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| Sex Offender Registry: An Unfair Waste of Tax Dollars? |
| By portwashington-wi.patch.com - Rik Kluessendorf |
| Published: 10/18/2011 |
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Criminal law is designed to be a crime and punishment system. If someone commits a crime, we have established punishments to accomplish clearly articulated goals — including punishment of the offender, protection of the community and deterrence for others considering the same conduct. In other words, the punishment is designed to stop the offender from repeating his criminal conduct and make other offenders stop before committing their own criminal conduct. The criminal theory relies on the fact that crimes are committed by choice — which theory is evidenced by our willingness to provide a special defense for those who we consider "not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect," (commonly referred to as NGI). For most of the criminal code, this criminal theory makes sense. However, we have a troublesome issue with sexual offenders. As with most states, someone who is convicted of a sex crime in Wisconsin is considered a sexual offender and required to register as such for a period of time much longer than the actual sentence imposed. Unlike any other criminal, we have recognized that there is something about a sexual offender that requires us to stay on our guard for subsequent offenses. The state monitors these offenders — a minimum of fifteen years after their criminal sentence is completed — and publishes a website where neighbors may see exactly where these offenders live. Wisconsin does not do the same for felons convicted of manslaughter, burglary, battery, drug crimes or use of a dangerous weapon — just for those convicted of sex crimes or other sexually motivated crimes. According to the Wisconsin sex offender registry website, Port Washington and Saukville have about thirty registered sex offenders between them. The offenses that have put these individuals on the registry range from sex with a child under the age of sixteen (where the defendant was eighteen at the time he was charged) to child pornography and first degree sexual assault. In Wisconsin, a judge may order a defendant to register for life as a sex offender for any crimes committed under the chapters covering crimes against life and bodily security, sexual morality or children, crimes violating statutes specifically for invasion of privacy or representations depicting nudity, or entry or damage into locked dwellings — provided those crimes were for sexual gratification or to degrade or humiliate the victim. Read More. |
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