maybe Georgia should go waterless - at least the Justices

[donsu]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/22/us/22offender.html?ref=us


Georgia Justices Overturn a Curb on Sex Offenders

The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously struck down a state law Wednesday that limited where registered sex offenders could live, ruling that the statute was so restrictive it unconstitutionally deprived the offenders of their property rights.
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property rights!!

the Justices need 'curbed'

[hlthe2b]

1. That is a very understandable response...

We need to find much better ways to control true sex offenders at high risk of repeating when they are released. I may not have kids, but no one wants to have convicted rapists and molesters in the neighborhood. That having been said, I read a couple of complex reports on this and how nearly impossible it is for officials to find areas that do not meet the stringent exclusions for them to live. Even halfway houses-- that are designed as transitional supervised settings-- often find they meet the criteria when established, but a year later, do not. In one report, the only eligible locations in one urban center, was under a bridge overpass... Well, bike paths quite often coincide with those same underpasses. So, even for those who might say, 'good' there is a problem....


Before the flames come, I'm not defending these individual's crimes nor the perpetrators, themselves. Just trying to point out the complexity that falls to local governments and law enforcement & probation staff to try to deal with.

[BR_Parkway]

2. Instead of all these silly assed laws about where they can live and

registering (because they have such a high likelihood of repeating) why don't they just change the law so that the punishment keeps them locked up (maybe let a few potheads out to make some room if needed). Then we know there is 0% chance that they will ever be in a position to harm another child sexually.

Obviously, they would also need to modify the law so the 17 yo w/ 15 yo girlfriend or the guy who gets busted peeing outside isn't considered a sex offender.

But the solution to this whole mess is really simple - change the penalty, first conviction equals life w/ no chance of parole.