# So, where IS it safe to put sex offenders after prison/rehab? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 20, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117 "2002-12-20T21:33:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/21 "2002-12-22T16:03:21Z")
Damn constitution, eh, **Susanann**? ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/22 "2002-12-22T16:15:46Z")
Oh, and what about female child molesters? And wrongful convictions? ---
**Author:** ![CMC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CMC)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/23 "2002-12-22T16:25:43Z")
Photopat is right. As much as I hate sexual violence, once someone has served their time it is unconstitutional restrict their rights once they are released. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/24 "2002-12-22T16:34:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > **\ > This is not about revenge, rather it is making certain that any rapist or any child molestor will never ever be able to do what he did, ever again - by making it totally physically impossible for the criminal to do it if he doesnt have his thing anymore. > \ > \** “For every problem, there is a solution that is simple, attractive—and wrong.” **Susanann** ’s approach assumes that a) castration will somehow correct the underlying cause of the rape/molestation, and/or b) his “thing” is the only tool available to the perpetrator. BZZZZZZZZT! Sorry, this ticket is not a winner. Please play again. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/25 "2002-12-22T16:42:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > \*\*Oh, and what about female child molesters? > > \*\* That is a good question, but a minor one, and ignores the larger issue/problem. I really dont think the bulk of child molestors or rapists are female - I think most of them are male. It is better to focus on the larger problem. After we get the men, we will think of what to do with whatever few women commit these crimes. If you want to know what to do with female child molestors, you are talking about a very small percentage of violent sex offense cases. Castration or cutting off the male part would prevent most sexual offendors(who are male) from committing a repeat offense. What small percent of convicted rapists and child molestors are female? ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/26 "2002-12-22T16:50:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OttoDaFe \* > \*\*“For every problem, there is a solution that is simple, attractive—and wrong.” > > **Susanann** ’s approach assumes that a) castration will somehow correct the underlying cause of the rape/molestation, and/or b) his “thing” is the only tool available to the perpetrator. > > BZZZZZZZZT! Sorry, this ticket is not a winner. Please play again. \*\* Uhhh, I disagree. How you gonna rape somebody if you dont have it anymore? Not possible. Hey, I am offering a very simple and easy suggestion, that has not been tried. I think after cutting it off and castration, will certainly stop someone from commiting further rapes,and will likely eliminate any sexual gratification of the child molestors. Lets try it and see how many convicted rapists and child molestors who have been totally cut commit repeat offenses. There are no statistics, but we can get them soon enough. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/27 "2002-12-22T16:54:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Castration or cutting off the male part would prevent most sexual offendors(who are male) from committing a repeat offense. Are you under the impression that a penis is somehow necessary to commit a sex offense, even for males? Judging by my experience with child molesters (nearly all male), the most common offenses against female children do not involve the perp’s penis, but his fingers and/or tongue. And as for " How you gonna rape somebody if you dont have it anymore?", I’ve heard of bottles, sticks and baseball bats. Technically, it might not be called “rape”, but it will be a sex offense nonetheless, and I doubt it makes a difference to the victim. ---
**Author:** ![Pantone\_Swatchbook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@Pantone\_Swatchbook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantone_Swatchbook)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/28 "2002-12-22T19:36:44Z")
I disagree with the notion that a rape of a minor is worse than a rape of an adult. All conditions being equal, I would even argue that a raped adult suffers greater psychological damage than a raped child. It is also aggravated by the fact that many adult rapes are conducted with force and violence, either with the threat of, or actual execution of assault. Minors are usually coerced with manipulative tactics and trickery. And of course there is the chance that their psyches are damaged by this unfortunate occurance during their formative years. Not to lessen the impact and trauma that a child suffers at the hands of a pedophile sexual offender, BUT I get pissed off when society treats their rape as a far greater evil than the rape of an adult man or woman. ---
