More honest approach to sexual predators

Kansas’ practice of involuntarily and indefinitely confining sexual predators at Larned State Hospital after they have served their prison terms was blessed by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1997. But it’s never made much sense. Why not impose longer prison sentences, including life in prison, rather than let dangerous predators out of prison but then hold them against their will at Larned — especially when it costs $150 a day to house them at Larned, compared with $50 a day in prison? To his credit, Attorney General Phill Kline has been asking the same question, and leading an effort in the Legislature to toughen sentences. "I’m not saying it has failed," Kline told the Lawrence Journal-World about the civil commitment program, "but I believe this is a much safer option for the public." And a more honest one.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

11 Comments

  1. Todd
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 9:25 am | Permalink

    Wow, how very controversial, Phillip. Who’s AGAINST punishing sex offenders more harshly?

  2. Gittin' madder by the minute
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 9:45 am | Permalink

    OK, my liberal sensabilities are still conflicted on this one. Yes, sexual predation is horrible, and I admit, I have no answer to the problem. But I’ve always felt it was very Soviet Union to keep offenders in mental institutions after they have served their time. The Supreme Court dropped the ball big time.

  3. LinksRUs
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 9:45 am | Permalink

    Below is a link to an LJWorld article about a staff person at the Larned Sexual Predator unit.

    http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/sep/25/controversial_christian_linked_skyrocketing_number/

    If I am not miskaten, of the 60-some people who have been admitted to unit, only one has graduated (and that was to a nursing home). It would seem more honest to give these people life sentences rather than imposing one back door through civil commitments.

  4. Ian Santiago
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 11:17 am | Permalink

    Sex offenders should all be aborted.

    V.L.R.B!!

  5. CrusaderX
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 11:23 am | Permalink

    Ian,how can you claim to be Cuban and still be vehemently opposed to Hispanics? Man I thought the French had a bad superiority complex. :)And sex offenders should get life FIRST offense.

  6. Ian Santiago
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 11:27 am | Permalink

    “You can teach a German or an Irishman to speak Spanish but you can never teach a filthy negro, mullato, indio or mestizo to be White!” My Mom

    Viva la Raza Blanco!!

  7. TRACY
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 12:51 pm | Permalink

    Todd you are right.I suppose he also wants to say that people who oppose him are ’soft on crime’.Gee, ain’t heard that before.

    I’ll bet he’s also unique for being against terrorism.

  8. CrusaderX
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 12:54 pm | Permalink

    Did she teach you to BE WHITE Ian?and how, pray tell, qualifies someone as BEING WHITE? Can you stipulate the rigorous intellectual, psychological, and/or spiritual formula for us helpless darker skinned people to BE WHITE? Cuz that’s my goal in life Ian. Screw higher education, a well-paying job, having a family and benefitting society! I want to BE JUST LIKE YOU IAN! I want to think like you, act like you, and be like you Ian! Cuz everybody knows that closet-self-hating Hispanics is the way to go!!! Yes, I too am a Hispanic! Oh the horror! I live my life in shame! My father is from Puerto Rico and my mother is a Filipina! Oh the humanity! How I loathe my darker skin tone! (which my white girlfriend finds irresistably sexy.) Oh how I loathe my low I.Q. (Although I am in my first year at Washburn Law) Oh Ian! Please help me! Oh God, why couldn’t I be like Ian? It’s not fair! Oh Ian, why couldn’t I be just like you?

  9. Damoon
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 5:43 pm | Permalink

    I say lock ‘em up and throw away the key. Put Ian in there with them, now THAT would be cruel and unusual punishment for any perpetrator!

  10. Joe
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 7:30 pm | Permalink

    Some men are just born too horney. They can’t help it and certainly don’t belong in prision for something they can’t help. It is like punishing someone for skin color.Let the poor bastards go — but without the offending organ.

  11. Damoon
    Posted February 7, 2006 at 9:15 pm | Permalink

    Good idea, just take away the source of the temptation!