate inmates within the parameters of the Eights Amendment
standards, but it has continually been denied funding for the tremendous
growth in inmate population. The cost of attorney fees related to this
decision was $156,000.
The cost of sending inmates out of state is $53 per inmate, but there
are related costs, such as that of transporting the inmates. In addition,
out of state cont! ractors take model inmates, who suffer from the loss of
community connection.
52% of Idaho inmates say methamphetamine was the primary reason for
their incarceration.
At least 2000 Idaho inmates are mentally ill.
Director Beauclair recommends initiation of the Correctional Alternative
Placement Program (CAPP) He requests $1,504,500 to meet financial needs
associated with contracting with a private provider who will build, own, and
operate a community treatment facility in Idaho. This would be a 400 bed
facility.
Emerging issues for the Department deal with sex offenders (treatment
can impact this group), medical costs (600 inmates have hepatitis C, and
there are issues associated with an aging population), and mental health. In
California, the federal government has assumed a role in health care. This
could be a costly remedy.
The Governor's recommendation for the appropriation is $161,926,100.
There is general agreement that Tom Beauclair is a great manager working
under very difficult conditions. Idaho received a national award for
reduced recidivism based on science. In addition, the number of inmates who
complete the GED is up 8%.
Let me know if you would like more information.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
_____________________________________________________
List services made available by First Step Internet,
serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
http://www.fsr.net
mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shirley gives us this information from testimony before the legislature:
"Sexual offenders comprise 19% of the prison population. There are 33
violent sexual predators in the state. Mr. ! Beauclair believes a system
should be assessment driven, and there should be a better assessment of
those likely to re-offend. We do not have an effective treatment program
for sexual offenders."
Thank you Shirley for this information (the entire report). I am not
trying to be a smart-ass but how can you identufy those likely not to
re-offend?
Times may have changed, but! in the 1980s when I was involved with many
others in trying to prevent child sexual abuse and trying to improve the
methods by which such abuse was discovered and prosecuted, the was a 93%
recidivism rate. I have followed this problem with some reading and I am
unaware of any progress made in identifying those unlikely to reoffend.
Perhaps, Mr. Beauclaire or someone on this list could bring us
up-to-date.
A few years ago one country, Denmark, did reduce the recidivism rate of
male offenders to about 3% by mandatory castration. Howver, with the advent
a few years later of the testosterone patch, such a method lost some of! its
effectiveness.
Child sexual abuse is a horrible problem in itself, one which experts
generally agree is under-reported, and one which many times leaves lifelong
debilitating scars on its victims' psyches. I encourage you to attempt to
deal with this problem in such a way that the actual number of incidents can
be greatly reduced.
Respectfully,
Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
deco at moscow.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Shirley Ringo
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 4:41 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] News from the Legislature
Visionaries:
Today, the Department of Corrections reported to the Joint
Appropriations and Finance Committee. It was an interesting report. You
may be interested in some of the details. (I apologize for the length.)
Mr. Beauclair joined other agency heads in expressing concern about his
employees. Low pay is a serious issue. That, combined with stress of the
work contributes to the department’s losing 30% of employees each year. The
cost of training a new officer is $10,000.
Accrued overtime for correction officers in 2005 required comp time of
63,323 hours. The cost of that comp time is $1,196,000. At $10,000 per
officer for retraining, the cost of losing 275 correctional officers is
$2,750,000.
Sexual offenders comprise 19% of the prison population. There are 33
violent sexual predators in the state. Mr. Beauclair believes a system
should be assessment driven, and there should be a better assessment of
those likely to re-offend. We do not have an effective treatment program
for sexual offenders.
The offender population forecast anticipates an average increase of 5.6%
a year over the next four years. That means the incarcerated offender
population will increase almost 400 a year over the next four years.
The Department has attempted creative solutions to growth. They have
triple bunked, used tents, remodeled facilities, added cots, streamlined and
shortened sanctions. We cannot stretch the system further without risking
intervention. By a Federal Court Decision, we have been required to send
inmates out of state. In part, the decision reads, “After reviewing the
record in this case, the Court is convinced the IDOC officials would prefer
to incarcerate inmates within the parameters of the Eights Amendment
standards, but it has continually been denied funding for the tremendous
growth in inmate population. The cost of attorney fees related to this
decision was $156,000.
!
The cost of sending inmates out of state is $53 per inmate, but there
are related costs, such as that of transporting the inmates. In addition,
out of state contractors take model inmates, who suffer from the loss of
community connection.
52% of Idaho inmates say methamphetamine was the primary reason for
their incarceration.
At least 2000 Idaho inmates are mentally ill.
!
Director Beauclair recommends initiation of the Correctional Alternative
Placement Program (CAPP) He requests $1,504,500 to meet financial needs
associated with contracting with a private provider who will build, own, and
operate a community treatment facility in Idaho. This would be a 400 bed
facility.
Emerging issues for the Department deal with sex offenders (treatment
can impact this group), medical costs (600 inmates have hepatitis C, and
there are issues associated with an aging population), and mental health. In
California, the federal government has assumed a role in health care. This
could be a costly remedy.
The Governor's recommendation for the appropriation is $161,926,100.
There is general agreement that Tom Beauclair is a great manager working
under very difficult conditions. Idaho received a national award for
reduced recidivism based on science. In addition, the number of inmates who
complete the GED is up 8%.
Let me know if you would like more information.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
_____________________________________________________
List services made available by First Step Internet,
serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
http://www.fsr.net
mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
_____________________________________________________
List services made available by First Step Internet,
serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
http://www.fsr.net
mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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