There are sexual offenders living in typical neighborhoods all throughout the United States. Some live near schools, day care centers or the homes of people who may be viewed as potential targets for sexual predators.
The thought of living near a registered sex offender can be frightening, especially if you have young children. That’s why many people frequently run sexual offender searches – the search allows them to learn about potential predators living in any city or zip code in America. Some people are hoping the Supreme Court will support a law that will help keep sexual offenders out of their neighborhoods.
Civil Commitment is a law that gives every state the option to keep sexual offenders in custody after they have finished serving a prison sentence. The offender is taken to a high security mental hospital immediately after their release. This could be a way to keep violent sexual offenders out of society indefinitely.
Members of the Supreme Court declared Civil Commitment to be Constitutional as long as the goal is to treat patients, not inflict punishment. Any state may choose to enforce this, and on January 12, 2010, the Supreme Court heard a case that called for the commencement of Civil Commitment on a Federal level.
As of 2010, nearly 20 states utilize Civil Commitment. Currently, there are about 4,000 convicted pedophiles, rapists and other offenders confined in state-run mental facilities. Some of this is due to the efforts of a man named Martin Andrews.
When Andrews was only 13-years-old, he was approached by a stranger named Richard Ausley, who offered the boy money in exchange for help moving furniture. Ausley coaxed Andrews into his van, and drove deep into the country.
For the next several days, Martin Andrews was chained up inside a small metal box. He was beaten and savagely raped, then left to die in the wilderness. Andrews’ screams for help would have been in vain, but a group of hunters heard and followed the young boy’s cries.
Richard Ausley was arrested, tried and convicted for this heinous crime. This was not the first time he had been found guilty of a violent act. Ausley had two prior convictions for sexually assaulting young boys, and yet he was a free man in 1973 when he met Martin Andrews.
By 1999, Ausley had been incarcerated for 29 years and was going to be set free. Martin Andrews heard about his release date, and decided to do something about it. Andrews acted quickly: he lobbied lawmakers to fund a program that would examine convicted sexual offenders and determine if they should also be subjected to Civil Commitment.
Andrews was successful. Virginia lawmakers backed his cause, and began enforcing Civil Commitment laws. The man who had tormented Andrews would not be set free.
Although Andrews agrees that Civil Commitment is not the best possible system for dealing with sexual offenders, he strongly advocates the law and says that it is “the only tool we have that is 100 percent effective, because they (sexual offenders) are removed from society.” His goal is to help prevent other children from experiencing the torture he endured at the tender age of 13.
Whether or not Civil Commitment will be enforced on a federal level remains to be seen. What do you think? Should sexual offenders be held after they have served their prison term? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts.
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Read about a new law affecting sexual offenders in California.
Tags: Civil Commitment, Martin Andrews, Mental Hospital, Predators, Registered Sex Offender, Richard Ausley, Sexual Offender Search, Sexual Offenders, Supreme Court
Well i think before you put someone in prison or mental hospital you should first make sure they have done the crime there are to many in the state of Texas who has been incarcerated for years only to find out they had not committed the crime.
Maybe we need to spend a little longer and make sure they are guilty ,
before we accuse them and put them away maybe some of the people putting them in prison should be hold accountable.
I agree with putting sex offenders in mental wards,but what r u going to do when the wards r full and people with mental issues have no where to go? Some of the people with mental issues can be as dangerous as these sex offenders I know i have worked with MR&DD adults for years. yes, there is medications for these people but they have the right to refuse their meds.
I had worked with at risk adolescents for 14 years. When I first stated my work, I was naive. I learned in a very short period of time that 90 percent of these adolescents have been sexually molested. The frightening fact is that all had been molested by family members, uncles, grandparents, fathers and yes even a few mothers. I was saddened by this awakening. Child molesters are just as bad as killers. They take these children’s spirit, self esteem, trust and they become empty untrusting souls. So sad to see. I firmly believe that violent sex offenders should most surely be never released into the public. They will STRIKE again and ruining many more lives.
I do not know what the answer is as to holding them in prison. Prisons are full to capacity. Wish there was a answer. But letting them out to abuse again is not it.
FYI: One person who commented had a good point. MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON IN PRISON!
I am sick and tired of sex offenders hurting our children. I would happily pay more taxes to keep them locked away. Child abuse should be a federal crime punishable by death. It has been proven they are not able to rehabilitate them. Why should we have to be afraid all the time?
