Posted on 08/07/2005 6:33:28 PM PDT by markomalley
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Sex offenders tracked by the state are banned from public hurricane shelters in Florida under a new policy that allows them to weather the storms in prison instead.
The policy was created to keep sex offenders and predators away from children, said Robby Cunningham, spokesman for the Department of Corrections. Offenders who go to a prison will stay in areas such as visitor or meeting rooms, he said.
"They are not incarcerated," Cunningham said Saturday. "We don't want them on the streets. We don't want them violating their probation either."
The policy only affects sex offenders under state supervision who are not allowed near children. They can go to a prison if their evacuation address given to authorities can't be used or is deemed unacceptable, Cunningham said. He did not know how many sex offenders could be affected.
The policy took effect at the beginning of hurricane season, June 1. Six offenders stayed in prisons during Hurricane Dennis in July.
Sex offenders have to sign a form that outlines instructions, wear an ID badge, and they can be searched by authorities at any time.
Randall Marshall, legal director of the Florida ACLU, said the policy could push sex offenders out of the supervision of authorities.
"If you take people who have served their sentence and are released from prison and try to (reinstate) themselves in society, the more steps you take to isolate and ostracize them ... there are very few options for them to live their lives and not reoffend," he said.
Of course the ACLU would likely not agree with what I'd recommend as a solution: lock them up permanently, put them in mental institutions with no possible release, or dump them on an isolated island in the middle of the Pacific ocean.
I don't say that out of a desire for vengence for them, but rather because my understanding is that pedophilia, etc., is a sexual preference (according to my understanding of current psychobabble)...and since (according to the gay activist crowd), sexual preference is something inherent that can't be altered, the only solution for people with a pedophile sexual preference is to isolate them permanently.
So I believe that Fla is wrong in their actions here...but I don't think that the PC crowd (esp. the ACLU) would approve of the necessary fix to protect society...so, they should either approve eliminating the problem...or they should deal with the compromise.
In the words of my daughter...as if!
Sorry - no, you can't come in the shelter. But here's a really big rock to hang on to...
IMHO, sex offenders have never done enough time.
I dare you to tell Mark Lunsford that.
I wonder if they would argue much if your solution were applied to convictions obtained after such became law.
As sex offenders are highly likely to strike again, it's wise not to let them in storm shelters.
Did you read my entire post?
If not, please do so. If so, please do so again.
If you had, I believe the only argument Mark Lunsford would have with me is that I favor permanent isolation from society, while he prefers a death sentence.
Actually, the recidivism rates are, according the the following reports:
# NCJ-163392 (February 7, 1997), Sex Offenses and Offenders: An Analysis of Data on Rape and Sexual Assault, finds the recidivism rate of 2,214 convicted rapists released from prison was 7.7% after three years. The only category of crimes with a lower recidivism rate are those persons convicted of murder (6.8%).
http://sentencing.typepad.com/sentencing_law_and_policy/2005/03/the_intersectio.html
I almost agree with you.
I would modify your statement as follows:
As sex offenders ware highly likely to strike again, it's wise not to ever let them out in public again.
Mark Klaas made a point the other night, " no sex offender in the history of the world has ever been 'rehabilitated'"
this is something I hadn't considered, though.
I did go back and see where I jumped the gun when you said you agreed with the ACLU. I apologize. However, if they are undeniably guilty, I think they should be sentenced to death. They don't change. It's more like a compulsion than just a sexual preference. These are people who are master manipulators at stalking their prey.
Nice try Jeb, but it won't and shouldn't pass Constitutional muster.
You'll have to prove that one. I can buy an extremely high rate of recidivism, but I can't buy that the rate is a perfect 100%. Sounds like bad science to me.
I'm certain they would argue that law no matter how it was applied.
But consider this: a person can be committed to a mental institution without being subjected to double jeopardy for a single crime. I'd like to see a law like the one I proposed passed for future offenders and would also like to see pedophile prisoners completing their terms in prison being met by a straitjacket and a commitment order the second they walk out of prison.
That practice would preserve their civil rights (medical procedures can't violate civil rights...just ask Michael Schiavo) while protecting the rest of society from the scum.
No argument with you there...I'm just against the death penalty...life in a hole (housed with bubba) seems like it would be more appropriate imho...
You know, I hate to admit it, but I actually find myself agreeing with the ACLU's diagnosis of the situation. If somebody's done their time, they've done their time.
Me too.... but I think every card carrying ACLU memeber should be required to take one into their home for rehabilitation and to reintegrate sex offenders into society using their kids and their neighborhoods as the test area.
Then how do you explain the perps with multiple offenses continually reoffending? I worked as a case manager with several pedophiles and they are all back in jail for reoffending.
I have to say this is probably illegal. They're being denied access to public shelters during emergency after they've served their sentences.
The problem is, many, perhaps most, of these offenders are required not to be in the presence of children. Storm shelters shelter children as well, so the sex offenders cannot be legally there.
It's basically still a death sentence and then we are delegating justice out to a prisoner instead of the state. That really isn't right. It should not be up to prisoners to administer appropriate justice.
Just what the man said, I make no personal claim to it.
He's just a lot more familiar with the subject than anyone here, I would wager. And I'm sure his remarks are not grounded in fact.
But I think you probably already knew that.
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