Prop 83

[theatokos]

I commented on Prop 83 last week in erinya's post. Here is what I had to say:

Here's why I voted against it: There are already limits on how close to schools sex offenders can live. Why should more tax dollars go to tracking these people for the rest of their lives?

This kind of legislation creates a false sense of security, ruins ex-felons rights and opporitunities for reform, costs us a lot of money, and isn't proven to work. Think about what you know about sex offenses - of any stripe: they are overwhelmingly perpetrated by people the victim knows. They are rarely done by some random guy hanging out at a park or cruising a school. It's done by your uncle, the kindly pastor, your father, your science teacher.

Guess I feel more strongly about this than I realized.

Comments

[goddessofmercy.livejournal.com]

Why should more tax dollars go to tracking these people for the rest of their lives?

actually one of the reasons i voted against 83 was that it required the sex offenders themselves to pay for most or all of their electronic surveillance. in what realistic universe does that work? and a similar law has already been implemented in idaho and been the cause of a disatrous loss of knowledge about where most of the offenders are now as many of them have gone underground to avoid the payments.

[ewigweibliche.livejournal.com]

I didn't know about Idaho. The law is just silly all around. I feel that the law is more about legislating the problem away rather than actually committing ourselves to rehabilitation or prevention in the first place.

I don't know why this law bugs me so much, but it does. I'm really grateful that 85 didn't pass.

[goddessofmercy.livejournal.com]

I feel that the law is more about legislating the problem away rather than actually committing ourselves to rehabilitation or prevention in the first place.

it does seem like it's designed to make adults feel good rather than actually address the problem and work through the difficult details.

I'm really grateful that 85 didn't pass.

i care more about 85 than 83 actually, but since it didn't pass (hooray!!!) i don't have to rail about it. they had a nice series of bursting bubble commercials against it playing down here, did you see them?