Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Sex Offenders tracked for Life?

Contentious new laws allowing sexual offenders to be tracked for life, and the creation of "transitional" jails for prisoners nearing the end of their sentence, will be the first of many changes debated when State Parliament begins today.
In a parliamentary season that runs for only 24 days over a six-month period, the Bracks Government will today introduce legislation that would force serious sex offenders to be placed under house arrest and monitored through electronic bracelets once released.
The Government will also seek to push through laws enabling "transitional corrections units" to be built across Melbourne to help low-risk prisoners rejoin society. The first of the units will be a 25-bed centre located next to the Melbourne Assessment Prison in West Melbourne, in which inmates will be allowed to attend outside education and training services on day leave.
The Serious Sexual Offenders (Monitoring) Bill and the Corrections (Transitions Unit) Bill are among several legislative changes to be introduced by the Government over the autumn session of Parliament, which runs until July.

But the proposed changes have already outraged the State Opposition, with corrections spokesman Richard Dalla-Riva saying the $5 million plan could eventually lead to a spate of "boutique" prisons across the suburbs.
Personally, i disagree. There are already a number of private prisons in Victoria and they have never been seen to cause problems....half the time no one even knows they are there.
Boutique prisons my arse. Offenders checking back into society need help slotting back into the system. No point in locking someone up and not following through with rehab,educational or vocational training.........many end up straight back inside.....lets make our taxes work.

7 Comments:

Blogger Bookfraud said...

interesting stuff in Q-land. plenty of controversy here in the states over tracking sex offenders after they've done their time -- lots of hysteria.

innovations in incarceration from a nation settled by...

6:35 AM  
Blogger English Professor said...

I agree that the transitional prisons make sense. I'm going to disagree with BF (sorry) over the "hysteria" here over sex offenders. Every time I see that a convicted sex offender has committed another assault against a child, I spit nails; they have the worst recidivism (sp?) rates of any offenders, and I wouldn't care if they never saw the light of day again. And you bet I want to know if they live in my neighborhood. (Said the mother of a young daughter.)
With that said, though, some people are being charged as "sex offenders" because a parent is mad that their 16-year-old daughter had sex with an 18-year-old man. That's just dumb. I understand the concept of statuatory rape, but consensual 16/18 activity is not the same as grabbing little girls off the street.

8:02 AM  
Blogger Michelle said...

Jack ~ Yes i do, and how do i know? Because our incarceration rate is very low.

BF ~ backhanded comment if i ever i saw it BF!! Besides...convicts settled in the States way before they lobbed on my door step..LOL

EP ~ Yes, pedophiles and sex offenders have the lowest recividsm rate amongst all crimes. Even psychologists can't agree on wether they believe they can be rehabilitated.
Personally, i don't believe they can. I have interviewed a number in my time, and all have a common thread...it was done to them....and "i can't help it, its like a cancer eating away at me i have to do it".

5:59 PM  
Blogger Bookfraud said...

i understand the concerns with redicisvism. my concern is more abstract; that is, when does a person stop paying for a crime? former carjackers or convenience store crooks aren't required to register once they get out of the can. and even though there may be high rates of repeat offenders, those who actually are rehabilitated shouldn't be forced to pay for other's sins. not how the system works, that's all

3:18 AM  
Blogger Gel said...

I agree with English Professor firmly. ....I'm physically nauseated and horrified when a sex offender, known or unknown slips (or should I say, slinks?) through cracks in our USA "system."

I'd add that the only way I'd see sex offenders released is if they were rendered "useless" meaning castrated, because even hormonal injections have not ALWAYS been shown to lower their perverted sex drive. Something similar should be done to women, even though more men are sex offenders, there are women who commit these heinous acts.

Howver, note: I am a peaceful person, so I'd prefer no mutilation, and the offenders remained incarcerated and NOT released!!!!!!!!!! (Rehab. does not work, yet.)

5:14 AM  
Blogger Michelle said...

BF ~ you raise an excellent point my friend. I was disgusted to see a vigilante group "rocking" an offenders house, spitting on his lawn, destroying his front yard whislt he was trapped inside his own home. He had served time and was out on parole. People got word he was living in their street so they took it upon themselves to harass the guy. 4 news teams were also there adding fuel to fire......i was totally disgusted that human beings could carry on like that.

GEL ~ Castration unfortunately is outlawed here. I say unfortunately becasue it really is the only thing that has shown positive results with peadophiles. Aversion therapy and injections just don't cut it.

4:04 PM  
Blogger Gel said...

Michelle said, based on my previous comment:
< "Castration unfortunately is outlawed here. I say unfortunately becasue it really is the only thing that has shown positive results with peadophiles. Aversion therapy and injections just don't cut it">

Yes, I agree it's unfortunate because when I wrote the post I'm well aware that aversion therapy and injections don't work at a high enough percent rate. (To me, that rate would need to be 100%). I hope medical and psycological advances will, one day, find a soultion, other than castration or death, as I've said before.

12:38 AM  

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