[Vision2020] Sexual offense legislation (was News from the Legislature)

[J Ford]

I like what Washington State is considering - 25 MINIMUM for the first-time 
offender...no choice, no discussion, no bartering with the safety of our 
children and others.

In addition, they should be required to not only get and hold a job, but pay 
back the cost of counseling that the victim has to go through; chemical 
castration should be required with a notification to ALL pharmacies in the 
state that would prohibit the offender from receiving testosterone patches; 
like Wyoming, they would have to be required to not live within five miles 
of a school or neighborhoods populated with children the ages of which the 
offender seems to favor; they should be required to wear ankle GSP's; they 
would have to be required to undergo counseling (NOT group counseling - I 
just don't think that does anything but give hints and ideas to the 
offender);  whatever community service they get, it should not include 
working in parks, school areas or any other area that children are likely to 
frequent.

I do know all this costs; so do funerals, victim psychiatric placements, 
victim counseling, trials, public defenders and years and years of trauma 
the victim has to live through.

Personally, save the money and keep the offender in jail until they die or 
are proven 100% to be not the guilty party.

J  :]




>From: Tom Ivie <the_ivies3 at yahoo.com>
>To: Art Deco <deco at moscow.com>, vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Sexual offense legislation (was News from 
>theLegislature)
>Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 09:42:41 -0800 (PST)
>
>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 (violent 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 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
>/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
>
>---------------------------------
>
>         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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>_____________________________________________________
>  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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