Fr Declan Blake - "society couldn't expect sex offenders not to reoffend"

fester

http://www.irishexaminer.com/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgKNqpZc9ZV6MsgDQQ5wn3uAIg.asp

Fr Declan Blake, the spokesman for the Irish Prison Chaplains Association, said society couldn’t expect sex offenders not to reoffend if there was no treatment in prison.

"society expects them to go out and do well and not reoffend, if they don’t get any help what do you expect?"

So be careful people. According to Fr Declan Blake, we should expect to be sexually assaulted by these people upon their release. My God!

Am I the only one that feels the monsters are being treated like victims?

Doper Than U

Am I the only one that feels the monsters are being treated like victims?

Nope. Death penalty would be too good for sex offenders. Not as punishment mind you, just as a preventative. They can't reoffend if they're dead, right?

therecklessone

fester wrote:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sgKNqpZc9ZV6MsgDQQ5wn3uAIg.asp



So be careful people. According to Fr Declan Blake, we should expect to be sexually assaulted by these people upon their release. My God!

Am I the only one that feels the monsters are being treated like victims?

Am I the only one who feels you didn't read what the man had to say in full?

Here's a quick recap:

Fr Declan Blake, the spokesman for the Irish Prison Chaplains Association, said society couldn’t expect sex offenders not to reoffend if there was no treatment in prison.

Bold text is the important bit in case you're wondering.

Do I think they'd be justified in reoffending? Of course not. Do I think that failing to treat the problem while the offender is in prison increases the chances of reoffending? Well, I'm no expert, so I'll take Fr Blake's word for it, unless someone can suggest otherwise.

fester

I take the point that treatment can be a positive influence, that's fine.

The point that gets to me is that this Fr Declan Blake expects these monsters to re-offend. And if they do, he blames society, not them.

I disagree with the view that these are sick people that need to be treated rather than criminals that need to be punished. I would be of the view that the majority of there offenders, at the time of their offences, know that what they’re doing is wrong and yet do it anyway.

Society has explained to them that such things are wrong. It is their choice to act evilly.

TattyTeddy

Laws are by not menas strict enough against sex offenders. It's a ridiculous country we live in and it's ruled by a bunch of monkeys

seamus

fester wrote:

The point that gets to me is that this Fr Declan Blake expects these monsters to re-offend. And if they do, he blames society, not them.

The entire point of convicting and imprisoning people is to rehabilitate them. If this fails, or no attempt is even made, then yes society has made an error.
Why bother imprisoning people and not even attempting to rehabilitate them? Why not just imprison them for life or execute them? By and large, sex offences are borne out of mental illnesses or abnormalities. You cannot expect an untreated person to be "OK" after a few years of just being imprisoned.

Zombrex

fester wrote:

I take the point that treatment can be a positive influence, that's fine.

The point that gets to me is that this Fr Declan Blake expects these monsters to re-offend. And if they do, he blames society, not them.

Oh for god sake ... who cares who's fault it is?? I am so sick of this "blame" game people play when it comes to criminals like sex offenders. Who gives a s**t who is to blame. What does blaming the sex offender do? Does it make them better? No. Does it make them less dangerous? No. Do you think feeling guilty will make them stop? Or the threat of jail? Sex offenders are mentally messed up. They don't make a rational choice to become a sex offender, blaming them serves no purpose.

People just want to make them suffer as if that will actually do anything. It doesn't, it makes them worse. They should be rehibilitated not because it is nice warm fluffy thing to do, but because it stops them doing it again!

Sleepy

TattyTeddy wrote:

Laws are by not menas strict enough against sex offenders. It's a ridiculous country we live in and it's ruled by a bunch of monkeys

The laws of this country aren't harsh against embezzlers, car thieves, corrupt politicians, burglars, businessmen caught bribing TD’s, murderers, terrorists, muggers, vigilantes, vandals, shoplifters, drunk drivers, drunks, insurance fraudsters or pretty much anything else. Why the hell would we expect that sexual offenders would be dealt with appropriately?

fester

seamus wrote:

The entire point of convicting and imprisoning people is to rehabilitate them. If this fails, or no attempt is even made, then yes society has made an error.

But that's how every crime is handled in this country. I don't think sex offenders should deserve special "oh-you-poor-thing-lets-help-you" treatment. I don't think such treatment would rehabilitate sex offenders moreso that any other criminal.

seamus wrote:

By and large, sex offences are borne out of mental illnesses or abnormalities.

Where do you get this from? I disagree. I rarely hear about sex offenders coming from or going to mental institutions. But feel free to proove me wrong.
And lets create the distinction here between:
"doing evil deeds without compassion" – sick
and
"I'm unaware that what I'm doing is wrong" – sick

Xterminator

seamus wrote:

The entire point of convicting and imprisoning people is to rehabilitate them. ...

I would have said the main function was to protect society, and punish the offender.

It would be nice to think they are rehabilitated, but in truth we dont spend enough resources to make this a real possibility.

On a silghtly different note, most other types of criminal reoffend too, not just sexual deviants. We dont try to re-habilitate them to any significant degree either.

X