gdp's Comments

Commentary Magazine : Why is Leahy Blocking a Bill to Track Down Sex Offenders?

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:30:21 +0000

I keep reminding people that Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" was a fictitious character in a song... They still aren't (or I guess even wanting to,) believing me.

Commentary Magazine : Why is Leahy Blocking a Bill to Track Down Sex Offenders?

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:26:09 +0000

I wonder who has bought stocks in the privatized prisons and Offender Watch LLC (the host for i-crime-watch-dot-com & the self-same software company that the Sheriffs use for the actual National Offender Registry and also the majority of the States use,) Software? BTW: OW LLC took about 5 years (finally around 2/15/12) to correct their presentation (page 2) which used a 50% recidivism figure from what they "supposedly" quoted from, which they stated was the 1997 USDoJ report which clearly has has as the first two words: "FIVE PERCENT." (Emphasis: USDoJ) How may "Public opinions" were tainted by that erroneous number over the years?

Commentary Magazine : Why is Leahy Blocking a Bill to Track Down Sex Offenders?

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:05:30 +0000

The numbers ARE from Wiki. Remember, when you take a percentage OF a percentage that new percent number is quite higher, if you multiply them as you are supposed to do to get back to the totals, the actual numbers are STILL under 3% as in the USDoJ 1997 and the CT 2012 reports. Other reports/articles use this specific lack of information as "spin" all the time. They purposely lose/move the reference point to accept the larger numbers. Example from above using these two statements: "Of the 9,691 male sex offenders released from prisons in 15 States in 1994, 5.3% were rearrested for a new sex crime within 3 years of release. Of released sex offenders who allegedly committed another sex crime, 40% perpetrated the new offense within a year or less from their prison discharge." The 40% is OF THE 5.3%. The math is figured as such: 5.3% of the total of 9691 offenders is 514 total offenders in three years. Forty percent of that number is 2.12% of the total offenders, or simply counted as 205. The forty percent figure "leads" you back to use the 9691 figure, which alludes to 3786 offenders erroneously, rather than the 205 which it actually is..

NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - News, Weather, Sports - Utica, New York Utica, New York : Woman engaged to sex offender: registry ruined our life | NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - Utica News, Weat

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 23:19:21 +0000

FYI: Their names are Frank Rodriquez, and Nikki Prescott and they were on the Today show on July 27, 2011. Go to the shows website and search Romeo and Juliet S*x offenders. They'll show up. Read some of the others STILL fighting AFTER their states have passed laws. Once an offender, ALWAYS an offender. Even if it was actually legal, or the laws were corrected. I disagree with your 99%, it's more like 10%. Do some more research on your own. You may have a change of mind. Not many are violent, more than a lot are a 5 year difference. As I state all over, Ohio has adult with adult statutory charges that are legal everywhere else in the world. I know quite a few people who have been railroaded by these "codes" of law, ONLY IN OHIO, who are now Tier 3 with lifetime notifications for something the rest of the world only "frowns," if anything, upon their consensual actions. They are in process of getting the legislature to "correct" a vague wording that allows those prosecutions to happen with adult "victims" who consented. (The law was designed for minor victims, but OH's vagueness of the written law, allows it to apply to all ages, no matter what the circ*mstances, or even allow for any defense for that matter.) I bet many more states have similar "off-the-wall" laws which have no defense and are only illegal in that state, reminds one of the Massachusetts "Blue Laws" still on the books. That's my point. I agree that a lifetime registry should only be for "civilly-commited" offenders who may be let "out" somehow. Everyone else should have a review after so much time. Not 15 or 25 years, a lot sooner. I understand that people "need" to feel safe, but as time goes on, day by day you hear more information to the opposite of the past 25 years of hype. There will never be a perfect solution to this issue, but there are many more ideas that are 100X better than what we already have. For ALL concerned, which I include Shana as a concerned. She should not be a target. If some of the cases were put on the registry with a "fair" amount of case information, as in stating the use of force, consent, being statutory-illegal in these states, a child victim, and actual AGE of offender on the date of the crime's actual commission, etc., we'd be much better informed. This is rather than lump all offenders into the (wrong) one "type."

Commentary Magazine : Why is Leahy Blocking a Bill to Track Down Sex Offenders?

