Thread: Sex offenders in the U.S.

Grumble Grumble Grumble

Originally Posted by PsiKnot

... I agree in essence with what your saying, if one felon then why not all. However I beleive this is not implemented due to the cost. However to answer your question, the main difference between sex offenders and the habitual drug offender is this: a junkie can go through drug treatment and never do drugs again, I know some do, but the point is that it is a physical addiction that drives their need. Sex offenders for the most part have a psychological problem ie. attracted to toddlers. Much like gay or strait people there is no treatment for the orientation of ones sex drive. We cant take a gay person and put them in rehab for a month and have a strait person afterward. In the same line we cant take the guy who gets off on rapeing women incarcerate him for a few years and expect him to not still be attracted to forceing himself on others. He may be so affraid of the penal system that he will stop this behavior but the attraction is still ever present.

It's true that attempts (so far..) to change someone's sexual orientation has ended with dismal failures. But sex offenders are still routinely committed to mental institutions in an attempt to 'condition' them to control their sexual urges. (The success rate of this practice is still under considerable debate...) At the same time, I've heard quotes from reformed drug users that the cravings for drugs remains with you for the rest of your life, with only will power preventing the fall to temptation. Just as 'a junkie can go through drug treatment and never do drugs again', a sex offender can go through treatment, and never commit another crime. In both cases, the need for registration boils down to this argument. The need to register a person is an attempt to 'prevent' another criminal act, (even though another criminal act has yet to be committed...) And the issues against is the justification of crime prevention enough to limit someone's personal liberties (which includes community reputation...) and if the registration can be applied to a fair and equitable fashion. (Limiting registration to specific groups, when other groups are worthy of registration brings back visions of the 'Jim Crow' laws. a serious issue when you consider that crime is often associated with economic/ethnic/social class)