Topic > Sex Offender Rights in the American Justice System

When people think of the label “sex offender,” the responses that follow are generally negative. The connotations surrounding convicted sex offenders often include violence, forcible assault, child abuse, and so on. While there are thousands of sex offenders with convictions related to these words, generalizing this population creates a problematic outcome. The public finds no reason to help these people, but instead prefers to lock them away from their communities or even have them killed. Although sex-related crimes are heinous and extreme in most cases, the aggregation of this population does not allow for potentially constructive treatment and rehabilitation. Assuming that the condemned are inherently evil and unworthy of existing in society revokes the opportunity to reform these individuals. There will never be one treatment that works for 100% of program participants, but starting to identify which approaches are successful can begin the process of reducing the risk of recurrence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay When considering how we treat sex offenders, our first and most common course of action is to register them on a list of other offenders in order to keep track of their address, contact information, and other various information . With this registry, sex offenders often have to inform their neighbors of their criminal status, or law enforcement does it themselves. This community notification can be seen as a safe way to stay aware of people potentially at risk. One question asked is whether or not communities, schools and classmates should be notified of the presence of an offender under the age of 18 in their area. When considering this, it is important to take into account children's rights and privacy. Juvenile trials do not have a jury, both as a means to maintain a rehabilitative environment and to retain privileged information. Informing communities or other students could potentially create an extremely hostile environment; Whether they are physically threatened or ostracized by their peers, the emotional and mental damage could leave lasting effects. Depression, suicidal ideation, or even increased involvement in criminal activity could result, which would completely defeat the purpose of shaming someone into compliance. While many believe that knowing who poses a threat would keep everyone safer, children's right to privacy should be universally protected. On a related note, some believe that juvenile sex offenders should be removed from schools. This would do far more damage than any form of bullying could do. Depriving a minor of education is a serious ethical violation. If they were to attend a specialized school or one intended for students who have demonstrated that they are unable to follow the conduct of ordinary structures, that would be fine. Removing a child completely will only make the situation worse and increase the risk that the child will reoffend or participate in other forms of crime. Something often discussed is the school to prison pipeline, which refers to the impact of zero tolerance policies on minors, and this would apply strictly to the theory. The idea of ​​castration as a response to repeat offenders comes from a historical history and rather brutal punishment used to sentence criminals who committed sex-related crimes. Modern castration methods and probably“human” are surgical castration and chemical castration. Surgical castration is the permanent removal of a male's testicles with the intent of reducing testosterone production. Chemical castration involves the use of weekly or monthly injections of estrogen with the goal of balancing high levels of testosterone with female hormones. Both have the same goal: to lower the male hormone linked to sexual impulses and violent behavior to combat or minimize sexual desires and drive. The question What surrounds this method of punishment or treatment is whether or not it is an ethical practice to be imposed on certain categories of offenders. It raises concerns about reproductive rights, bodily autonomy and the risk of inflicting further harm. Is this cruel and unusual punishment? If the American justice system considers castration to be a valid method of punishment or treatment for sex offenders, it sets a dangerous precedent. The framework of reproductive rights is already a fragile and hotly debated area of ​​legislation. Surgical castration sterilizes the male in question and it is beyond the jurisdiction of legislators to forcibly impose the sterilization of anyone. Allowing the castration of sex offenders could lead to a slippery slope towards sterilization used for other criminal sanctions; for example, sterilization could easily be offered to women with a history of child abuse or neglect to prevent further harm, or to women convicted of drug use to prevent the birth of “crack babies” or drug-addicted children. Obviously, this would begin to pose a great deal of ethical dilemmas that shouldn't even be considered in the first place.[bookmark:_Hlk532150384] In one of the assigned documentaries, there were some delinquents with experience with various forms of castration talking about the their experiences. One man, Jeffery Morris, voluntarily insisted on being surgically castrated in addition to his prison sentence (Indigo, 2004). He felt this was a way to take control of his life and overcome impulses that ended up harming another. Since then, Morris has noticed a dramatic improvement in the intensity and frequency of his sexually deviant urges (Indigo, 2009). This example poses a potential trade-off to the ethical question of castration: should it be available if an individual wants to go down this path? The problem would be that the procedure would not reduce the offender's sentence, as this could be seen as a form of coercion. A convicted sex offender should not have to choose sterilization to obtain a lighter sentence, but should instead choose it to begin rehabilitation and develop coping skills. Another man, “Jason,” discussed his experience with chemical castration (Indigo, 2004). Its effects are still in question, as he still struggles with urges and continues to masturbate to deviant fantasies. The conflict with chemical castration is that it is only mandatory for three years (minimum), so when the injections stop, testosterone returns to previous levels. This could completely dismantle the individual's progress. For this, lawmakers should consider a long-term chemical solution, such as prosthetic arms (like those used for female contraceptives). Although "Jason" is still struggling, when presented with the hypothetical option of surgical castration, he responded, "I'd rather be fucking dead" (Indigo, 2004). His response is most likely indicative of the attitude of many men in his position. If castration were mandatory, yes.