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 22:22:32 +0000

NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - News, Weather, Sports - Utica, New York Utica, New York : Woman engaged to sex offender: registry ruined our life | NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - Utica News, Weat

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 03:37:33 +0000

Look over at Ohio, they have THREE different laws that are purely statutory with 2 consenting adults!! Legal everywhere else in the world! Ohio then makes them Tier 3 (the worst of the worst) offenders with lifetime listings, and local notifications. Shouldn't have committed the crime? These "crimes" are not against the law anywhere else! There are many exceptions to your statement. (These Ohio people are then "branded" and wanted to have tattoos put on their foreheads, and strung up by their genitals by the masses.) All the registry will show on their crime is Sexual Battery, a Felony 3, and adult victim. Nothing else. It won't say anything of consent, or "just illegal in Ohio." The Registry is not a good catch-all. NY actually, in my mind has the right idea, only the dangerous are SUPPOSED to be on it. There are very many who shouldn't, especially children, who were/still are statutorily placed on it. Twelve year old children shouldn't. If Shana's fiancee was 18 years old at the time of the incident, and did what what happened completely on his own, then all of your statements would stand. In this instance, the complete story is being held back for what I believe are ratings. Harley, open your mind up just a little to see that the registry is no where near perfect. Let alone doing it's intended job. Everyone on it is not a child-molester or a violent-offender.

Commentary Magazine : Why is Leahy Blocking a Bill to Track Down Sex Offenders?

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 03:03:02 +0000

Alana Goodman: Here's doing your job for you, readers shouldn't have to do this for you. We aren't paid.. The most recent recidivism report (from Connecticut) can be found here: http://www.ct.gov/opm/lib/opm/cjppd/cjresearch/re... The original that is quoted most places is the USDoJ report from 1994-1997 here: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/press/rsorp9... It is a real note of interest that 15 years separate the two reports, and the numbers are pretty much exactly the same. You're Welcome, Ms. Goodman. BTW: When does "Commentary" send me YOUR free-lance check for doing your research work? P.S. Re-edit: this particular post was delayed for an extra day I expect by its content. The CT report link was duplicated below, a day after when this one had not posted yet.

NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - News, Weather, Sports - Utica, New York Utica, New York : Woman engaged to sex offender: registry ruined our life | NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - Utica News, Weat

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:01:26 +0000

Repeating a previous posting here... For statistics (I've tried to post these links before, but this site will not allow them apparently, edit: they now are letting them through) 1997: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/press/rsorp9... 2012: http://www.ct.gov/opm/lib/opm/cjppd/cjresearch/re... These studies are 15 years apart and pretty much get to the same conclusions. Go figure. Independent AND years apart. Something must definitely be fishy here..

NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - News, Weather, Sports - Utica, New York Utica, New York : Woman engaged to sex offender: registry ruined our life | NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - Utica News, Weat

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:37:25 +0000

For statistics (I've tried to post these links before, but this site will not allow them apparently) 1997: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/press/rsorp9... 2012: http://www.ct.gov/opm/lib/opm/cjppd/cjresearch/re... These studies are 15 years apart and pretty much get to the same conclusions. Go figure. Independent AND years apart. Something must definitely be fishy here..

NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - News, Weather, Sports - Utica, New York Utica, New York : Woman engaged to sex offender: registry ruined our life | NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - Utica News, Weat

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:17:22 +0000

You missed my point completely, and please do NOT put words in my mouth. No, it is not OK for ANYONE to be a target. I used the word "ALSO" above. The registry already "targets" him. From the article: "..and Rowan says it is impossible for them to move on" and "As long as the registry exists, I am always going to be living in fear," said Rowan. THOSE are blatant examples of collateral damage in my book.

NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - News, Weather, Sports - Utica, New York Utica, New York : Woman engaged to sex offender: registry ruined our life | NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 - Utica News, Weat

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:54:09 +0000

Sure she is, but should she be a "target" also? That's the major point here. Collateral Damages.

KOMO - Seattle, WA : Violent sex offender arrested exactly one week after release | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weat

