Helping Sex Offenders Re-integrate Into Society

[Fletch]

Found this article about a guy right here in Oklahoma:

CHANDLER — These days, a simple Bible verse about helping others brings Tom Wright to tears.

The Lincoln County man thumbs through the red, leather-bound book he keeps handy at his desk, finding his favorite passage in Matthew.
He said his ministry to help men no one else will — sex offenders — is God’s will.

And he doesn’t plan to stop, despite opposition from some county officials.
"It hurts me to see that some people don’t understand what we’re doing here,” Wright said. "We’re trying to help these men establish a new life. Everyone deserves a second chance.”

Wright is housing eight registered sex offenders on his property about two miles north of Chandler. He said he’s been doing it for more than two years without a complaint from the community until he started to build a sewer lagoon that angered some of his neighbors.

Sheriff Chuck Mangion said Wright doesn’t appear to be breaking any laws, but if he decides to go along with plans to expand his outfit, he will have to follow the legal requirements of a treatment center. Among other requirements, he will have to provide licensed counselors, he said.
Wright is building small cabins to house as many as 15 men.

Mangion said some residents are concerned, because there is a camp used by Girl Scouts about a mile away.

He and other county officials, including an assistant district attorney, met with Wright last week. Wright told them then he probably wouldn’t go through with the expansion, but he has since changed his mind.
Wright said he started his foundation, Labor of Victorious Examples, also known as LOVE, to help registered sex offenders re-establish themselves in society.

...

And then there is the previous article, where the neighbors sound off on the whole thing:

Phil and Mickie Hatfield’s 130 acres is adjacent to land where Tom Wright is housing eight sex offenders. For the past two years, Wright has used the property three miles north of Chandler as a home base for his foundation aimed at helping registered sex offenders by offering them room and board in exchange for carpentry work for his business, Wright Way Homes.

Wright said the proceeds for his business go back into his foundation to help sex offenders who might otherwise be homeless. He said God is directing him to help them.

"I’m going to keep going until God tells me otherwise,” Wright said in an interview last week with The Oklahoman.


The Hatfields and their neighbors found out in January what Wright was doing and want him shut down. They say authorities are moving slowly and seem reluctant to close his operation, even though he may be violating the law.

"We have enough sex offenders of our own in this county,” Mickie Hatfield said. "We don’t want our community to be known as a safe haven for them, because before long it won’t be safe for the average person.”

Politically speaking, I say his land, his business. The State has no reason to be messing with him -- they've said these guys are good to go from prison and back into society; he's trying to give them a hand and ease the transition.

Religiously speaking, I say he's one of the few true Christians.

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

You forgot to put this in purple, there, Fletch.

 

[Fletch]

You forgot to put this in purple, there, Fletch.

Why would I use purple? That's for sarcasm, not sincerity.

 

[lashicoN]

He forgot to put what in purple? I didn't see anything to be sarcastic about.

 

[JetGirl]

I didn't see anything to be sarcastic about.

that ^

 

[Fletch]

Updated because the article links didn't save for some reason.

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

If being a true 'Christian' in your book involves the supposed re-habilitation of sex offenders, count me out.

But, really, he doesn't need to worry about the State getting involved - I'm sure the neighbors will solve that problem in SHORT order.

 

[bigg cheese]

I don't see any problem, as long as he, in his moral authority, chooses to inform customers that have children.

I just wish we could fix the whole "statutory rape" issue where people 1-2 years apart do something consensually STUPID, but still get labeled as sex offenders...

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

I don't see any problem, as long as he, in his moral authority, chooses to inform customers that have children.

I just wish we could fix the whole "statutory rape" issue where people 1-2 years apart do something consensually STUPID, but still get labeled as sex offenders...

Granted, the term is a vague catch-all and includes people who have sex in a public park... but it also includes sickos who touch kids and who deserve execution/castration... so I do hope everyone will forgive me for not giving them the benefit of a doubt until the term is clarified or another term is established.

 

[JetGirl]

the supposed re-habilitation of sex offenders

Why would you think it's "supposed"? And what about the people who get caught by stupid laws/rules and labeled "sex offender" like bigg cheese mentioned?

 

[JetGirl]

Sorry, ETG...you were answering my question as I was still typing it. :P

 

[lashicoN]

If being a true 'Christian' in your book involves the supposed re-habilitation of sex offenders, count me out.

