About two years ago, after graduating high school, there was girl that I knew who I found out had been raped. When I found out, it made me think for days. Many thoughts would go through my head, the way it happened? Why it happened? How it happened? How she was dealing with it?

Surprisingly, weeks later, I saw one of that girls friends at my little brothers soccer game. She was with her family so I did not want to bring it up when we saw each other. However, she did, which was very unexpected, but I guess she could tell by my face that I was really curious. She started talking about it, starting off saying, “I am sure you heard about the incident that happened….” I replied yes, and said sorry. She told me that her friend was jogging outside and it all happened from there. I asked how she was doing now, she said she is well but still in shock. She won’t eat, barely sleeps and is getting help. She also told me how her mom keeps crying and her family is in a lot of pain. We then started talking more and more about these sexual assaults that happen and got further into it. She then explained to me about these civil commitment centers. At that point I had no idea what these commitment centers were. I just nodded and smiled.

When I came home that night I asked my older cousin what it meant and she told me they were commitment centers where sex offenders can be held involuntary if met the mental requirement, after their prison sentence was over. After hearing this I did some further research on it. I saw how much money the government was spending on these commitment centers. The one in California looked just like a shopping mall. From having a gym, library, a music room etc.

It really hurt me to see this. Why were these sexual assaulters being treated so well. I understood even at that time that the government didn’t think they were ready to be put out in the real world yet, but then why would they make a place after their sentence so luxurious?

These criminals are put in a center that for some, are nicer then their own homes. They don’t have to worry about bills, food, anything. They eat for free, go to the gym, play music, do pretty much anything in these centers. For some of these criminals they might enjoy this life at these civil centers, stress free. Not even “trying” to change for the real world, while our tax money is being spent on these criminals. While millions and millions are being spent on these centers, it could be used for making public school systems better in many states.

These criminals hurt another human, hurt another person’s family, hurt and damaged another humans life. I come from a Muslim family. In Islam, it is against the religion to have sex before marriage. Sometimes I think if this ever happened to someone in my family this would horrifying. To Anyone a crime like this is absolutely horrible.

Till this day, I still think about that girl that I knew who got raped. It makes me wonder how she is dealing with the pain and misery. I wonder If she’s still scared, upset, how often she thinks about it? Many questions run through my mind and I feel so awful for all the victims of these sexual assault cases. And it makes me ever more depressed to know that after prison, some of these sexual offenders are put in places where they are being treated so well. While so much money is being spent on them, and less in places where it is really needed, for people who really deserve it.

A thought that crossed my mind today was that instead of having these luxurious centers, that the government spends so much money on, why not have centers that are like prisons but that don't cost a lot of money. For example, the government states that people who have mental problems should be helped and worked with. That is understandable to a certain extent. In such a case as this, then why shouldn't centers like this be like prisons, but have teachers and people to help these offenders to get better. In civil commitment centers, everything is very high class for a offender of such a crime to live in. From workout areas, to nice beds, food, and so forth. So again the same question comes to mind, for people who have harmed other peoples families, have hurt another human, that have caused so many problems and distress, all the money being spent on them is worth it?The government doesn't want to release these people to world yet due to mental problems they might have, fine! But then why not keep them in a place so these people feel the pain of living in such a horrible environment. If these offenders are really "mentally ill" then they might find the civil commitment centers as a place to relax and enjoy there lives. A place of not having to worry about mortgage, bills and payments. No matter what the case being, whether the offenders are ill, mentally, physically or emotionally, what they did in the past is the main reason they went to prison and should be treated like one.

While working on these blogs for this class, it maked me think more and more as to why these sexual offenders do what they do? Several questions keep popping in my head as I write my blogs and research on them. What makes them want to do such horrible crimes? What exactly goes on in their heads as they commit these crimes? Were these offenders brought up in a bad enviroment as they grew up? Or were they sexually assualted themselves? Basicailly what it all come down too, is what makes these criminals do what they do?

It seems that there is a little of everything. Many of these sexual offenders have been raised in bad enviroments as they grew up. Some of been sexually assualted themselves when they were younger. So why perform such acts? For what reasons?Many people think that rape and sexual abuse is about the rapist trying to get sex. However, studies conducted with convicted rapists show that this isn't the case. Research shows that men who sexually offend do so to gain a sense of power and authority, while women sexually offend to either maintain or establish an emotional relationship. Sexual activity is the means by which this is achieved, not the reason for the rape.