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 06:42:03 +0000

To just your second paragraph: The voters are responsible. More than likely the "PER"-secutors and the Judges want to be re-elected, so are quite "hard on crime." Given the old way of Megan's style laws, a Judge (voice of the people here, they were voted into that office) reviewed each case and RULED on the subsequent "concern" level of each offender individually. Back then the "Levels" were Oriented Offender (least likely to re-offend, but still an offender) Habitual Offender (for those repeat offenders let out), and Predator (probably shouldn't have been let out anyway.) Now, the way New York does their listing only Habitual and Predators are public information, as we need to know who these actually are. The Adam Walsh Child Safety and Protection Act lumps 54% of all offenders into Tier 3, the worst of the worst, simply by a law number code. See: http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/Borror090... for what I now quote: (Speaking about Ohio's AWA implementation, as compared to Megan's Law's risk-based previously.) "The state’s risk-based classification system had resulted in a registry that looked much like what scientific research tells us about the likelihood of sex offender recidivism: 77% of Ohio sex offenders were classified as sexually oriented offenders, 4% were labeled habitual sexual offenders, and 18% were labeled sexual predators. After implementing SB 10, Ohio’s registry became top-heavy: only 13% of offenders are classified in Tier I, 33% are in Tier II, and 54% are in Tier III." Where did all of the 54% come from that was originally only 18%? Off the bat, the majority I can see was from the least likely to re-offend! How accurate now is the AWA compared to Megans? Simply: 54% of everyone on the list is perceived as a Predator-child-offender now. Which is NOT true. The accountability you speak of now falls on the Legislature, because the Judge's hands are now tied by a law which now does his job for him supposedly better than he could and did! Now,,, well, we're all now seeing those effects. I think that the presiding Judge has the best "view" of what the offenders likelihood if re-offending is, they have the entire case and have seen all things, people, and evidence involved, first hand. The voters chose this person to represent the public's interest in these kinds of issues. I'm for reverting to Megan's/NY style of registry. All must "check-in," for a reasonable amount of time with authorities. Most of these Oriented level (Tier 1) offenses are statutory, and thereby non-worrisome crimes, (that may not have to be crimes at all in the first place, or only illegal in some places and legal in all others,) but Habitual Offender's (Tier 2) and Predators (T3) are the only ones that should listed publicly for a longer time/life, IF and only IF they are let out of prison in the first place. There should also be a way to be removed from the list for "good behavior" for so many years for those who actually are no longer worrisome. There will be a few of them.

KOMO - Seattle, WA : Violent sex offender arrested exactly one week after release | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weat

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:10:53 +0000

I'm not defending him either, but please take into consideration he was less than 15 years old himself at the time of the crimes. Not an adult. We also do not know the ages of the victims. He may, also as you say, have been a victim himself of others at that same time frame.

KOMO - Seattle, WA : Violent sex offender arrested exactly one week after release | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weat

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:07:16 +0000

Thanks for the clarification, I agree 100%. If you take the name (depending on the state, the "order" of C and R changes...) Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The "R" is effectively dropped for all inmates. Prison=punishment only. For some of the homeless, they see it as a warm "roof" and 2 to 3 square for the snowy season. I can understand their mission. Only because they choose "lighter," small sentence (<6 months,) lowest security type of crimes. Some inmates, which the dropped "R" really applies to, should probably never actually be let out. There used to be an accepted term, "Time Served," but that is only selective now. When it comes to Sex Offenders, that does not apply to any of them, as they are all classed by the Media Public as child molesters. This is the other pet-peeve that I have. I believe that not all crimes are the same. For instance, Ohio has two statutory crimes, singling out and specifically against, step parents and College teachers, with both people being consenting adults involved. It is illegal there to have step-parent with adult step child, or College Teacher and Adult Student relations. It matters not if the Step-parent or College Teacher is 70, and the other involved is 55. This statute makes it illegal no matter what age, and then, under the AWA makes them a Tier 3 (life) with notification, the worst of the worst.... And this is for something LEGAL everywhere else in the world! The whole system is broken. From the laws to the list. One-size-fits-all does not fit, unless all are the same exact size. Back to your point. Now what happens to these particular non-worrisome individuals who are sent to prison on Felony 3's (5 years max), because they were "normal" everyday citizens before? (Normal= as accepted by the rest of the world, except the Ohio Supreme Court and the "Persecutors" in that state.) They end up turning into something they weren't. Why? Because someone wanted to get elected/re-elected (self-same exceptions as above.) Even one OH SupCt Justice, dissented based on the fact that the courts were misinterpreting the intentions of the laws. (He was a legislator involved with adopting those same original laws.) Basically the intent was to protect children from a wider class of offenders. Because they left out the word "minor," it then applies to all. It's intent for adult victims were to prevent abuse by someone in authority. Examples: Corrections Officer: "Do this or go to the hole." Or College Teacher: "Do this or fail the exam." Or, Psych-Ward type abuse. It was for children and for abuse-of-authority, not for consensual adult-adult stuff. Now the public opinion of these "perpetrators" is "CHOMO," and has to hang by his/her genitals from the highest tree, or be shot on sight with a blinking lights and tatoos on their foreheads. Not all crimes are the same. With respect to prison time, I completely agree that the there is a point of diminishing returns. Quite a few studies on that topic. Most of them state that around the one year range that does the most "good." More than that makes them "Institutionalized," and makes it harder each year after that to re-integrate that inmate, as you have witnessed first hand. You know that sentences are handed down by a Judge. Everyone else needs to remember that Judges are elected in most cases, so vote who does the best job into that office! So to those of you who don't vote, or voted in that wrong Judge, stop whining about sentences here, get to your polls and yank on your (elected also) Legislators to correct the "range" that that Judge can actually use. Remember also, it COSTS us to imprison, all crimes are not the same, and the Death Penalty has been proven not to deter crime, because it is an "assisted suicide" quick-way-out in some of their cases. Life w/o Parole is being found out to be cheaper in the long run because of (wasted money, in most cases) appeal costs etc. Back to present article, this guy Callahan went in to the system at age 15. Did he really deserve 25 at that age? Not for me to say, he was found guilty, and duly sentenced, I accept that. Could there have been a different route in his case, because he was a child himself at the time?? Maybe. Did he learn from his mistakes? We don't know, and can't. Did he re-offend? No. Is he stupid? Unsure, seeing that he only knows prison, this violation may well have been contrived and planned out of fear of the unknown. But I do believe he is not a "normal" adult, only because he learned how to "be" an adult while incarcerated. I don't trust the DoC at all for that mission. Prisons should be segregated by crime type, lengths of sentence, and severity/violence. Violent Gangs should be with other violent gangs and let them "have at it." Lifers should not "generally" be placed with short timers, nor should short timers be put into gang or violent situations. I'm getting way off topic now, I caught myself, so I'll stop here.

