I'm confused as to why we're focusing solely on sex offenders. The large majority of folks in the prison system are there on drug-related charges. Leave the sex offenders in, and early-relase (or reduce sentencing guidelines for) the drug-related offenders in order to save money and reduce the size of the prison-industrial complex. Also, do not renew contracts for private prison profiteers, that way 35-40% of the state's prison costs won't be set in stone. If we are going to set anything in stone, it should be a base level of funding for education (and that base level should be higher than the current level of funding).<br>
<br>-Reggie<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 12:39 PM, Joe Campbell <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:philosopher.joe@gmail.com">philosopher.joe@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
This is a tricky issue. <br><br>On the one hand, I don't have much of a problem telling someone like John Rydberg, who has admitted to more than 90 sex offenses (see link below), that he should remain incarcerated. <br>
<br>On the other hand, even if we suppose that there is a 75% recidivism rate for sex offenders, you're still talking about the unjustified punishment of 25% of them if the suggestion IF the suggestion is something like the "civil commitment sex offender treatment program" that Minnesota has. <br>
<br>Not that Rose or anyone else is suggesting that. So far the point is that sex offenders should not be allowed early release and that is a no-brainer, as it is with the early release of any violent criminal (unless there are extenuating circumstances). <br>
<br>But the overall issue of what to do with sex offenders, how long they deserve punishment, and whether incarceration in the form of treatment after punishment is a viable option is a very difficult issue, though one that needs much attention.<div>
<div></div><div class="h5"><br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Mar 8, 2011 at 11:48 AM, Ron Force <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rforce2003@yahoo.com" target="_blank">rforce2003@yahoo.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 14pt;"><font size="3">A pertinent story from <span style="font-style: italic;">Here and Now" </span>this morning on NWPR:<br><span style="font-style: italic;"><br>
</span><span><a href="http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2011/03/08/minnesota-sex-offender" target="_blank">http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2011/03/08/minnesota-sex-offender</a></span><br><br>Ron Force<br>Moscow Idaho USA</font><div>
<br>
</div><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> "<a href="mailto:betsyd@turbonet.com" target="_blank">betsyd@turbonet.com</a>" <<a href="mailto:betsyd@turbonet.com" target="_blank">betsyd@turbonet.com</a>><br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Rosemary Huskey <<a href="mailto:donaldrose@cpcinternet.com" target="_blank">donaldrose@cpcinternet.com</a>>; vision 2020
<<a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020@moscow.com</a>>; Sunil Ramalingam <<a href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com" target="_blank">sunilramalingam@hotmail.com</a>><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tue, March 8, 2011 11:37:40 AM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Vision2020] Sex Offender<br></font><div><div></div><div><br>
Couldn't agree with you more!<br><br>Bets<br><br><br>-----Original message-----<br>From: "Rosemary Huskey" <a href="mailto:donaldrose@cpcinternet.com" target="_blank">donaldrose@cpcinternet.com</a><br>Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:20:41 -0800<br>
To: "'vision 2020'" <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020@moscow.com</a>, "'Sunil Ramalingam'" <a href="mailto:sunilramalingam@hotmail.com" target="_blank">sunilramalingam@hotmail.com</a><br>
Subject: [Vision2020] Sex Offender<br><br>> A juried review of recidivism, therapeutic modalities, etc. for sex<br><span>> offenders: <a href="http://www.csom.org/pubs/recidsexof.html" target="_blank">http://www.csom.org/pubs/recidsexof.html</a></span><br>
> <br>> The type of offense appears to have some impact of the likelihood of<br>> reoffending, (which is high at any rate amongst non-incest child
molesters).<br>> There seems to be disagreement among professionals about what constitutes a<br>> re-offense. For example, does re-offense mean an arrest, a conviction, or<br>> probation violation? And, of course, no one, except the perpetrators and<br>
> the victims really know what that rate is. What is clear is that it is<br>> underreported. Whether the rate (including perpetrators in regular group<br>> "therapy" and I also use quotes) is 50% or .5% the possibility that<br>
> convicted child molesters will continue to troll for and abuse children is<br>> too high. As for specifics, Steven Sitler was jailed in Latah County for<br>> almost a year and did in fact drive himself (alone), to the<br>
> Lewiston/Clarkston area regularly for "therapy." And yes, there were<br>> controls in place in terms of time driving and mileage etc. nonetheless, it<br>> was, in my opinion, a risky
situation. I ask you and other 2020<br>> contributors, as I did the leaders of Christ Church who support him in his<br>> upcoming marriage, would you allow Steve Sitler, given his horrendous<br>> history of child molestation, unlimited, unsupervised access to your young<br>
> children? No therapeutic professional would guarantee that Mr. Sitler, or<br>> others with similar criminal histories, can be "cured" consequently no<br>> thoughtful adult should trust him around any children. And, yes, I would<br>
> gladly pay more in taxes to keep offenders with a history like Mr. Sitler's<br>> in jail until he is 80 years old. His life time probation offers absolutely<br>> zero protection to his potential victims. <br>
> <br>> <br>> <br>> Rose Huskey<br>> <br>> <br>> <br><br>****************************<br>* Betsy Dickow ***************<br>* Love! Love! Love!
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=======================================================<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened. <br>
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