Sex offender ‘civil commitment’ goes before Supreme Court
published 7:57am Wednesday Jan 13, 2010
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Civil commitment, the controversial practice of holding pedophiles and rapists beyond their jail terms for treatment to reduce their likelihood of further sex offenses, was heard January 12 by the U.S. Supreme Court in a case that could affect Virginia’s program, which shot to fame seven years ago after Paul Martin Andrews began telling his story. Andrews, snatched off a Portsmouth street as a 13-year-old and repeatedly abused during a week of captivity, became an outspoken proponent of civil commitment, something endorsed by then Governor Mark Warner and the General Assembly. Critics, including murderer-writer Jens Soering, blasted the program as double-jeopardy. (Andrews’ attacker never got a chance to enter the program; he was slain in prison by a fellow inmate.)
If we just executed them or gave them life without parole this would be a non issue.
Proof even inmates have a code of conduct . I say general population be guaranteed for pedophiles in prison .
There is no cure !
Dakota
Because of the crimes he committed, I don’t care one way or the other about his death.
But the continuing theme here is the fact that the commonwealth can not protect you…. even in jail of all places.
Sorry folks… While I know full well that sex offenders are probably the worst recidivists of all (what they do is the outcome of compulsions hard wired into their mental profile) and am prepared to impose long prison terms, “civil commitment” is not the way to go, being a slippery slope which could easily be applied to other crimes. Maybe indefinite commitment of repeat drunk drivers could be considered? We should stick with criminal court sanctions and decide what they should be.