Sex offenders locked down, in the dark for Halloween

[DS1]

Scores of sex offenders in Anderson, South Carolina, will be corralled for Halloween tonight in a move authorities say is needed to keep kids safe as they trick or treat.

"At 5 p.m., we are going to require all of our probation/parole/pardon sex offenders to report to the office and they'll remain here from 5 to 10:30 p.m," agent Gerald Black, with the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon, told CNN affiliate WYFF.

Authorities in Roanoke, Virginia, will do the same. "You have a safer public. We have all the offenders in this area that are on probation or parole in one location. We know where they are," Randy Phillips with the Department of Corrections told CNN affiliate WSLS.

While there's a debate about the need for restrictions and authorities aren't imposing such stringent restrictions everywhere, special limits on sex offenders for the evening are widespread


http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/31/halloween.offenders/index.html

[rodeodance]

1. I am wondering if this is a good idea----a broader issue arises--as they are

being punished for the rest of their lives.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

2. It does say it's those who are on probation or parole.

However, wouldn't it have to have been a preexisting condition of their parole or probation for this to be legal?

Also I wonder if people stay on this registry for life? I thought that after a certain period of time your name was removed, but I could be wrong about that.

[rodeodance]

3. you are right, it does say that. I have no idea if it is condition of probation. ---but seems to be

massive----across the states thing that is happening----kinda sudden like.

[Waya]

4. Sorry, they are a threat to children for the rest of their lives......

......and when it comes to keeping children safer, then I'm all for it.... and a lot of sex offenders know their condition and abhor it - they do not want to hurt children, they know it's wrong - but they can't help it - seems to me this is a good thing - to protect the children from dsex offenders and the sex offenders from themselves.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Actually, I've read somewhere it makes things worse.

They can't come and go from their own homes, they can't hold down jobs, so they wind up homeless, living under a bridge somewhere and they don't continue psychiatric treatment, and wind up being more likely to reoffend.

Canada doesn't treat their sex offenders like this and they have lower recidivism rates.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. I know a young man on the registry

He's mildly retarded and when he was 16 he had sex with a 13 year old. He was in special classes and she was in his peer group. Still he was charged and convicted and placed on probation.

He's now in his 20's and has a wife and child. His mental maturity is arrested at around that of a 15-year-old however.

According to that article in some places his family wouldn't even be allowed to put up Halloween decorations.

[kestrel91316]

7. IIRC the sex offender registry IS for life. Once on it, you can NEVER get off.

Just like the convicted felons in some states that can NEVER own a gun again or vote again as long as they live, though in this case with the sex offenders it makes a bit of sense to me.

[Wiley50]

8. Great Idea! The Pervs get to meet and get to know other Pervs at their very own party!

Good! Maybe they'll meet later and molest each other.

They can keep each other occupied and leave others alone


When I was a teen, the adults came up with this great idea for a "Rap House".

Aplace for us teens to meet and hang out with each other under adult supervision

as a way to keep us from being out doing drugs (early to mid '70's )

So we would all meet at the rap house to find out who had the drugs to sell or share

Then go out somewhere and get high.

It really helped facilitate things for us..

Thanks Folks!

[BRLIB]

10. More likely, they'll learn from each other,

exchange information, maybe form teams, so they won't get caught the next time.....

[izquierdista]

9. Calling all fascists, calling all fascists.

Yup, DU has their share of them too. Why don't we stamp their passports with a "J" while we are at it, you know, for Juvenile threat possibility.