Unequal Treatment Of Equally Heinous Offenders
More Sex Offenders Tracked By Satellite
Unless we are going to track murderers, thieves, white collar criminals, burglars, defrauders, and others that commit major crimes against us in the same manner, I would think this type of tracking violates fundamental human rights and the Constitution.
It is not that I do not recognize that sexual offenses are particularly heinous, and the recividism rate for sex offenders is very high... it is that the same is true of burglars, thieves, scammers, domestic abuse perpetrators, white collar creeps, etc. Is the rip-off perpetrated by those in charge of Enron any less heinous than someone that molested a child? Is a rapist any more dangerous than a murderer? Is a sex offender not on a par with a burglar in terms of recividism? Will we be placing the same type of surveillance on drug offenders... after all the recividism and relapse rates are about the same.
We might as well lock up all of the sex offenders and throw away the key. Hell, why don't we just implement a policy that was depicted in one of the episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation... the only penalty for any breach of law is death. It would make as much sense as the idea of punishing someone for the rest of their lives. We have a system of justice that is supposed to assume innocence until proven guilty, allow for redemption through "paying a debt to society," and not engaging in cruel and unusual punishment. The constant tracking of, and public humiliation, of sexual offenders is unusual because we don't do the same for offenders of other heinous crimes. Why don't we post the identity of all thieves, murderers and burglars along side of the web sites that list the sex offenders? At least we should be fair in the application of the ridiculous and asinine.
Unless we are going to track murderers, thieves, white collar criminals, burglars, defrauders, and others that commit major crimes against us in the same manner, I would think this type of tracking violates fundamental human rights and the Constitution.
It is not that I do not recognize that sexual offenses are particularly heinous, and the recividism rate for sex offenders is very high... it is that the same is true of burglars, thieves, scammers, domestic abuse perpetrators, white collar creeps, etc. Is the rip-off perpetrated by those in charge of Enron any less heinous than someone that molested a child? Is a rapist any more dangerous than a murderer? Is a sex offender not on a par with a burglar in terms of recividism? Will we be placing the same type of surveillance on drug offenders... after all the recividism and relapse rates are about the same.
We might as well lock up all of the sex offenders and throw away the key. Hell, why don't we just implement a policy that was depicted in one of the episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation... the only penalty for any breach of law is death. It would make as much sense as the idea of punishing someone for the rest of their lives. We have a system of justice that is supposed to assume innocence until proven guilty, allow for redemption through "paying a debt to society," and not engaging in cruel and unusual punishment. The constant tracking of, and public humiliation, of sexual offenders is unusual because we don't do the same for offenders of other heinous crimes. Why don't we post the identity of all thieves, murderers and burglars along side of the web sites that list the sex offenders? At least we should be fair in the application of the ridiculous and asinine.
Hundreds of convicted sex offenders will have to wear a two-piece electronic tracking device for the rest of their lives under a new Wisconsin law.
Ankle bracelets and a pager-sized unit, often attached to a belt, will use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to follow their every step. If they enter restricted areas, such as schools, officials will be alerted.
GPS programs will track 285 offenders the first year, beginning July 2007, and up to 400 by the second year, says Dan Leistikow, spokesman for Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle.
In May, Wisconsin joined a rapidly rising number of states using GPS to monitor convicted sex offenders. At least 23 states are doing so, according to a survey in February by the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole. Others have since begun or expanded GPS programs.
"In the last several months, it's been exponential growth," says Steve Chapin, president of Pro-Tech, a Florida-based firm that provides GPS services to 27 statewide agencies. He says his business has doubled in the past three months.
As of January, 13 states had laws requiring or allowing GPS tracking, says the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Aside from Wisconsin, governors in at least six states (Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Virginia, Washington and Michigan) have signed such bills this year. New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch plans to do so soon. Similar bills are pending elsewhere.
"It's the law you can't vote against," says Chapin.
Several of the laws are named after Jessica Lunsford, a 9-year-old Florida girl who was kidnapped, raped and killed in February 2005. The man charged with killing her was a convicted sex offender who hadn't reported that he lived across the street from her family. After he fled, it took almost a month to find him.
Even states without specific GPS laws, including Minnesota and Texas, are testing the technology and expanding its use.
Congress may accelerate such efforts. The House and Senate have each passed sex offender bills this year that approve funding for GPS tracking. They need to craft a final bill.
posted by Jim Downey at 9:36 AM
1 Comments:
Just found your blog and like this post. I did something similar about Georgia's asine new rule that sex offenders can't live withing 1000 feet of a school bus stop. Considering the school bus stops change every year it makes rebuilding a life a bit difficult.
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