**Author:** ![Pantone\_Swatchbook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@Pantone\_Swatchbook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantone_Swatchbook)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/29 "2002-12-22T19:39:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by doreen \* > \*\*Are you under the impression that a penis is somehow necessary to commit a sex offense, even for males? Judging by my experience with child molesters (nearly all male), the most common offenses against female children do not involve the perp’s penis, but his fingers and/or tongue. > > \*\* Castration requires the testicles to be severed, not the penis. The root of sexual offenses lies not in the penis, but in the hormones, sexual urges, and testosterone that is produced in those wrinkly nutsacks. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/30 "2002-12-22T20:01:03Z")
> [@](#): > > ## quote: > > ## Originally posted by doreen Are you under the impression that a penis is somehow necessary to commit a sex offense, even for males? Judging by my experience with child molesters (nearly all male), the most common offenses against female children do not involve the perp’s penis, but his fingers and/or tongue. > > Castration requires the testicles to be severed, not the penis. The root of sexual offenses lies not in the penis, but in the hormones, sexual urges, and testosterone that is produced in those wrinkly nutsacks. I know what castration is but I assumed by “thing” and “male part” **Susanann** was referring to the penis. BTW, I think the root of at least some sexual offenses lies in the mind, not the testicles. I don’t think anyone’s testicles ever told him to jam a bottle up a woman’s vagina. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/31 "2002-12-22T20:38:51Z")
If any surgery would “cure” sex offenders that would have to be a lobotomy. In my opinion (and you know what they say about opinions) rape is more about control than about sex. Reasons notwithstanding I think that mandatory castration is the wrong solution. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/32 "2002-12-22T21:54:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mighty\_Girl \* > **In my opinion (and you know what they say about opinions) rape is more about control than about sex. Reasons notwithstanding I think that mandatory castration is the wrong solution.** I’m inclined to agree with **Mighty\_Girl** here, on both counts. First of all, rape (and, it could be argued, most sexual offences) is about control and power more than it is about sex. **doreen** mentioned earlier using bottle, baseball bats, or other implements to commit a rape, and I don’t see how anyone could call it anything but rape. It’s a violation of a particularly vile and brutal sort, but it’s not about sex as such. It’s about domination, power, control. And it’s definitely rape. Second, mandatory castration may or may not solve the problem (and I’d be interested to know whether **Susanann** has any cites to back up her assertion that it would), but it would be an act of society committing a brutal mutilation against someone who committed a brutal act. It may sound great on a retribution, “eye for an eye” level, but a fair and just society should never use such a primitive model for justice. How could a society consider itself moral, when it commits the same acts as its worst criminals? No, I think mutilating our criminals is not the path we need to take. I kind of wondered whether this would come up, though, and I’m glad it did. ---
**Author:** ![ExVoxMachina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@ExVoxMachina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExVoxMachina)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/33 "2002-12-22T22:55:02Z")
Hello All > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hamlet \* > > In my state, Illinois, and many others, there is a Sexually Violent Persons act which allows the State to civilly commit sex offenders even if they have completed serving their time in prison. If a person is found to be a SVP, they are committed to the custody of the Department of Human Services for sex offender treatment, and, **if they successfully complete that, they can be released from custody and live on their own.** \* I live in Washington, Seattle to be exact. Washington state has this law also, Part of the conflict of the placement of the sexual offenders is due to what I have Bolded. The state is releasing very few to live on their own. Instead they have, over the last decade, been “warehousing” them in halfway houses. Of course this has led to a glut of these residences across the state. And simply put they are running out of low density areas to house them and pushing into middle class neighborhoods. In regard to castration. I believe that denmark uses chemical castration on sex offenders. From what I understand at first it was a dismal failure. Many of the offenders just reverted to old behaviours by other means i.e. objects, hands etc. With the introduction of psychotopic medications to control the mental part of their actions rather than just the physiological I understand the program has since been very effective. \*my bolding ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/34 "2002-12-23T04:27:53Z")
Sexual offenders in Denmark are not subjected to mandatory castration. It is actually the offender who decides if to accept the treatment in exchange for shorter sentences. ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2002, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117/35 "2002-12-23T07:59:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > \*\*Lets try it and see how many convicted rapists and child molestors who have been totally cut commit repeat offenses. There are no statistics, but we can get them soon enough. \*\* Of course, if the conviction is overturned later, it’s only fair to castrate the prosecutor, judge, and jurors… though that might have a chilling effect on the number of people who are willing to prosecute or preside over sex offense trials. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-is-it-safe-to-put-sex-offenders-after-prison-rehab/144117.md?page=1)