So what is the purpose of civil commitment and treatment by professionals then? Apparently civil commitment is their "prison outside of prison," thus proving the laws are punishment, and therefore unconstitutional. Are we going to have people in congress raise hell every time someone is released from civil commitment? Is it election time or something?
02/15/2012
Related Article: Editorial: Keep politics out of sex offender release
ST. PAUL (AP) — Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson is defending her decision not to oppose the provisional discharge of a man who spent nearly 19 years in the Minnesota Sex Offender Program.
Sixty-four-year-old [name withheld] is the first civilly committed sex offender to receive a court-ordered provisional discharge in Minnesota.
Last year, Jesson and others had opposed his provisional discharge, but they changed their minds after receiving new information about his case. [name withheld] will soon move to a halfway house, where his every movement will be monitored.
Jesson and others say [name withheld] meets the criteria for provisional discharge under the law.
Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen, R-Glencoe, says maybe the law needs to be changed. He says sex offenders should be locked up for life with no chance for parole, or face the death penalty.
- I wonder if he would be okay with sentencing a child to death or life in prison?
Man, after spending 19 years in one of those places they should be giving him a medal. And,lest anyone forget, this 19 years was done AFTER he served his criminal sentence like all the rest of the convicted do.(that's ALL they have to do) The first court- ordered provisional discharge from civil commitment in 19 YEARS???? And, he will soon move to a halfway house, where his EVERY MOVEMENT will be monitored??? REALLY?
ReplyDeleteThis 64 year old citizen must be an extremely dangerous person.
And, if a State legislator thinks that all registered offenders should be locked up for life, why dosen't he propose legislation that will do this in a criminal court of law? Oh, that's right then it would be PUNISHMENT and be afforded constitutional protection. One of these days the entire scheme of the public registry will be deemed PUNITIVE in it's aggregate, and we can all have one BIG party, IF we are still living. that is.