Being a former child victim myself, I am now inflicted with DID and PTSD because of the crimes committed against me. Without hatred and anger in saying this, I wish that pedophiles would be put away in prison for the remainder of their lives. If lawmakers could understand what these two mental disorders of mine had done to me. I live in a hell where there is no escape.
I THINK YOU SHOULD PUT THEM ON ALCATRAZ. WHY SHOULD INNOCENT LIVES BE JEAPORDIZED.WE LOVE OUR KIDS LETS DO SOMETHING TO HELP TO INSURE THERE SAFETY. PLUS PARENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO PULL UP BACKGROUND INFO. FOR FREE.
I think that is not the answer. For one, there has been more than one that has spent 30 plus years behind bars and then a victim recants. Now what how do you give back 30 years? Should anything be done to the persons that recant? Also I do agree that some sex offenders need to be committed but some should get a second chance. Or maybe do some type of reservation with sex offenders to allow them to stay here making some type of goods or something this not so much as a tax payer burden. I think it would just be wrong to lock up everyone. As someone else said a high percent of these sex offenders are family members. I have seen someone pass a lie detector and have 2 witnesses and still get 20 years because of a broken justice system. Just sweeping the problem under a rug per say isn’t going to fix the problem.
The extremely violent ones should die (they have destroyed the lives of children and shouldn’t enjoy ANY freedoms we have). The rest should get lifetime lockup somewhere; they WILL do it again if free. One way we could make more room in the prisons is to execute the savage killers.
You can’t lump all the sex offenders into one bunch!That is the way Wa st. does it. The SCC is not a mental hospital of any kind!!
There are men in there that never raped! That did time in prison & should be out. Because of some knee jerk reaction in 1990, that hell hole was formed. The federal gov needs to step back in and make changes!!!
Sexual offense is an aberration in the human condition caused by hormones and inculteration. We humans really don’t act rationally. To sexually offend is less a decision, and more of a biological drive. 10,000 years ago the impulse to hump the most beautiful and youngest member of the tribe was called natural selection. The problem is the conflict between the biologic need to copulate and the social imperative to restrain.
I believe the worse crime is against a child.
This makes me sick! WHY WHY WHY was this extremely deviant offender released in the first place! I hope he burns in Hell!
I had a child molester and his mother, write my company $6,000 in forged checks it is a long story but should be on dateline, 220/20, Oprah, and ETC. I found out after the fact he had affected the lives of young girls in Texas and Tenn., the prosecuting attorney got restitution for a large local bank, but told me I would have to get my own attorney, this has ended up costing me $10,000 and I haven’t been to court yet. My point is that he probably was drawing a check from our government, molesting young girls, taking hard working peoples money, and will continue, so I agree these citizens need to be taken out of society, if we can give banks like ING and Etc. BILLIONS of dollars why can’t we create jobs building structures to house the people so they can’t ruin the lives of our innocent children. I like the old proverb the Lord giveth and Lord taketh away. This sex offenders was given the same freedom we have and they abused it in a terrible way by ruining young lives, so now it is time to take their freedom from them! I hope and pray our leaders from the president down will all help stop these awful crimes on our wonderful young innocent children. Remember God said bless the little children, not have them destroyed by pedophiles. HDM
Whoa let’s back up here. I agree with the person that had commented on the children they have worked with that has been molested in their past… why not i can back that up 100%. You see my daughter and her best friend had been molested by what they would consider at the time a friend to them.. Turns out the bastard only got 23 months in state for the account. He raped the one and assaulted the other. To find out he has done this to his little sister all of her life and he is walking the streets and living life to the fullest. When my daughter and her friend are having flash backs and my daughter has ptsd and has tried to commit suicide a few times since this happened. She was only 13–now is 18. She is on meds daily for this. But where is it fair that my child must live in fear every day that the bastard will do this again to her. I agree with sending them somewhere for the remaining of their lives…..
I think that any time a man can take a child’s innocence, that man don’t deserve to live. Any time a man take something against a woman’s consent he deserves life in prison..And the reason I say death for a child is because he will strip a child of everything he/she believe in that child will not trust that child will shut down. And not to mention the mental damage it will do. I think for an adult it may be more hope of recovery then it will be as to for a child.
