The much touted civil confinement bill for sex offenders was passed today, and officially becomes part of the litany of great and fast gridlock-breaking accomplishments recited by supporters of Gov. Spitzer.
Stuck for a decade before he took office, it certainly qualifies for that list. But its passage coincided with the finale of a three-part New York Times series which nicely refreshed much previous journalism that has focused on the futility, in the real world, of efforts to treat sex offenders.
So just as New York passes a bill mandating an assessment of whether offenders are likely to reoffend and the costly confinement and treatment of those who are, we are reminded that many smart people think it is impossible to assess who will reoffend, and impossible to affect the likelihood that they will reoffend through treatment. If they are right, the future will include complaints of injustice from those who are confined, and rage from the public when one who is released reoffends.
Which raises a question: Will history record that New York didn't do this for ten years because of a messed-up political culture in Albany that Spitzer reformed? Or that New York didn't do it for ten years because it was a bad idea that Spitzer did a fabulous job of turning into law?
Comments (3)
There are ways to eliminate the threat of child predators in on Long Island - this is not one of them. This is junk law that will get tossed. More bureaucratic bungling. Shame on Albany! Shame on Spitzer - he should know better.
Spitzer is just a grandstanding politician. For all the hype he will be a tremendous disappointment
Wow, can the cripples who call themselves journalists over at Newsday be any more in love with Spitzer? You guys should get a room.
Now that he's elected you can stop kissing arse on a daily basis