Washington State Sex Offender Policy Board recommends treatment over prison for child pornography crimes
Last year, the Washington (State) Sex Offender Policy Board recommended to their State Legislature that those convicted of child pornography and of internet stings be sentenced to treatment and not imprisonment. The Board cites 82% of child pornography convictions are for first time convicted people and that child abuse has declined 64% in the last 30 years as what caused them to look deeper into this matter.
Historically, Washington treated child pornography as a non-sexual offense. This crime was captured into the registration scheme in 2006. Since then it has seen penalties stiffen regularly with no option for alternative sentencing. The Policy Board cited a federal study that identified those convicted of child pornography crimes as being better educated, employed and assimilated into the community. These contribute to low recidivism rates and low risk of reoffending in other sex crimes.
This recommendation also garnered support from the state’s police and sheriffs association. That group, however, did not support the proposal to also treat offenders arrested of internet stings the same way.
There was a recent suggestion on this blog that a Sex Offense Management Board might be timely and useful in Florida. This data and solution driven approach to change would be an example of the positive outcomes of such a Board.
I have been holding this back but maybe this post is a good place to put this.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Preamble to the Declaration of Independence
Somewhere along the way, the authorities have lost their sense of equal justice.
Whether or not any of this actually gets acted on is big question.
We have seen recommendation after recommendation NOT get acted on by anyone. We have even seen state supreme court orders get ignored time after time!
We must not ever lend this illegal scheme (Sorna, et al.) any sort of credibility. Instead, we must firmly fight it in all its (nicer) forms!
Half measures are anathema to our cause for liberty!
What surprised me was the parts of the proposal that Law Enforcement actually supported. Maybe they are listening to the strong evidence…at least in Washington.