I was drowning in fear, waiting for someone to see the anxiety in my eyes. I was walking through a dark tunnel with no end to this nightmare. From the ages of 4-9 years, I was sexually molested by my stepfather. No one surrounding me knew what he was capable of but me. He threatened to kill me if I told anyone. The silence roared in my mind, until I finally built up the courage to speak out. This man was sentenced to 10 years in prison but released in 6 for “good conduct.” When he was released he was registered as a sex offender. That did not stop him, 5 years went by and he moved to another state where he was not required to register. He raped another two little girls and was sent to prison again, last I knew. If the court of justice knew he was capable of committing another crime, I do not understand why he was released the first time. Strongly enforced laws would have deterred him not to reoffend because he would have not had the chance to do so. Some might say that child molesters also have rights and they cannot be locked up forever. Which I agree, but the public also has the right to a safe environment.
Individuals are debating the delicate balance between individual rights and public safety, when it comes to housing sex offenders. About 27 states have enacted legislation that forces serial sex offenders to register with local law enforcement agencies upon moving into a community and Washington State is one of them. In this country safe housing can be a privilege but to what extent can that privilege be given to sex predators? Sex offenders should have safe housing but with limits. The only two places these child molesters should be placed in are a prison or mental institute. Depending on where their crime stands and why the crime was committed in the first place. If the sex offender committed the crime due to a mental illness he/she should be placed in a mental institute. If not, the only other place for that offender is prison for life. I definitely consider prison and mental institutes safe housing for these predators. Having these predators released and thrown out to the communities would be risking more children. Laws against sexual offenders should be harshly enforced to the fullest extent to prevent reoffends. Some of these sex cons desperately wait their release just to commit an even more horrific crime.
For instance, a detective named Glenn Quantz of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office believes sex cons are the most manipulative of criminals and will most likely reoffend. Quantz came across a sex offender named Leroy David Fulton, a guy who was sentenced to three life sentences for raping young boys but only served 10 years in jail. Fulton got his master’s degree in psychology while he was in prison and was extraordinary. Fulton’s therapist had stated “I don’t think of Fulton as a client, I think of him as a co therapist.” “This guy is dangerous, and his reoffend cycle says he should be offending right now.” When Fulton was released he was exposed to the community. He was a registered sex offender but that did not stop him from “hunting his prey.” Detective Quantz soon found out Fulton had joined an astronomy club where he befriended two families with children and had already been giving the kids gifts. To me this is a clear example of why I believe sex offenders should be in prison for life or in a mental institute. I do not think there is any other way for it. Now does this clash with the sex offender’s individual rights? Not so much because they had a choice either to comply with the laws and have his/her rights respected or break the law and loose that right. The choice was theirs to make and they made it by committing the crime. They still have their right to safe housing maybe not in the way these child molesters would like to but better than living under a bridge or roaming in our neighborhoods endangering our children. What is the best solution? A life sentence is a possible preclusion.
Supporters to this idea believe lengthy mandatory prison sentences would deter repeat child sex offenders. But there are those who oppose to such thing. An article in the Houston Chronicle in 2007 stated that some opponents agreed that lengthy sentences would prompt prosecutors to charge offenders with lesser crimes and would dissuade families from reporting child sexual abuse. It also stated that predators might be more likely to kill their victims to silence them. I see the opponents point but I do not agree with this because lengthy sentences might not stop sexual abuse but will deter sexual abuse offenders. As for short sentences, this will also not stop sexual abuse but will allow for offenders to commit a crime again because they know they will be released sooner rather than later. This allows them to plot their next crime. As for if they are incarcerated for life or in a mental institute they will not have the slight chance to commit another crime. An article in the CQ Researcher online talks about a Washington State resident in the late 1980s named Earl Shriner who was a sexual predator.
Earl Shriner had a 24 year history of sexual violence and had spent a decade in prison after kidnapping and raping two 16 –year-old girls. Shortly before he was scheduled to be released from a Washington state prison in 1988, prison officials came across a dilemma. Shriner had drawn pictures and written in his diary about torturing children once he was free. As awful as this looks nothing was done in regards to this because he had already served his time. Shortly after Shriner was released he raped, stabbed, and sexually mutilated a 7 year old boy, who survived the attack and was able to identify his aggressor. It is ridiculous how many children have to go through such a nightmare in order for the law to finally put a sex con in prison. I really believe the only way to decrease sexual crimes and properly place sexual offenders in a safe housing environment for them and our selves is prison or mental institutes. It cannot be said that these sex cons housing rights are being taken away from them, but it can be said that they have been modified. With every right we have a choice and with every choice there is a consequence. To keep our right or lose it is merely up to each individual. These sex offenders made the choice to possibly lose their right to live in freedom and a normal setting. Therefore, they should not be given a second chance and should be incarcerated for life. Victims were not given a second chance when they were living such appalling crime, then why should the offenders?
Links: R.G. Ratcliffe (Houston Chronicle 2007)
Congressional Quarterly 16 (2006) (Sex offenders)
Congressional Quarterly 6 (1996) (Punishing sex offenders)
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