Life in Prison is not the answer for all. Violent crimes – YES, Do you know the range of offenses that can land you on a offender registry? Many of these “offenders” were victimized as young children themselves. They did not have access to the help they so desperately needed when they themselves were victims. Where were the concerned parents, legal system and law enforcement then? Each individual needs to be looked at and determinations made of rehabilitation. Medication and counseling. Not all are violent, just screwed up and do deserve a second chance at life!
ABSOLUTELY, LOCK THE SCUM UP & THROW AWAY THE KEY FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, I agree some offenders need to be taken out of society permantly. However they need to look at each individual on a case by case basis. Some sexual offenders are in the internet and labeled for life and are there because of playful mutual sex between teens. One teen being a year older than that of the other, and for whatever reason maybe a parent got angry, or the teens broke up, and there was revenge, whereby allegations of rape insued, this should never tie up our court systems or the internet, and screw up a yong man’s life forever.
On the other hand–if we go to a case as severe as the one told here!!!!! OF COARSE!!! THIS MAN SHOULD BE PUNISHED TILL HIS DYING DAY!!!! DEATH IS TOO GOOD!!! HE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF SCIENTIFIC GUINI PIG, OR SOMETHING WORSE.
No one is suggesting life in prison, the suggestion is that a determination of criminally insane be made. Civil Commitment proposed by Martin Andrews is doing us a huge favor and kind enough to propose that criminal pedophiles be labeled as mentally ill so that they can be confined and possibly even treated.
The chronic recidivism rate of child molesters is extremely high, most are incurable, if they can be declared criminally insane serial rapists, they can preemptively receive status sentencing to protect children. Such mental health determination was done at one time in the prison in Vacaville, CA with referral to Atascadero Hospital, where more therapy was available than in Vacaville with higher security. Child molesters
in prison are often raped and murdered once other prisoners find out what they are in for. Often they will use the Bible as a defense to deflect people from coming up to them in the prison yard and asking what they are in for. Do not suggest
sending them to Alcatraz, which is not a prison now, it is a place where tourists go to visit, a museum. The man in question was in TX, keep him there, please, do not send him to San Francisco. It is already a dumping ground for every other
major city’s unwanted. It has more than its share of pedophiles wandering the streets. Current internet is creating so many more pedophiles with on-line porn, this country is manufacturing pedophiles.In SF, many live in hotels in the Tenderloin. San Diego once attempted with prisoners from San Quentin, subject to indeterminate sentences, they receive real castration, as chemical castration was not effective as a deterrent. The mind controls sexual drive, so even real castration might not be effective as a a deterrent. In SF, there are half-way houses for the mentally ill, the Haight has 68 half-way houses for mentally ill who wander around free and panhandle to supplement SSI. Some of these might be pedophiles. Permanent confinement in a mental hospital is preferable to safeguard the population than half-way houses. The SF Guardian recently published an article stating the number of homeless men who live on the streets, in doorways, parks. The bums who wander the streets of SF are possibly recidivist pedophiles unable to live in normal housing due to distancing rules. I feel for the former victim of a pedophile who now has DID and PTSD. Jesus said it would be better for a pedophile
to have a millstone hung around his neck and be drowned than take a chance on hurting a little one. If Jesus Himself was for the death penalty for a pedophile, then Mr. Andrews proposal is kindness indeed. Thank you for the opportunity to express these comments. For any readers and posters, please do not reply to this with the anticipation that I might read it because I will not return to read any replies.
Yes, I agree that most sex offenders were victims themselves – as stated where were the parents – love and support so much needed. Yes, I am all for the Civil Commitment – if this had been in place in 1999 my two children 7 and 9 would not have been victims of a registered sex offender – law enforcement did not do their job. Law enforcement contacted – nothing done then, now 2010 – nothing has ever been done, legally, about my children. The “alleged” offender of my children is now in Federal Prison for raping an 8-year-old male in Spokane, WA – if convicted of my children – this boy would have not been a victim. Is Tennessee one of the 20 states. If a pedophile is convicted in one state, incarcerated in another state – which state would the Civil Commitment come from. My son and daughter both are diagnosed with PTSD, depression – my son with a sexual disorder. As stated no help from the state – only from the local chief of police to tell me, when this man is released in 2022 – the chief would promise me that they would keep this man out of Cumberland County, TN. Yes, there are a lot of laws on the books to protect children from sexual offenders – problem is these laws are not enforced. Help me, help children in Tn.
