Jessica's Law keeps sex offenders in jail
The following is a Counterpoint column:
By MARHTA JENKINS
Last year, Jessica Lunsford, a young Florida girl, was abducted from home and raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender just released from prison. Her death reveals that sexual predators, even when caught and convicted, are looking for their next victim. Not all are murdered, but psychological damage inflicted on defenseless children lasts a lifetime.
States including Florida have passed Jessica's Law, requiring mandatory prison sentences for violent sexual offenders. North Carolina has not.
The N.C. Federation of Republican Women is conducting a petition drive to let our legislature know that is critical for our children's safety. We have contacted legislators, but it's uncertain if this legislation will pass this year. I've contacted my Democratic counterpart and asked her for help. Children are children, not Republicans or Democrats.
In Fayetteville, a recently arrested sexual offender admitted assaulting more than a hundred children before being caught. In Florida, the rate at which sexual offenders repeat their crimes has dropped since the passage of Jessica's Law, so mandatory sentencing is a deterrent. A recent voter poll showed 74 percent favoring passage of Jessica's Law.
If government cannot protect children, then it is failing. I would urge you to contact your legislators in the N.C. House and Senate (919-733-4111) and ask them to pass a strong Jessica's Law. There are several versions being considered, but the strongest bill requiring mandatory sentencing, increased registration requirements and GPS monitoring of sexual offenders is Rep. Julia Howard's bill.
Stress that mandatory sentencing is critical. Sexual predators do not change; if they can get away with it, they commit their crimes again and again. Keeping them in prison is the best way to prevent harm to children.
In addition to contacting your legislators, you may sign the petition for Jessica's Law at www.ncfrw.com/programs/legislation/child_protection_amendment.htm
The writer lives in Chapel Hill and is president, N.C. Federation of Republican Women.
Comments (2)
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Hopefully our the DA that is elected in Guilford County this year will end the practice of allowing confessed pedophiles to plea bargain their way into probation instead of jail.
For this very reason it's fitting that Julia H. the female DA candiate in the Democrat primary was defeated.
Posted on June 4, 2006 8:03 AM
Great letter. Good information, good points, good solution.
Posted on June 5, 2006 11:18 AM