[Mpls] Sex Offenders

[Dennis Plante]

Earlier in this thread I believe someone suggested that if we would just 
legalize the drugs that are now illegal, we'd free-up a lot of space in our 
prison sytem, allowing us to incarcerate (if we so chose to) the level III 
sex-offenders currently at-large.

The only reasonable argument I can think of for legalizing pot would be that 
I think society would start "shifting the blame" on the societal 
implications of the issue, from the "seller" to the end-user.  Alcohol is 
legal to purchase and consume, under very tight social standards.  
Typically, we place the blame for its misuse on the end-user.  Drive 
imparied, you pay the price.  Purchase it, or consume it underage, you pay 
the price.  Sell it or give it to someone underage, you pay the price.  I 
don't know of any civil lawsuits that were brought against the manufacturer 
or distributors of this product that have allowed for the blame to be placed 
on them.

However, it appears that some would like to tie the legalization of pot to 
reducing many of the minority (mostly male) individuals currently 
incarcerated at the local, county and state level.  One only has to look at 
the rap sheets of most of these individuals to determine that the true 
culprit aren't the drugs that we (as a society) have deemed illegal.  It's 
the manner in which society views the fault associated with criminal 
activity of this type.  We never view the end-user as "preying upon" the 
seller.  It's always been easier to identify with locking-up the small-time 
seller (who was going to commit other crimes against society anyway).

Legalize pot, without dealing with the socio-economic consequences of the 
action and at this level, in Minneapolis, we'll end-up having this very same 
discussion about another similar matter in the very foreseeable future.

Back to the issue of Level III sex-offenders in Minneapolis. I only have one 
question.  How is it, as a progressive-thinking society we feel comfortable 
in concentrating these individuals into neighborhoods that are 
least-equipped to deal with the issue?  As mentioned before, my zip-code - 
55411, has I believe the highest concentration (by far) of any zip-code in 
the state.  Yet the residents in that zip-code have one of the lowest 
per-capita incomes and the highest level of residents under the age of 18.  
Is there anyone out there that can reasonable explain how this is a socially 
acceptable thing?  Who possibly, could benefit from this decision?  The 
offenders themselves?  Society as a whole?  The children and adults living 
in these areas that, because of their socio-economic standing are inherently 
MUCH less likely to report a sex-related crime???

The verbage for an enforceable law, whether it happens at the state, local 
or penal-system level is NOT going to be an easy thing to come-up with.  
However, if we ever plan on dealing with this issue progressively, it HAS to 
happen.

dennis plante
jordan

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