I think all sex offender should be put in a mental hospital after they are released from prison it would avoid minor getting rape by this sick minded people..I was rape myself at the age of 8 years old and he got release 6 month later and raped me again after he was released…it messed my life in every way…that’s my personal opinion they should be but away.
what most people do not realize is that some people have been wrongly accused and have done time for many years in prison. There are some people who are still doing time and are innocent, but because they did not have money to buy a good attorney and the state attorney just crossed them out are innocent as well. There are some people who actually have families and children and because of this, their WIVES AND CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND PROPER PLACES TO LIVE. I think that this decision should be on a person to person basis. We are all human and God created us all and He is the only Judge of us. I feel that this is also why so many offenders return to prison, because WE as a people do not try to help them on an individual basis, WE PUT THEM ALL IN ONE CATEGORY AND THAT IS NOT FAIR OR RIGHT. SO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, NEED TO RETHINK THIS ONE. PRAY ABOUT IT
There are so many things that can land you in jail as a sex offender, including having pictures/video of your child (even those under 3) in the bathtub or having their diaper changed, “mooning” a minor, or even grabbing a minor in a way they don’t like. I have known several “offenders” few of which actually were by most people’s definitions. One guy jumped out of his car after he almost hit a young girl who ran out into the street. He grabbed her arm and proceeded to lecture her. That was all, but he was locked away for several years for “restraining” her and now is a sex offender. I knew a guy who was a physical therapist. He had a boy who had a pulled muscle in his back. The therapist had to work the muscle which went into the area of the sciatic nerve. The boy became uncomfortable, and now this guy is a sex offender. I know a former step father who was teaching his step son how to “aim” by “demonstrating” himself. The boy was near deaf and the biological father wanted nothing to do with this “educational experience” until he found out that the step father had taken over. The biological father screamed “foul” and now the step father is a sex offender. Too many courts want to convict, and too many unjust laws are out there. If they SERIOUSLY molested…raped, killed, tortured…a child then throw the book at them! For those people, rehab CAN WORK, but many Justice systems just lock & release. Lock them up until they are deemed “safe” and then continue the counseling & followup. BTW: I also had a friend who was “distributing” kiddy porn. They monitored him for months and then locked him up….rightfully so. Much of what is deemed as such is your child in the bathtub, but I’ve accidentally stumbled upon pics of children being raped and had nightmares for months.
John Walsh ( America’s Most Wanted) summed up what needs to be done to change our judicial system so that the “CRIME MATCHES THE FINE”. He said there are still people in prison for marijuana possession from the 60″s. When people serve 50 yrs for 1st offense drug charges, while those convicted of murder serve 25 yrs, yep someone needs to analyze and revamp the whole system. Problem being our elected politicians don’t want to be viewed as soft on drugs, it’s more important to be reelected than doing the right thing. Who suffers the most , children murder victims and those violated by rapist. If any of you missed the Oprah show about what happens to the rape kits usually done at hospitals , collecting evidence to help police catch the scum of the earth you will be shocked beyond belief.. You can check with your local city officials to find out what they do but 95% of ALL cities file them away in big boxes, don’t send DNA to a lab, which means it’s never checked in any data base for a match! SHOCKED? Oprah was too. Doesn’t make since? DNA testing is expensive, they can’t figure out what to cut from that budget . Since DNA is as good as a bloody hand print at the crime scene……well you know what I mean. All those poor people serving time for a crime they did not commit, most of them are still waiting for someone to help them, and yes pay for the DNA to be tested. I don’t think that making it difficult for offenders to find housing is the answer. It just pisses them off and I would rather they be pissed in prison. Reopening Alcatraz as a prison is a great idea, perfect housing for sex offenders. Medical help has to be the 1st priority, longer prison terms, revamp our laws. My 4 nieces and nephews were molested by their biological father, he had his parental rights taken away, no prison time, and was not expected to pay child support. Something has been wrong with this system for a long time. I vote for John Walsh, crusader for the people. Since he’s not in politics, he’s the logical choice. Do a Google search for the Oprah episode on rape kits (you will be shocked when you see the results of 10 random unsolved rapes and murders in Chicago after they tested the DNA , and the Walsh show on prison overcrowding , he would rather child molesters, rapist, and murderers be locked up, free the innocent and let those old HIPPIES out of prison!!!