[null and void]

Perfect. I can add nothing to that post, save that if we develop a cure for the urge does that make the crime worse? As in, if a pedophile chooses to rape children, while knowing that a treatment could blunt or eliminate the danger he (or she) poses to children is that somehow worse?

OTOH how does this affect punishment?

I think we pretty much all agree that a pedophile represents an ongoing danger. Therefore we are inclined to want long/life sentences. Does this change to some prison time, with release conditional on treatment?

[TWohlford]

“I think we pretty much all agree that a pedophile represents an ongoing danger. Therefore we are inclined to want long/life sentences. Does this change to some prison time, with release conditional on treatment?”

As you can tell, I’ve been thru the moral discussions on this one. In my liberal days, I was the first to argue pro-gay clergy while in seminary. Now, I see others using the same arguments I used 20 years ago, and I can’t believe that they are so horribly thought through today.

To answer that question... no. I once talked to the sex offender shrink at the State of Michigan Big House, and he said, “There are many people who should never be out of prison.” As with all sex urges, them might decline as the person gets older... then again, even at a reduced level, they are still there, even if only once a year instead of once a day.