This subject is a hard one to write about. This is not a topic that is liked nor tolerated and all for good reasons. We must protect our communities and our citizens. This topic has unbelievably found its way into the stage-coach with the gold. I will be lenient in saying that there may good and well be those politicians that do not completely understand what has been happening in this field and really feel that they are protecting the citizens. As for other politicians they know exactly what they are doing and this just puts more funds into the coffer.
I am talking about the notorious “Sex Offender” label. I am not soft on crime. I have worked with DOC and I have testified in courtrooms for both prosecutors and for defense attorneys. I have helped to sentence and I have helped to defend. I have sat on a jury and yes, we found the defendant guilty. I believe in being held accountable. I believe in having a safe community. The “Sex Offender” label has gotten way out of hand. This is not what it was originally intended for. This label is to help us, the community to know who is really dangerous, who could be a threat to us or our children. When that label is passed out frivolously we lose the seriousness of it by making all incidents seem that they are of major concern. Example: Teenage couples engage in sex…the young man is charged and then labeled an offender. If this law was mandated lets say 60 years ago…just how many sex offenders would there be today? Then there are the lesser crimes that are not taken into consideration. Those that have had no prior criminal history and a one time incident that would have been inappropriate touch turns out to be a felony of “Sexual Assault.” I had a public defender tell me that if I were in a crowded bar and a man were to touch me as he is standing there in a place that I feel is inappropriate or bumps into me accidental but I feel is still inappropriate I can press charges for “Sexual Assault” because that is how I perceived it. This is not the real meaning of “Sexual Assault.” If this was mandated in the last 60 years how many “Sex Offenders” would we have?
Now we have thousands upon thousands of sex offenders that we are scrutinizing. Some that are labeled for ridiculous reasons. While we are trying to keep track of so many we lose sight of the dangerous ones that could re-offend or even those that do not have a label. This is a false sense of security. It also causes major problems for those that are labeled for the rest of their life or for what the sentence allows as it is hard for them to find jobs, hard to find a place to live, hard to support their families. Where do you expect these people to go? Read this article from Bozeman, MT:
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/crime/article_57b6931c-9f9d-11e0-aff1-001cc4c03286.html
You may be wondering at this point what this has to do with politics or money. Let me show you a few statistics and refresh you from an earlier subject.
“About 34 percent of Montana’s current prisoners were convicted of sexual crimes, according to statistics compiled by Blair Hopkins, a therapist who treats sexual offenders in the state prison. Of those, more than 90 percent are undergoing or are waiting to begin intensive sexual offender treatment.” *Source Bozeman Daily Chronicle
That states 34 percent. That is a very large number. We discussed the prisons for profit. We discussed the parole board not letting many out on parole. Let’s take one more step down the trail that leads to revenue. We discussed that once they are out on parole by their very own figures 94% return back to prison because of technical violations, not for breaking the law. What better way than to have that many labeled sex offenders, that once paroled, with as hard as it is to find a place that will allow them to live there, to find a job that will hire them are unable to report or register as they are commanded to do. Probation officers are then violating them and sending them back. The same inmates are being recycled for profit. The short time while they are on parole they have to pay a fee. They also have to pay a fee to take the mandated classes. Those classes can take up to 10 years to finish. If they are not finished they end up in prison again. Cha-ching, Cha-ching.
Then you have those that have been railroaded based on “hearsay” with no evidence. In these classes you have to admit complete guilt that is described on your DOC record from the county attorney. Those that are innocent are not going to want to do that. They then cannot pass the class nor be let out of prison. I have seen this first hand. I have documents that back this up. I have seen county attorneys accept a plea bargain that states one way in court transcripts but then in the media and DOC records they have added more to the plea bargain. Too many cases like that. I have seen where they tell a defendant that they have to be a registered sex offender but then after the sentencing find out via the media that it was not court mandated by law. It is something that the county attorney put together. Yes, the public defender had lied and did not tell the truth about the law. No matter how hard they try the defendant cannot get anyone to correct the records. That my friends is a group of outlaw cowboys when you cannot find anyone to help you. I find the statistics and all of the same allegations of foul play and records that prove that some of these are innocent but they are all found guilty anyway extremely disturbing! What if someone falsely accuses you? What if your spouse is falsely accused? What if your teenage son or daughter is falsely accused? What do you do when the system is tainted? Again, pray that they never want to use you or any member of your family for their gain.
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