KOMO - Seattle, WA : Violent sex offender arrested exactly one week after release | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weat

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:54:44 +0000

Update your stats to include 2012, see above line 5 of my last post, for CT's most recent study.

KOMO - Seattle, WA : Violent sex offender arrested exactly one week after release | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weat

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:50:35 +0000

Thank You, even his mom's comment in the article is worth re-reading... "Oh dear," said Betty Callahan, John's mother, when reached by phone Monday night and told of her son's arrest. "I was afraid of this." "We told him that would happen," she added. "We told him he would get arrested for going out of the county, and apparently he has got to learn." So apparently he was not "all there" for a while. She knew this. Maybe his "box of crayons" consists only of unsharpened grays?

KOMO - Seattle, WA : Violent sex offender arrested exactly one week after release | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weat

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:40:52 +0000

Yes, he should have known right from wrong, he served 25 years for that choice. My point was simply not to compare a 15 year old doing "things" to another 15 year old (possibly- we don't actually know victims ages) to a 40 year old doing the same "things" to that same 15 year old victim that's all.

KOMO - Seattle, WA : Violent sex offender arrested exactly one week after release | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weat

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:36:08 +0000

I don't take you wrong, and do agree with you. I did comment earlier that in this case, that his (planned?) stupidity was illegal. If he actually did get permission, and I really believe that if he asked for the reason of finding a "legal" bed, he would have been allowed to. If he did ask, we wouldn't have heard anything on this second article, unless they denied him, and it was necessary for him to do so anyway. What is really getting to me in this overall discussion is that everyone seems to be treating this guy as a 40 year old penevernert (colloquialism: a truly F'd up pervert) which he may actually be now, but his crimes were (documented, and now obviously, even after being pointed out numerous times) committed by a juvenile. As if the "pedophile" label is overriding any fact that he couldn't be one at age 15 by definition. Today, at age 40, if he still is stuck in that mind-frame, and the objects of his desires are under age 10 ("young children" is generally the legal assumption,) for sure, it would then apply.

KOMO - Seattle, WA : Violent sex offender arrested exactly one week after release | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weat

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:58:26 +0000

Also remember, that this one was a child of 15 or less at the time of the crimes. I completely agree with you, if the perpetrator was an adult, and not a child like this one was. What he did was heinous, but still not in the same league as an adult doing the same things. As I commented above, we don't know the ages of the victims in this case. I'm just making the distinction that's all.

KOMO - Seattle, WA : Violent sex offender arrested exactly one week after release | Local & Regional | Seattle News, Weat

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:51:23 +0000

I think you are missing my points. He apparently did many heinous things to others, that I don't deny in any way. The difference here is that he was not 40 years old when it all happened. I'd agree completely with you if that were the instant case. This one was 15 or younger when he did these things, not even far into high school, so it also begs the question: did he ever get his GED in prison? This one never finished a "typical" high school, served 25, then he is let out of prison. What has he had for a life so far, and what does he truly have to look forward to, if anything? Especially if he never graduated H.S. How would you look your 14 year old son (at the time) in the eye here if this were your kid? We don't have the ages of the victims yet. Maybe they were 15 also? Who knows, maybe they were much younger? We just don't know those answers from the article. I'm just trying to stick to the limited facts in this article.