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Originally Posted by Motorboat Cruiser
According to the department of justice site, the recidivism rate for sex offenders is 5%, for those convicted of robbery...70%
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That’s certainly a huge gap, and at first glance it’s eye catching, but I’m not sure that these two crimes are comparable in such a way as for that statistic to hold any real meaning.
Having your TV, stereo or car stolen is certainly stressful, but it doesn't haunt you and shape your life forever the way that rape and molestation do. If someone gets out of jail after snatching some electronics it's certainly a risk that they’ll hit up Best Buy for DVD players again, but if they re-offend it's only a material loss and life will go on. If a rapist goes free and re-offends, then somebody
else's life has now irreparably been altered in a horrible way, and it’s only worse that it could have been avoided.
I believe in rehabilitation and forgiveness as much as anyone, but in certain instances I solely advocate responsibility and accountability. Once a person chooses to commit rape, I believe that they are voluntarily forfeiting their right to ever live a normal life again (as a “normal life” is what they are engaging in forever removing from their victim) and therefore rapists and molesters should be locked away forever, regardless of whether or not they are able to be rehabilitated. Their victims have no ability to turn back time and erase what happened, so neither should the attackers. This is only my own belief, but percentages of recidivism, likelihood of offending again, etc. are all irrelevant. Rape is a crime which has a lifelong term, so too should its punishment.