Why is our Society so Soft on Sex Offenders?

[Jadow]

I'm watching Dateline right now, there's countless sex offenders who RAPE children and they get PROBATION or a 6 month sentence, then they're right back out there.

Why do we as a people allow this?

 

[Thump553]

So NBC can keep repeating the same story on Dateline and get great ratings. How many times have they done one of those entrap the sex offender shows this year? Then they crosslink it to their news shows and Good Morning America.

Undoubtedly, it's a problem, but it's disgusting to me how NBC keeps miling it with their sensationalist shows.

 

[AntaresVI]

Originally posted by: Jadow
I'm watching Dateline right now, there's countless sex offenders who RAPE children and they get PROBATION or a 6 month sentence, then they're right back out there.

Why do we as a people allow this?

The show did exactly what it aimed to do - you're outraged and demand action for a problem that really isn't as big as it was made out to be. TV is a medium that makes it terribly easy to construct arguments and "proof" that appeal to emotion without consideration of the true facts. I'm not saying that I support "soft" policy towards true sex offenders, but it's easy to shout about how we need to spring into action when your information is basically stylized entertainment.

 

[Jadow]

well, the fact of the matter is, sex offenders get a slap on the wrist, I didn't need this show to tell me that.

 

[AntaresVI]

Originally posted by: Jadow
well, the fact of the matter is, sex offenders get a slap on the wrist, I didn't need this show to tell me that.

Got any facts or statistics to back that up, or is that just your feeling?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

It's really not true that sex offenders as a whole "get a slap on the wrist," though there are certainly cases you can use to illustrate that proposition. Actually I have personally sent one to prison for life.

My personal feeling is that the major factor in undersentencing of dangerous offenders is the enormous number of prison beds we have filled with drug offenders. This is the same reason we have a larger percentage of our population in prison than any other country.

 

[EatSpam]

Originally posted by: Jadow
I'm watching Dateline right now, there's countless sex offenders who RAPE children and they get PROBATION or a 6 month sentence, then they're right back out there.

Why do we as a people allow this?

Because we need prison space for people caught with small quantities of marijuana. Duh!

 

[Jadow]

In the Age of Google, why would you challenge someone to come up with statistics or examples? You and I both know I could go on with hundreds of links if I really wanted to.

http://crime.about.com/od/current/a/lunsford.htm

http://crime.about.com/od/news/a/dru_sjodin.htm

http://crime.about.com/od/sex/a/megans_law.htm

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/soo.pdf

 

[AntaresVI]

Originally posted by: Jadow
In the Age of Google, why would you challenge someone to come up with statistics or examples? You and I both know I could go on with hundreds of links if I really wanted to.

http://crime.about.com/od/current/a/lunsford.htm

http://crime.about.com/od/news/a/dru_sjodin.htm

http://crime.about.com/od/sex/a/megans_law.htm

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/soo.pdf

To be honest, I was more interested in whether you had done further research than the TV show or not, not in starting a link war. There are certainly cases out there to defend both sides of this argument, and this is a particularly tough one to have. How do you define "sex offender" or "rapist?" Do you believe in rehabilitation? For that matter, is there any proof that what you believe to be "soft" is not, in fact, effective? Of all crimes, rape has one of the lowest recdivism rates. Basically, there's a lot here to talk about, and no one link can say everything we need to.

 

[SirStev0]

Originally posted by: EatSpam

Originally posted by: Jadow
I'm watching Dateline right now, there's countless sex offenders who RAPE children and they get PROBATION or a 6 month sentence, then they're right back out there.

Why do we as a people allow this?

Because we need prison space for people caught with small quantities of marijuana. Duh!

seriously... I hear they are going to just give up trying to solve "murders" as they are not important and inevitable...

 

[Jadow]

How do you define "sex offender" or "rapist?" Do you believe in rehabilitation?

In the area of sex crimes, no I do not believe in rehabilitation. There's a line people cross where there's no going back, if a person is capabale of molesting a child, raping a child, sending pictures of themselves jerking off to a kid, raping anyone, someone who can stoop to that, they're just a certain kind of people who I don't feel can be rehabilated.

They should create "Jadow's Junk Law" if you touch someone elses junk without their persmission, or if they are children regardless of consent, automatic castration, you lose your junk.

I think robbers, druggies, in fact most criminals, in some cases even murderors can be rehabilitated.

Not sex offenders.

 

[AntaresVI]

Originally posted by: Jadow
How do you define "sex offender" or "rapist?" Do you believe in rehabilitation?

In the area of sex crimes, no I do not believe in rehabilitation. There's a line people cross where there's no going back, if a person is capabale of molesting a child, raping a child, sending pictures of themselves jerking off to a kid, raping anyone, someone who can stoop to that, they're just a certain kind of people who I don't feel can be rehabilated.

They should create "Jadow's Junk Law" if you touch someone elses junk without their persmission, or if they are children regardless of consent, automatic castration, you lose your junk.

