There are many people who know of someone who has been the victim of sexual assault. Likewise, millions of people are sexual assault victims themselves. With there being so many cases of assault, the criminal justice system is faced with the hard task of deciding on the correct punishment for the convicted offenders. One option of punishment for a male child molester is to have them physically castrated. Convicted male child molesters should most certainly receive strong punishment, but physical castration should be reserved for the worst cases of sexual abuse.
In one case of sexual assault, a New Jersey man named Jesse Timmendequas lured seven year old Megan Kanka into his home on July 29, 1994 with promises that she could see his puppy (Dealing with Sex Offenders, August 1994). Unknown to Megan, the man would not be letting her see his puppy. Jesse Timmendequas had some very different plans. Once she was inside, he strangled her to death, and then he raped her. Before this incident, Jesse Timmendequas had already been convicted of sexual assaulting young girls. He had already served six years in a facility for sex offenders. Obviously, being in a facility did not do him any good at all.
Because of incidents like what happened to Megan Kanka, the justice system has taken steps to prevent such crimes of sexual assault. For instance, once a man is convicted, he has to register as a sex offender. The reason a convicted sex offender has to register is because of the Jacob Wetterling Act (Dealing with Sex Offenders, 1994), which required each state to create a registry system to record and track the locations of sex offenders who have been released back into society. The law was passed in honor of an 11 year old boy who was never se...
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...castration would then have been unneeded. Sometimes it is the path the authorities need to take because even though a man might change later on after he has been physically castrated, there are always going to be consequences for someone’s actions.
Works Cited
CASA Forum. “Facts Sheet: Statistics about Sexual Assault.” 2014 PDF File.
Greenblatt, Alan. “Sex Offenders: Will Tough, New Laws Do More Harm Than Good?” Volume 6. 8
September 2006. CQpress.com. Web. 2 April 2014.
“The Meese Commission on Pornography (sidebar).” Issues & Controversies. Facts On File New Services, 14 December 2001. Web. 2 April 2014.
Anonymous. “Dealing With Sex Offenders.” New York Times. Web. 15 August 1994. 2 April 2014.
National Center for Victims of Crime. “Child Sexual Abuse Statistics.” Web. 9 April 2014.
Brigham Young University. “Pornography.” Web. 9 April 2014.
The sex offender’s registry plays on parent’s emotional instincts to protect their children instead of really protect them. It gives parents a false sense of protection. The regis...
In 1994, twice-convicted sex offender Jesse Timmendequas raped and murdered Megan Kanka, a seven-year old girl who lived across the street. In reaction to this emotionally-charged crime, Megan's home state of New Jersey ratified a community notification bill - dubbed "Megan's Law" - just three months later. This fall, a national version of the law went into effect, mandating that all fifty states notify citizens in writing of the presence of convicted sex offenders within their communities. Certainly, society has a responsibility to protect children from sex offenders, and many feel that Megan's Law is the best course of action. However, others feel that it is an unwarranted intrusion into the rights to privacy of individuals who have already paid their debts to society.
In the event that a prisoner (particularly a sex offender) does complete rehabilitation, he carries with him a stigma upon reentering society. People often fear living near a prior drug addict or convicted murderer and the sensational media hype surrounding released felons can ruin a newly released convict’s life before it beings. What with resident notifications, media scare tactics and general concern for safety, a sex offender’s ability to readapt into society is severely hindered (554). This warrants life-skills rehabilitation applied to him useless, as he will be unable to even attempt to make the right decision regarding further crime opportunities.
Introduction The United States of America has always supported freedom and privacy for its citizens. More importantly, the United States values the safety of its citizens at a much higher level. Every year, more laws are implemented in an attempt to deter general or specific criminal behaviors or prevent recidivism among those who have already committed crimes. One of the most heinous crimes that still occurs very often in the United States is sexual offenses against children. Currently, there are over 700,000 registered sex offenders and 265,000 sex offenders who are under correctional supervision.
