Whoa. Supreme Court Rules Sex Offenders Can Be Held Indefinitely. EVEN IF Their Prison Sentence Is Over..

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You must have hit your head or something. This is about keeping sex offenders in jail AFTER they serve their full sentence. AFTER they pay their debt to society. What the hell does a parole board have to do with that?

"The federal government, as custodian of its prisoners, has the constitutional power to act in order to protect nearby (and other) communities from the danger such prisoners may pose," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the 7-2 majority.

What part of that don't you understand? The Fed has the authority and I'm saying that as long as the decision making process to keep them in is much like the way parole boards function, then I think this is a good move. So you disagree. Good for you.

Edited May 17, 2010 by El Buscador

[Ban Hammer 13,343]

You must have hit your head or something. This is about keeping sex offenders in jail AFTER they serve their full sentence. AFTER they pay their debt to society. What the hell does a parole board have to do with that?

exactly what i'm wondering.

while i would like to see them serve lengthy sentences, i'm baffled by the supreme court allowing them to be kept after they've served the sentence imposed.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I think as long as it required the approval of well qualified panel of experts who unanimously decide that a specific sexual predator still poses a danger if released, then lets keep them locked up.

I get what your saying, but I immediately had a vision of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Of course, personally? If I was a sex offender I would do whatever it takes to get back INTO prison anyway rather than live on the streets.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I get what your saying, but I immediately had a vision of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

Of course, personally? If I was a sex offender I would do whatever it takes to get back INTO prison anyway rather than live on the streets.

Yeah, there would definitely need to be provisions to prevent someone from staying in prison indefinitely who doesn't need to be, but from everything I've read or understood about most sexual predators is that they cannot be cured. They can be rehabilitated but they will always have the propensity to strike again under the right circumstances.

[ValerieA 350]

I think as long as it required the approval of well qualified panel of experts who unanimously decide that a specific sexual predator still poses a danger if released, then lets keep them locked up.

A. They have paid their debt to society, as imposed by the judicial system. I don't see how you can incarcerate a person after that, without another trial, to make sure their rights are not infringed upon. And, you can't have a trial, because you would have to charge them with something.

B. If they do this with sex offenders, who comes next?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

A. They have paid their debt to society, as imposed by the judicial system. I don't see how you can incarcerate a person after that, without another trial, to make sure their rights are not infringed upon. And, you can't have a trial, because you would have to charge them with something.

B. If they do this with sex offenders, who comes next?

Criminal psychology has shown that most sexual predators will continually pose a danger to society. Whether they should be designated criminally insane and then kept locked in a mental ward or locked away in a conventional prison, they need to be kept away from society.

[Danno 1,228]

I think as long as it required the approval of well qualified panel of experts who unanimously decide that a specific sexual predator offender still poses a danger if released, then lets keep them locked up.

Come on Kids, isn't where this handy tool may be headed.... for instance; "hate speech"?

1)Define what you disagree with as Hate-speech,

2) punish these people for fomenting a divisive or offensive opinion,

3) keep them under lock in key under the same premise as you would sex offenders "The certainty that they will continue their crime if released" (of speaking that which their creed demands of them.)

Criminal psychology has shown that most sexual predators will continually pose a danger to society. Whether they should be designated criminally insane and then kept locked in a mental ward or locked away in a conventional prison, they need to be kept away from society.

Do you agree "no one chooses to be a sexual predator"?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Criminal psychology has shown that most sexual predators will continually pose a danger to society. Whether they should be designated criminally insane and then kept locked in a mental ward or locked away in a conventional prison, they need to be kept away from society.

Criminal Psychology is a joke in many cases and way too damn textbook to ever be used in this type of scenario/determination.

Determining someone criminally insane just because of their 'desires' is absurd. They aren't necessarily insane, it's just that society doesn't understand/get their urges. There are many types of 'predators' that don't ever act on their urges because the consequences are too grim for them, but in all reality it pains the hell out of them.

