The Endless Punishment of U.S. Sex Offenders
By Chelsea L. Arnold
Arnold states that “sex offender registration and civil commitment laws speak to the need for a complete overhaul of the U.S. Criminal justice system.” The U.S. desires punishment over rehabilitation. “…until the tough-on-crime turn starting in the mid 1970’s, rehabilitation was a key part of the U.S. penal system.”
Arnold is with Seattle University’s Department of Philosophy.
Proposed solutions:
- “…hold sex offenders accountable to their actions through retributive justice…there should be no excessive suffering experienced by the offenders past the dues of punishment…retributive action must remain within the penal system only.”
- “…rehabilitate sex offenders so that they have the opportunity to function successfully within society, which is of benefit to all.”
- “…prevent sexual violence from happening” in the first place through “comprehensive sex education in schools; free or affordable mental health services; safe and affordable housing; and a public education program that explains the nuances of sex offenses.”
This is how much being put on the registry scares people. This guy took off from the U.S and joined the Russian army to avoid being sentenced as a sex offender.
https://www.aol.com/news/u-vet-wanted-child-porn-213234062.html
Chelsea, well its high time someone spoke up even in an article thesis or book. Seems a lot of this advocacy hasn’t gotten anywhere in a standards and poor index in the social justice system of reform.
Seems many in law enforcement go to extremism to promote their wrongs to right a justice system for many. Are these civil servants greater than the master? While you can talk about proposed solutions than one has to talk about the presumptive motive in the many sex registry ordeals many were involved in. What was the action taken in many of these ordeals. Motive has a lot to do with many of these ordeals.
Should we all say judge not or you will be judged or who is judging righteously when the justice system sentences one in a behavior way as labeling one violent or non violent. Talk about an AC/DC trip to candy land.
Sure we are all accountable and will be held accountable for our actions even if its looking at porn, getting caught in a squeeze play, or just being curious yellow or do law enforcement/courts pervert more than they prevent to snag their victim for gainsaying. So do court systems know their left hand from their right?
While proposals are good the court systems have the last word unless they break their code of ethics or go above the Word.
A lot of people are now pleading to child abuse or attempted child abuse in plea negotiations with prosecutors to avoid the registry. If the registry isn’t punishment, then what do jusges allow this at the same time calling the registry a regulatory scheme and non-punishment?
How about the fact that It didn’t exist when I took a plea deal. I never had the opportunity to take it off the table. It didn’t exist when I was screwed by the state. So I never had a chance. And now it’s death till we part.
I like this excerpt from her paper:
‘While lawmakers claim that sex offender registration is not punitive in nature, it is nevertheless ruining people’s lives, with nothing to show in terms of public safety in the wake of its destruction.’
Lawmakers claim that it is ‘remedial’ not punitive, so where is the evidence that it does anything ‘remedial’ at all?
The registry stems from the ‘frightening and high’ recidivism myth.
The public is falsely led to believe that people who committed a sexual offense will do so again and need to tracked so they can be avoided, which leads to widespread civil ostracizing and prohibition from public and privately establishments.-
As far as the ;ruining’ is concerned, a lot of people love that our lives have been ruined and want to see our lives ruined even more.
I believe that no matter how many papers and studies are published that expose the ineffectiveness of the registry, and no how matter how much empirical data reveals how low the recidivism rate actually is, lawmakers and the public are going to keep the registry alive because it allows the public at large to take part in helping to punish and shun registrants in a civil manner for the rest of our lives.
“I believe that no matter how many papers and studies are published that expose the ineffectiveness of the registry,”
Hate will always override reason. The government has created the perfect out-group with no chance going back to “before” and no path forward to normalcy. The registry will never “promote” or “enhance” public safety or any other pie-in-the-sky fantasies about “saving” children. All it will ever do is give the public a false sense of empowerment, the illusion of control along with unrealistic expectations and unobtainable “safety” goals.
I will take solace in my last breath know that fact.
My name is Larry Robinson I live in Hillsborough county Florida. Our scanning my computer’s the other day and I noticed that there was a button to check who is hacking you and that the beginning of the list was frontier they’re using internet providers to spy on us I think everybody needs to check about their connection their internet cuz they’re being spied upon just like I am we need to get this out to everybody cuz we’re all being spied upon by our internet provider courtesy of the government we need to shut this down now
The System is broke, the sad thing people make mistakes in life, you never have a chance to tell your side story- pushing the plea deal- people in prison – who do not belong with long sentencing, never been in trouble a day in his life a mistake- paid dearly in fines-severing a long sentencing never had a chance to tell are story- sentencing guidelines need to be changed and its time to take the elephant out of the room and speak up.
Not able to use a computer- not able to use a cell phone- its the 21 central- laws have not been changed- it’s time to speak up. No child should ever be hurt- forced plea deals are wrong- harsh punishment’
is not justice- Finically breaking people, Lets look at a character of a person- these days more people will be charged- laws have not been changed in years. Time to
take the elephant out of room and its time to speak out on this. a lot of people are getting hurt family members-