In 1994, seven year old Megan Kanka of New Jersey was sexually assaulted and murdered by her neighbor who had previously been a convicted sex offender. Her parents had been unaware of his past crimes. The brutality of this crime helped provide the case of mandating registration of past convicted offenders (jrank.org). During former President Bill Clinton’s presidency in 1996, he had signed legislation that required states to adopt the statutes of Megan’s Law (EPIC).
The acceptance that the court system often treats female offenders differently than male offenders is an accurate statement; however, it comes with many caveats. Generally, the public views women as nurturers, motherly and incapable of harming a child. Research indicates that female sex offenders capable of committing such acts have serious psychiatric and psychological problems. In comparison, research indicates male sex offenders are more callous, more antisocial, and promiscuous, involved in the criminal justice system, and have more victims (Miccio-Fenseca, 2012, slide 7). The consensus is that men commit their acts for sexual pleasure while women commit their acts due to psychiatric and psychological problems. Law enforcement, juries, and judges tend to empathize more when there are additional mitigating factors such as emotional or psychological problems. Due to these mitigating factors, it appears treatment of female sex offenders is more lenient than male if their crimes are similar in nature. Research by Miccio-Fenseca (2012) indicates that in comparison to their male counterparts, “female sex offenders rarely use force or violence far less than often…rarely use threats of violence to silence victims…rarely use threats o...
Ever since the bill for having a Canadian Sex Offender Registry was passed, in December of 2004, it has been a heated debate in many boardrooms across the country. On the one hand, there are the defence attorneys deeming it slightly mentally damaging and unnecessary for their client(s). On the other side of the coin, there are the individuals claiming it to be a great idea if used in the correct manner. A sex offender registry is only useful when used correctly, with updated and accurate profiles, while remaining conscious of charter rights.
Mary Babb was in her SUV last year when her estranged husband slammed into her with his pickup truck. The crash overturned Babb’s vehicle and left her suspended upside-down by her seat belt. As she hung there helplessly, Thomas Babb fired two rounds from a shotgun, killing his wife in front of horrified witnesses outside the office where she worked. Babb had filed for divorce and moved out just before her death. She changed jobs and obtained a court order protecting her from her husband. But he kept following her. According to her family, she did everything the law provided her, and it wasn’t enough. These are just two examples of convicted offenders and that sometimes the law is just not enough. In 1995, Iowa passed the Iowa Sex Offender Registry Law. Any person convicted of a criminal offense against a minor with a sexual element, an aggravated offense with a sexual element, a sexually violent offense, or any other relevant offense in Iowa, or in any other state, or in any federal, military, tribal, or foreign court, must register as a sex offender. As of August 1st 2005, there were 6,004 people on the sex offender registry. A person who is required to register as a sex offender and whose underlying criminal offense was committed against a minor is prohibited from residing within 2,000 feet of the real property comprising a public or non-public elementary or secondary school or a child care facility. A sex offender who resides within 2,000 feet of a public or non-public school or child care facility commits an aggravated misdemeanor. BUT, an offender who had an established residence prior to July 1, 2002, resides within 2,000 feet of a newly established school or child care facility does not violate the restriction (Iowa - A Taliban State). So, you could have a twice convicted sex offender living next to you and your family. What good is the law then? Since this new law came into effect, registered sex offenders have became less and less. Not because they’re not committing the crimes, but because they’re not registering. Out of the 6,000 offenders in Iowa, over 500 of them are listed as “unconfirmed whereabouts.” It has forced many of the offenders to become homeless, or sleeping in their cars or trucks (Davey). National surveys have shown that about one-fourth of all sex offenders who are on the streets have moved, failed to report new addresses to police and eluded detection.
In the United States, as a condition of parole, sex offenders are typically required to register with law enforcement officials when released from prison. These officials notify the public of the offender’s release back into society and provide them with information such as the offenders address, and other personal information. Research indicates the notification system can have an adverse effect on the offender’s life, casting doubt on what the laws intended to protect the public. This paper will explore the background of sex offender registries, the relationship between the sex offender notifications and registration laws, and higher rates of recidivism in the United States. Introduction Sex offender legislation has become a controversial topic in the recent years.