Pedophiles for instance are much more common than the media or the authorities want to put out into public light. Are they insane? No. They're just attracted to a different type of individual.

Society and its current defined morality pass judgment on those things it does not like.

I'm not supportnig rapists or abusers, I'm simply saying that they aren't necesarrily insane. Most are quite sane, they just act on their impulses versus controlling them to societies standards.

[Peikko 1,575]

Wow, hell froze over, I agree with Paul on something.

If you sentence someone to a limited term of imprisonment, you have to let them out when that term is through, no matter how failed you think the system is once a prisoner is released in terms of managing sex offenders. It must be possible to manage them better however, that probably also requires a complete overhaul on who is and who isn't a dangerous sex offender and the sentencing and rehabilitation measures that should be taken - as well as how to deal with sex offenders who have been released from prison so society doesn't continue the practice of creating sex offender leper colonies.

Lot's of failure on this issue.

I don't agree with his psychobabble on what constitutes 'normal' however.

Edited May 17, 2010 by Madame Cleo

[CDAgirlMI 51]

John Doe goes to prison for a sex crime. Gets 20 years. Sentence over, he's let out. He commits a sex crime again.

Now what do you do? Put him away for another 20 years & let him out when that's done?

It's a cycle thats not necessary & puts the public in danger.

To solve the issue (for me anyways) is to lock them for life...let them die in prison.

No serve time & get let out.

No serve time & get it extended.

Life.

These people are extremely dangerous & shouldn't be anywhere near the public.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

John Doe goes to prison for a sex crime. Gets 20 years. Sentence over, he's let out. He commits a sex crime again.

Now what do you do? Put him away for another 20 years & let him out when that's done?

It's a cycle thats not necessary & puts the public in danger.

To solve the issue (for me anyways) is to lock them for life...let them die in prison.

No serve time & get let out.

No serve time & get it extended.

Life.

These people are extremely dangerous & shouldn't be anywhere near the public.

Unfortunately, you could say the same about most violent criminals. If you change the law in this case, you should for others and suddenly there is no justice system as we know it. A slippery slope indeed.

[Danno 1,228]

John Doe goes to prison for a sex crime. Gets 20 years. Sentence over, he's let out. He commits a sex crime again.

Now what do you do? Put him away for another 20 years & let him out when that's done?

It's a cycle thats not necessary & puts the public in danger.

To solve the issue (for me anyways) is to lock them for life...let them die in prison.

No serve time & get let out.

No serve time & get it extended.

Life.

These people are extremely dangerous & shouldn't be anywhere near the public.

Need I remind you "sex offenders" are a broad term

Which include even peeping toms.

It's crazy to think every sex crime offender is driven by passions beyond what they can control...... at least not any more so than many other offenders.

I say make the sentence fit the crime from the Start don't tag it on at the end unless, while incarcerated additional offenses were committed.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Bodes well for the upcoming ruling on the Chicago gun ban.

I hope someone does apply it to other criminals. First up should be employers that violate our labor laws by exploiting illegal aliens for profit. Employ an illegal...go to prison indefinitely!

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Criminal psychology has shown that most sexual predators will continually pose a danger to society. Whether they should be designated criminally insane and then kept locked in a mental ward or locked away in a conventional prison, they need to be kept away from society.

You could be imprisoned tomorrow on the say so, without evidence, of a lying skank. Might want to rethink the whole "keep 'em locked up even after their sentences are up" thing. It does not take nearly enough to wind up labeled a sex offender these days. Not taking anything away from acknowledging there are some seriously deranged folks out there.

As dangerous as many sex predators are, this seems an incredibly dangerous precedent.

[The_Dude 1,142]

I don't know what is more surprising, the fact that Paul isn't calling for the immediate execution of sex criminals, or that I agree with him. This is a slippery slope that really shouldn't be tread upon. Yes, there is a high rate of recidivism amonth sexual criminals. However, they should at least be given the chance to change. If they do relapse, then throw the book at them.