I think robbers, druggies, in fact most criminals, in some cases even murderors can be rehabilitated.

Not sex offenders.

I see where you're coming from here, but again I think that your opinion is grounded in emotion. Yes, there will always be people who cannot ever be rehabilitated. This is unavoidable, and these people exist in any area of crime - and just as general "criminals." Still, the majority of sex offenders will not commit another sex crime (link). How, then, can you conclude that they cannot be rehabilitated? I'd argue for two things: greater detail in the description of crimes (especially in terms of sex-offender lists - someone who was convicted of exposure is necessarily different than a rapist, and should not be subject to the same punishment in the court of public opinion) and greater emphasis on controlled therapy and supervision for those who actually do commit rape. With a system that pushed rehabilitation while still administering punishment, followed by a more involved post-jail system for reintegration into society, we can take the vast majority of criminals and greatly reduce the chance of recommision of the same crime.

 

[MadRat]

The FBI considers rape as one the most violent crimes against humanity, yet people tolerate it in prisons. Heck, some people actually think its good porn. People tolerate it when they think someone deserves it. Yet nobody deserves rape, nobody.

Maybe the extremist Muslims running around blowing up our soldiers and beheading our contractors were right and our American society needs to be destroyed? At least the degenerates might deserve it, but a good chunk of the population is generally good. Too bad even 1-3% of the population being degenerate can really make the whole of society look bad. Any way we can send them to Al Queda for punishment? Wait, we already do that, its called the army...

 

[Pepsei]

we certainly do punish drug offenses more harshly in this country.

 

[OFFascist]

I dont think our "society" is soft on sex offenders.

I think certain state and local governments might be.

Personally I think the age of consent should be set to a reasonable age, IMO 15 or 16 would be better. That way we wouldnt waste resources on "stautory" rape, we also need to end the war on drugs to free up more resources. Violent rapists should be sentance to death.

If a loved one of mine was raped and the "government" was soft on that person I would take matters into my own hand. I would be smart about it however in that I wouldnt just walk up to them and do it in broad daylight with a ton of witnesses, also I would never speak about it again.

 

[Meuge]

Originally posted by: Jadow
In the area of sex crimes, no I do not believe in rehabilitation. There's a line people cross where there's no going back, if a person is capabale of molesting a child, raping a child, sending pictures of themselves jerking off to a kid, raping anyone, someone who can stoop to that, they're just a certain kind of people who I don't feel can be rehabilated.

It's like doing the "what doesn't belong here" puzzles on the SAT. Do you really feel the need to shove all these things into one category.

 

[thraashman]

The problem with saying we're soft on sex offenders is that in many cases it's the complete opposite. Anyone remember the Georgia 17 yr old who got 10 years for getting a BJ from a 15 yr old. Where in Georgia, had he had sex with her instead it would have been a misdemeanor according to the law.

 

[senseamp]

Sure there are exceptions, but for the most part American sentencing is one of the harshest in the world. Prosecutors and Judges are often elected, so politically, there are incentives for them to seek and dish out harsh sentences, especially when there is broad suppor as there is with sex offences.
Also, sometimes the prosecutor offers a plea deal with lower punishment because he doesn't really have solid evidence to convict.

 

[BoomerD]

This country is soft as hell on child molesters...yes, some cases draw enough attention to get severe sentences, but prison reform usually gets their sentences reduced by huge amounts.
Here's another reason we're soft on sex crimes under Republican administrations:

http://www.armchairsubversive.com/

http://www.yellowcakewalk.net/perves.html

heh-heh! no "we are soft on sex crimes" thread is somplete without them...

 

[eilute]

Are you sure that probation or a 6 month jail sentence is typical for child rape? I was under the impression that some people were being sent to prison for decades for statutory rape.

 

[Xcobra]

Originally posted by: eilute
Are you sure that probation or a 6 month jail sentence is typical for child rape? I was under the impression that some people were being sent to prison for decades for statutory rape.

thats right. i think there was only a case or two i Massachusetts? that this judge gave this sex predator like a few months and probation, well it was all over the news, but most of them ive heard that they give them a good time in jail

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Jadow
I'm watching Dateline right now, there's countless sex offenders who RAPE children and they get PROBATION or a 6 month sentence, then they're right back out there.

Why do we as a people allow this?

Pressure from the Vatican?

 

[scott916]

It really depends on the state and the way they are convicted. A friend of mine in Utah got busted by the feds for meeting a 17 year old girl for sex that turned out to be a federal agent. He was 19 at the time, and he's been in the pen for 3 years.

 

[Todd33]

Originally posted by: scott916
It really depends on the state and the way they are convicted. A friend of mine in Utah got busted by the feds for meeting a 17 year old girl for sex that turned out to be a federal agent. He was 19 at the time, and he's been in the pen for 3 years.

LOL, in the state full of Mormons married to 14 year olds...