More than 1/2 of all convicted sex offenders are sent back to prison within a year. Within 2 years, 77.9% are back.
Like Handy said, this means that the so called rehabilitation efforts of the department of corrections is lacking in it's effectiveness.
I like the idea of tracking pedophiles through collars or bracelets or whatever technology is available. Especially if it finds a new victim in time. The only problem I can forsee with it is that it would require an enormous amount of money to implement the technology to monitor movements 24 hours a day. Especially in states like here in New Mexico. It seems we have the country's majority of sex offenders flocking here because the laws aren't as strict as other states. Sure it would create more jobs for people, but then the amount of calls to police officers just cause some guy went down the wrong street on his way to the store, would inundate police with time consuming problems that would overstretch their abilities to effectively perform their duties.
And of course we can't just throw them all on an island somewhere and let them manhandle each other till their all blue in the face. That would be a violation of their civil rights wouldn't it. But couldn't you argue that since they already violated their victim's right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They in effect, forfeited their rights to the same? But of course that's eye for an eye thinking which is not permited under our legal system.
But how much freedom are you willing to give up to be safe?
Well, why do we have to give up OUR freedoms to be safe. I know that criminals, even pedophiles, are still technically human beings. But they have demonstrated the inability to function is a society that values law. Especially the repeat offenders such as the 78% in Renfield's quote. I would propose a seperate set of laws to deal with the ones that cannot be helped. Laws that for the severly depraved, sick and twisted, remove some of these rights and freedoms they take for granted and exploit to the detriment of others. Laws that can deferentiate between the hardcores and stupid teens. I mean the way the legal system works now, except for some specific cases involving mental instability, the main theme seems to be lock them up for a long time. Since this already strips these 'people' of their right to move around freely, these new laws wouldn't be setting any real precedent. And I don't see how the ACLU would have anything new to argue against this. We already strip rights as a punishment to criminals, why is it so hard to make sentences that just take it to the point where the criminal truly suffers for what they did?
Like those who ban guns and hide behind bodyguards, you want to pick and choose who deserves to be treated as a citizen, as if they weren't rights at all, but priveledges for the deserving ruling caste.
But you can't tell me that a prisoner, though while having life, also has happiness and liberty. I don't believe you can uphold the rights of the victim AND the criminal to the same height, without endangering the victim. Why must criminals be given the same liberties as law abiding citizens? Does doing this say we are Americans any more than being able to keep the public safe from dangerous people? That we are fair in all instances, even when being fair threatens safety and life?
Repeat offenders, if ever released from prison again in the first place, would have to remain in their homes 24/7. They obtain food either over the internet or through companies like Swanson who do home delivery. And of course their computers would be automatically montiored for nefarious activities to include chatting. I could think of a couple of others but they are too numerous to mention here.
Basically a grand jury would decide whether or not to enact these laws. Or it would be up to the judge since sentencing is up to them anyway. I don't think it would be too much of a stretch, and it protects victims without impacting the rights of law abiding citizens, or even the rights of the "stupid teens who made a mistake" type of offenders. More and more today it seems that doing the time and paying your debt is no longer enough in some cases. Especially for some people who have it better in prison than they did outside of it.
What are the holes in this line of thinking? Since I'm sure I don't understand all that is involved in determining sentencing laws I would appreciate insights in to how and why this type idea for special sentences for special criminals would not work.