Can sex offenders be rehabilitated?

Question

6-year-old boy found dead in Georgia
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070315/ap_on_re_us/missing_boy

I'm of the opinion that sex offenders should be locked up for the rest of their lives (or executed!), but I'll keep try to keep an open mind if someone can give me a convincing response.

Answer 1

Absolutely not. They may be able to be treated, like some other mental illnesses; however, unless that treatment is monitored daily (such as chemical castration) AND their behavior is checked constantly (which would be impossible, really), CONVICTED sex offenders should NEVER EVER be let out of prison. With cost of about $30,000 per year to keep each one of them behind bars, I say if our justice system chooses not to execute these individuals (who MAKE NO MISTAKE do ruin the lives of their victims), the sex offenders should be made to work while behind bars so that they are forced to earn that $30K per year to pay for their own upkeep. Kind of like animals at the zoo earn their keep when people pay admission to the zoo to see them - but OF COURSE the animals don't deserve it . . .

Answer 2

As a parent, I have not yet heard an argument that has even come close to convincing me that rehabilitation is possible for sex offenders.
As a society, we will be judged in the end by how we protected the "least of us" - the old, the ill, the young, the weak, those who need our protection. Thus, the only way to keep our children save from convicted pedophiles is to lock the predators away from the outside world...let's not try to fool ourselves with experimental studies, hormone treatments, chemical castration, etc. Sex offenders don't commit their crimes just for the sexual thrill - they are PREDATORS that get off on the power and intimidation they wield over their victims. These are not "treatable" people...and I, for one, am not willing to risk even one child on some new way of rehabbing these monsters.
Lock them up. Forever.

Answer 3

It has been proven that sex offenders and other sexual criminals do have chemical differences in their brains. Medication can help discourage the need to commit these crimes but without med's, these perverts and pedophiles and rapists can never be rehabilitated. California passed a law that makes Level 3 sex offenders stay in a secured home with more freedom than jail after their release from jail. That has to say something about whether or not sex offenders can be rehabilitated.

Answer 4

Let's not overly simplify the answer.
First, the same constitutional rights are afforded and protected for the offenders as well as ourselves. Offenders are guaranteed by amendment and Supreme Court just a few of the following: to be marandized, to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, evidence rules and procedures, reasonable search and seizure, in criminal convictions the proof is beyond a reasonable doubt, the right to a fair trial, the rights to discovery, to fully understand the charges and have them presented (habus corpus) in a timely manner. These are just a few rights, and liberties given to each and every one of us. To not assure that the accused receive the same, is to potentially rob us of our own rights. We can not allow the court system to slip up with them, any more than we would expect them to show each of us due process by and under the law. Though, in different states, different penalties are enforced, there is a safety net, that sentencing has to be reasonable. For instance, one certainly shouldn't be executed for stealing a can of baby formula. But, those who agree with the death penalty, in capital crime cases, do feel, that certain cases, deem punishment by death. Once one is sentenced, then if time is served, (or if it is a non-violent, non-drug related crime, say passing bad checks), then after serving a certain amount of the sentence, one leaves, time served. This however is the sticky part. While many are facilitated through half-way houses, and out paitent treatment, many are not. So now we have the tax dollars spent on a crime, a trial, a prisoner, and then released to their own accord. Unable to conform to society, in many cases, family will not help, they end up reoffending in some form or fashion. Some states, in the cases of sexual offenders, may commit them to institutions as threats to society, if they feel strongly about the chance they will reoffend.

Answer 5

Lots of studies have been done proving that sex offenders fight a life long battle against their "disease" -if that is what you want to call it. I agree w/you -they should be locked up FOR LIFE. Look at how many of these "men" are released from prison only to commit sex crimes over and over again?

Seriously, have you ever noticed how many rapes, murders and abductions are commited by previous offenders?

The children they harm are messed up for the rest of their lives and sometimes grow up to be sex offenders themselves -why? In the name of giving someone a second chance? Bulls**t!

Sorry, no convincing response from me for rehabilitation.

Answer 6

nicely it relies upon what sort of criminal. Rapists etc of adults. nicely that occurs usualy using a might desire to experience ability over the sufferer. So there could be a thank you to rehabilitate them. toddler intercourse offenders on the different hand is extra complicated. in the event that they have already acted upon their compulsions then no they are able to be helped while in the event that they admit they have a topic in the previous they do something to a toddler then it rather is a probability yet no longer one hundred pc clever.

Answer 7

No, I don't believe they can be rehabilitated. They should have the most severe punishment for crimes against children. Sex offenders should not be allowed out into society to make victims of others. Look at all the lives that have been destroyed by released offenders that offended again............this should be stopped.

Answer 8

NO, as a matter of old facts...back 22 yrs ago the child sex offender averaged 60 different children before his death of a ripe old age! My abuser got his hands on 5 of us...his first being his sister! Gross! My niece was raped at the age of 11 by an illegal immigrant. (he was 21 & told judge it's legal in his country) That guy got sentenced to 25 yrs! Deported the day he gets out of prison!

Answer 9

no...i dont care about any of the BS and people who actually support rehabilitating sex offenders. if i had my way anyone who touched a child would be executed. Now, if its a grown man and a 15 year old girl and she agrees to it then i think he should be punished for taking advantage of her be she was probably influenced by him in some way, but that would be an exception to execution.

Answer 10

I think they should be immediately killed. Most would probablly get off on being tortured so a quick bullet to the head, would be my choice of punishment. ANyone that can sexually , or emotionally, or physically hurt a child does not have any rights!