“Why Do Men Rape.” Cosatu. 10 April 2007. http://www.cosatu.org.za/shop/shop0901/shop0901-08.html

Having done some further research on the civil commitment centers, I came across something interesting, which pointed out a factor I had not yet considered.

In regards of individuals being determined in need of psychiatric help being sent to these centers, the United States Supreme Court has termed involuntary civil commitment to a psychiatric hospital "a massive curtailment of liberty." How might this happen? When persons are determined to stay at these facilities it is not a court sentence, they are not paying for any crime, they are instead being held in a place where help is being forced upon them.

I see quite a few things wrong with this scenario besides the legal aspects of their rights being taken away, and them being held against their own will. When these individuals are sought as sick in a mental way, why is it more important for them to be helped then say a drug addict down the street, should rehab be enforced on drug addicts too? No it should not for two reasons, one it is a individuals problem and it should be their choice to deal with it as they please, unless harm is being down the government has not place to place these individuals here. And the second one is that they don’t ask to be helped. Why does this matter? I am a strong believer that one can not be helped unless they want to be helped; when they don’t desire it they will not make an effort to change. The program therefore may be ineffective in curing anything for the individual.

“Position Statement on Involuntary Commitment.” Bazelon. April 2000. 12 April 2007. http://www.bazelon.org/issues/commitment/positionstatement.html

Sex offenders are in the news a lot these days, and nobody seems to know what to do about them. In a few cases, convicted sex offenders are released, and then commit rape and murder. So the question is what should we do about them?

The length of follow-up time, the definition of what is a re-offense, the attendance or lack of treatment, and the type of treatment received, are all variables that mystify the issue.
So we come to question what is the right punishment for such criminals.

Every sexual offenders time varies in jail time. It mainly depends on the type and cruelty of the specific offense. Sex offenses are crimes of a sexual nature. They vary in type and can be misdemeanors or felonies. Most of the rest are supervised on probation in the community (5 percent), sentenced to county jail (1 percent), or both (53 percent) (SITE).

I choose the civil commitment centers as a topic, because after watching a video aired on CNN about these civil commitment centers, it really caught my attention. While watching the video it provided on the issue, my mind first went back to one thing and that was all the money going into these programs. I have many friends and family in the state of California where it was said that these centers take place in the most, and I know that California could use that money for a lot of other things, their education being one of them. I hear many complaints about how poor the educational system is there, whether it be about the quality of the teachers or the quantity. Many of people I’ve known from California have graduated with their math levels not exceeding that of basic algebra one, where here that math was covered if not in the 8th grade, then by freshman year. The ideas and possibilities of using the money on other foundations was a major concern which stood out to me.
My second thoughts were the aspect of what jails are made for, it is to keep to those harmful from society away from its normal day citizens and these sex offenders are still harmful so they should remain in jail. There is absolutely no reliability on a psychological evaluation, whether a person is eligible to be in such a place or not. Not only is this program giving luxury to criminals, but also using millions of dollars for something as unnecessary as this. When important institutional programs including schools are failing, then there is a problem. It is an issue I think many people are not aware of. The video itself had some impressive information , so I decided that I wanted to share it, as well as my thoughts and information on other places where the money could go instead, like California’s public schools educational foundations.

Why?

There are about 2,700 pedophiles, rapists and other sexual offenders are already being held for an indefinite period, mostly in special treatment centers, under so-called civil commitment programs in 19 states, which on average cost taxpayers four times more than keeping the offenders in prison.

These Commitment Centers provide a specialized mental health treatment program for civilly committed sex offenders who have completed their prison sentences. Only sex offenders whom the court finds to meet the legal definition of a sexually violent predator may be civilly committed to the Special Commitment Center.

Going back, we see that on average it cost taxpayers four times more than keeping these sex offenders in prison. This Tax money could be added four times more into the public school systems. Teachers are not getting paid enough. This tax money can help support teachers. After all these are the people that kids spend half of their days with, everyday. These are the ones that help a child reach his or her goals and strive for the best. There is now a teacher shortage just in Northern Virginia itself.

Tax money, is going to criminals, to live in a better place then prison. That simply makes no sense!