August 7, 2008 - 3:17pm
News

Vermont's Senate Judiciary Committee holds first hearing on state's sex offender policies

Vermont's Senate Judiciary Committee convened Thursday for the first of more than half a dozen hearings set to examine the state's dealings with Michael Jacques, who has been charged with kidnapping and murdering his niece, Brooke Bennett, in June.

The committee hearing follows a Wednesday report from Vermont's Attorney General's Office in which Attorney General William Sorrell, state attorneys from thirteen of Vermont's counties, and representatives of victims' advocacy groups revealed five proposals for legislative changes to the state's policy regarding sexual offenders.

"Shame on us if the Brooke Bennett tragedy doesn't lead to improvements in our laws and policies in the sex crimes area," Sorrell said in a statement. "We prosecutors are in agreement," he stated of their conclusions.  

Bennett's death prompted Gov. Jim Douglas' (R-Middlebury) political opponents to place blame on his administration, and has become a recurring issue in the gubernatorial race.

Following Jacques' arrest, Democratic gubernatorial candidate and House Speaker Gaye Symington called for an investigation into the early release of Jacques, but said that because of her gubernatorial candidacy, she spoke to state Sen. President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin about conducting an investigation. 

"With the safety of our children at stake, it is clear that an outside body must conduct a full investigation of every aspect of this case and our parole system to determine how this failure occurred," Symington said in an earlier statement.

Douglas launched his own internal investigation and called for a special session to pass a new set of policies-specifically Jessica's law which garnered some support among constituents.  Jessica's law places a 25-year minimum prison sentence on convicted child sex offenders, but in an article by WCAX, Sorrell said that passing the law would "mean more trials, more victims that go through trials, and probably result in less convictions because the iffy cases we have right now, where we've got problems, we usually bargain them down." Symington echoed the attorney general's discontent with the proposal, which she said in a statement that the law is something "victims rights advocates and prosecutors tell us would result in more harm" to others. 

Days later, the Vermont Democratic Party released a video taking aim at current state policies regarding sexual offenders and charged that Douglas avoided key questions about the staffing practices of Vermont's Corrections Department and Special Investigative Units, or SIUs.  

On Tuesday, Symington called for Douglas to fully staff additional SIUs in Washington, Lamoille, Orleans, Caledonia, and Northern Orange counties, saying that they were "effective crime fighting tools."  Wednesday's report from the Attornery General's office supported the use of SIUs.  

The second Senate Judiciary hearing will be held Friday, followed by two on August 28, one on August 29, with the final two sessions scheduled for September 11 and 12.

MEGAN STEWART is a Politicker.com Reporter and can be reached via email at megan.stewart@politicker.com.

Comments

Thanks you very good; thanks


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10/29/08 2:56 am

Knee Jerk V. Experts


States will spend millions for passing the AWA which is "doing more harm than good."

Legislators need to consult the EXPERTS rather than pass knee jerk legislation that actually endangers children and the whole of society. I encourage everyone to write their law makers demanding they stop endangering children with knee jerk legislation and BRING IN THE EXPERTS.

"Maine is one of the few states that is going about this correctly. They are "LISTENING TO EXPERTS, rather than passing emotional knee jerk legislation which protects no one but endangers everyone. The vast majority of states have passed laws that "Do more harm than good."

Protecting children and society must be done "intelligently."

Here is a short "audio clip" referencing the issue in Maine.

"Effectiveness of Sex Offender Registries Explored By Legislators-LISTEN"

Listen here:
www.cfcoklahoma.org."

10/01/08 2:59 pm

Recidivism of sex offenders


What most people do not understand concerning these sex offender laws is that 98% of all sex crimes are committed by family members and friends of the family. 95% of first time sex offenders never repeat another sex offense.

In light of this we must know where to look for the real threat to our children comes from family members and friends of the family. Incest and friends of the family sex abuse can only be prevented by educating ourselves and that at the community level.

Passing knee jerk legislation only does more harm than good.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/press/rsorp94pr.htm

Recidivism Studies

* Released prisoners with the highest rearrest rates were robbers (70.2%), burglars (74.0%), larcenists (74.6%), motor vehicle thieves (78.8%), those in prison for possessing or selling stolen property (77.4%), and those in prison for possessing, using, or selling illegal weapons (70.2%).
* Within 3 years, 2.5% of released rapists were arrested for another rape, and 1.2% of those who had served time for homicide were arrested for homicide.
* The 272,111 offenders discharged in 1994 had accumulated 4.1 million arrest charges before their most recent imprisonment and another 744,000 charges within 3 years of release.

US Department of Justice, 2003
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/press/rsorp94pr.htm
• Sample size – 9,700 sex offenders

• Length of time – 3 years
• Re-offense trigger – reconviction (Doesn't mean a new sex crime)
• Results – 5.3% sexual offence. 3.3% child molestation.

Prevention through education is the greatest weapon against child sexual abuse there is
Please visit www.cfcoklahoma.org for more information
--
Once truth is acknowledged, you cannot deny it and remain true to yourself.

www.cfcoklahoma.org

Also Here is an interesting article:

Recidivism Studies Expose Fraud
Multiple State’s Sex Offender Recidivism Studies Expose Fraud Upon The American Public By Lawmakers And Mainstream Media

Amanda Rogers, The American Chronicle, September 13, 2007

We’ve all heard the catch phrases:
“They cannot be cured”,
“They have the highest recidivism rates out of any other type of criminal” and
“Its only a matter of time before they re-offend again”.
Read the article here:
http://cfcoklahoma.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=167%...

09/27/08 8:59 pm

Who commits most sex crimes?


Who commits most sex crimes? Well, 95% of all new sex crimes are committed by those NOT on the registry. Family members and those known to the family commit 98% of all sex crimes. So much for stranger danger.
2nd question. Who is MORE LIKELY to commit a sex crime upon release from prison? Sex Offenders or NON-sex offenders?

For the answer, go here. www.cfcoklahoma.org and see the article, "Revisiting Department of Justice Recidivism Statistics and More Shocking Truths."
--
www.cfcoklahoma.org

09/09/08 10:41 am

Sex Offenders in Vermont


I agree, you must be a sex offender. Jacques just showed the entire state the system can be worked and he fooled everyone. Sex offenders CAN NOT be rehabilitated. Lock them up! And I want my tax dollars back from the program!

08/28/08 5:41 pm

Comment reply


Let me guess you're a sex offender???

08/13/08 4:32 pm

Treatment works, restrictions don't...


The focus should be more on the Treatment of the SO's and less on restricting them. Keep and eye on them, absolutely. But don't ostracize them from their support networks.

Teach them how to recognize their issues and how to grow from them. This will take the ones that are willing to learn and turn them into productive members of society. People like Jaucques should have strong and strict requirements placed on them. Especially Treatment.

Look at a recent article in Utah,
http://www.kcpw.org/article/6461

This shows you that treatment works and restrictions don't.

Keep this in mind for your laws, and your recidivism rates will drop. Your children will be safer too.

08/08/08 12:07 am

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