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The Dilemma of Sex-Offender Registration
Dec. 15th, 2005 12:04 amI have a bone to pick with the folks behind "Megan's Law" (sex-offender registration). While the goal (of preventing repeat sex offenses by notifying neighbors, who may be parents, of the presence of convicted sex offenders in their neighborhood) is laudable, the devil is in the details.
What drew my attention to the topic was this news story about how sex offenders get around the registration requirements by claiming to be homeless when in fact they aren't. ( Long story... )
If society views sex offenses as that heinous then sentences should be set accordingly. Life sentences should be considered for the most heinous acts, such as murder or grievous bodily harm committed in the course of a sex crime -- and in fact most states do have provision for this in law, if memory serves. However, for those acts which do not merit life sentences, condemning folks who have already served their sentences to a lifetime of bureaucratic hell serves no legitimate purpose, and strongly suggests that there's something wrong with our justice system.
What drew my attention to the topic was this news story about how sex offenders get around the registration requirements by claiming to be homeless when in fact they aren't. ( Long story... )
If society views sex offenses as that heinous then sentences should be set accordingly. Life sentences should be considered for the most heinous acts, such as murder or grievous bodily harm committed in the course of a sex crime -- and in fact most states do have provision for this in law, if memory serves. However, for those acts which do not merit life sentences, condemning folks who have already served their sentences to a lifetime of bureaucratic hell serves no legitimate purpose, and strongly suggests that there's something wrong with our justice system.