The percentage of sex offenders living among the United States has increased over the years. The specific states analyzed for the increase in percentages are New Jersey, Florida, and Virginia. According to Parents for Megan’s Law the number of registered sex offenders in New Jersey in 2005 was 10,464, while the total population was 8.65 million, equaling a percentage of 0.121% of the population being registered sex offenders. However, in 2016 the number of registered sex offenders rose to 18,659 people and the population increased 8.98 million, making the new percentage 0.207% (“Parents for Megan’s Law”). According to Sex Offender Map the top cities in New Jersey for registered sex offenders include; Newark, Jersey City, Paterson, Elizabeth, and Edison (“Sex Offender Map”). Yet this increasing trend is not confined to New Jersey – according to _______, Florida and Virginia also saw an increase in the number of registered sex offenders between 2005 and 2006. In Florida in 2005 there was 33,990 registered offenders in a population of 17.84 million meaning the percentage of sex offenders was 0.191% of the total population. It nearly doubled in 2016 when the number of registered sex offenders rose to 69,654 with a population of 20.66 million, increasing the percentage to 0.337% (“Parents of Megan’s Law”). A majority of the
In today’s society, juveniles that commit a sexual assault have become the subject of society. It’s become a problem in the United States due to the rise of sexual offenses committed by juveniles. The general public attitude towards sex offenders appears to be highly negative (Valliant, Furac, & Antonowicz, 1994). The public reactions in the past years have shaped policy on legal approaches to managing sexual offenses. The policies have included severe sentencing laws, sex offender registry, and civil commitment as a sexually violent predator (Quinn, Forsyth, & Mullen-Quinn, 2004). This is despite recidivism data suggesting that a relatively small group of juvenile offenders commit repeat sexual assaults after a response to their sexual offending (Righthand &Welch, 2004).
The author begins one of her paragraphs with, “The main issue here, as far as I see it, is that sex offender registries clumsily lump together all sex crimes”. That is the big issue to her here. She isn’t against keeping the bad guys locked away and keeping the streets safe for all people, but she doesn’t feel that it is right to isolate ALL of them completely from society. “In recent years, a host of less extreme offenses have been included as grounds for registration: “voyeurism, public exposure, adultery, giving obscene material to a minor, displaying obscene material on a bumper sticker, and bestiality,” according to a report by the Vera Institute of Justice.” For Clark-Flory, it is unfortunate that all of the crimes
problem for the public, as potential victims, and the legal system which is entrusted by the public for protection. It would be irresponsible for the legal system to ignore the criminal class of sex offenders, for they are subject to a recurring physiological urge that requires the use of effective restraints that would curb the habitual repetition of episodes producing the harmful consequences to the public(Schopf 95). In light of this realization, steps beyond treatment have been taken to reduce the recidivism rate of sex offenders. Notification laws, special supervising techniques by parole officers, and both surgical and chemical castration are techniques used in various forms in this country and abroad with success. However, notification laws and both forms of castrations
Two of the sex offenders from the Worley study reported that during Halloween they are told by law enforcement to not answer the door or have outside lights on. Also, local television networks broadcast their picture to warn others of their sex offender status. This then leads to much embarrassment and shame, having their picture televised every year (Worley, R. M., & Worley, V. B., 2013). Today, anyone with Internet access can view and search the sex offender registries and this leads to the direct violation of privacy of these sex offenders. Not only are they tormented but their family members are as well. Their children are bullied at school and their spouses may be forced to quit their jobs (“US: Sex Offender Laws May Do More Harm Than Good,” 2007) As discussed earlier, the sex offender faces harassment and abuse constantly when they are placed on the sex offender
For crimes such as rape, child molestation, and any other offense that rises to the level of the aforementioned offenses, those offenders should automatically and unconditionally be required to register for life. Those charged with offenses such as exhibitionism should be required to register for a period in years with regard to the particular facts of their case, in my opinion. To provide a hypothetical example with respect to exhibitionism and public nudity, the college student who goes on their first drinking binge and streaks in the nude across a field in the view of a minor in my opinion should not be held to the same registration requirements as someone who raped a child. Though, in the case of sex with minors registration should be permanent. As an example in the film shows, those who develop a behavioral pattern of sexual contact with minors should be treated with especially great caution.