But, really, he doesn't need to worry about the State getting involved - I'm sure the neighbors will solve that problem in SHORT order.

I think love and forgiveness are at the core of what Jesus taught. Christianity is supposed to be the teaching of Jesus, but I guess the old testament fire and brimstone is too tempting for most "Christians". Sex crimes are terrible crimes, but these men have served them time for their crimes and are now free again. Are you advocating their neighbors do something illegal, before the state could take any action? What is the point in being let out of prison if you can't ever try to be normal again?

 

[rtrouten]

so if someone that is known to commit murder because he doesn't think he will get caught, should we let him buy guns and LTCH permit when he gets out? I mean he deserves a second chance and all? Sex offenders prey on week and young children and deserve NO second chance!!!! It is a shame they let them back out to the public, all the damage they do to an innocent boy or girl and what they have to deal with the rest of there lives....

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

Why would you think it's "supposed"? And what about the people who get caught by stupid laws/rules and labeled "sex offender" like bigg cheese mentioned?

Supposed because recividism rates among child molesters is virtually non-existent, and that is the sub-group within this group which is the most worrisome.

I will not assume to the least of these, but to the worst, the most offensive, the most disgusting of these.

Hopefully those who just had sex in a parked car in a public place and who were then caught by the State can petition for a different, less stigmatic term. Until then, I'm going to assume the worst when I hear the phrase. Would you let a 'sex offender' ANYwhere near your daughter, not knowing whether his/her crime was trivial or something much, much worse? Of course you wouldn't.

Nor would I.

But, like I said, I'm sure the neighbors will sort this out long before the Sheriff's office has to do anything potentially-infringing.

 

[Fletch]

I think love and forgiveness are at the core of what Jesus taught. Christianity is supposed to be the teaching of Jesus...

Like perhaps...

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
-- Matthew 25:40

 

[Andre46996]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfCYZ3pks48]YouTube - Sex Offender Shuffle[/ame]

I can't find the article right now but IIRC a high number of offenders will be repeat offenders...

 

[JetGirl]

Wow. I'm glad I never got caught making out in a car. This crowd would likely have me and/or my tryst partner locked up as a deviants and the keys thrown away.

You keep being the voice, Fletch.

 

[JetGirl]

Wow. I'm glad I never got caught making out in a car.

Hopefully those who just had sex in a parked car in a public place

Why do I keep typing the same stuff while you've already typed and posted before I see it?? I'm starting to get a complex here!

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

I think love and forgiveness are at the core of what Jesus taught. Christianity is supposed to be the teaching of Jesus, but I guess the old testament fire and brimstone is too tempting for most "Christians". Sex crimes are terrible crimes, but these men have served them time for their crimes and are now free again. Are you advocating their neighbors do something illegal, before the state could take any action? What is the point in being let out of prison if you can't ever try to be normal again?

Indeed, what IS the point?

I'll disclose right now that I'm classically Kantian with regard to retributivism - and for those who stand behind re-habilitation as a useful or necessary goal in punishment, save the fact that statistics just don't support the added cost and effort and risk to society, what rationale is there behind re-habilitation?

Once an individual has infringed upon society, knowingly, that person has effectively limited their involvement in society, as well as their right to be treated as an equal member of society who abides by its rules, by the mere fact of infracting one or more of those rules. Minor or great the transgression, absolution is obtained through retribution, "let the punishment fit the crime" being the most touted, if most simplified, maxim.

Well, then yes, let the punishment fit the crime. If you murder, then let your life be forfeit. If you rape, be violated. Any punishment short of that is not a punishment fitting the crime, but rather, a punishment lesser the crime, and diminishment of society's rules as a result.

As for the merits of re-habilitation, it may be a generous and noble effort, to re-integrate those who have offended, and for relatively minor offenses, it may well be a useful strategem, but for those who have grievously and seriously infracted the more serious rules we have set forth as a society, it undermines the existence of rules by not penalizing their infractions as severely as the infractions warrant. If one is going to receive no repercussions for murdering, why bother to prohibit murder in the first place? Without a means of enforcement through retribution, rule-making becomes moot, if not entirely useless. But that's just my two-tenths of strawpenny on the issue.

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

Like perhaps...

Psalms, 92:11