State hospital for sexual predators set to open in fall

[Kadie]

Posted on Sat, Jul. 16, 2005


State hospital for sexual predators set to open in fall

Associated Press


COALINGA, Calif. - California is set to open its first new state mental hospital in 50 years this fall, a $360 million facility to hold 1,500 sexual predators who otherwise would be released from prison back into the community.

Coalinga State Hospital will house those who have been designated sexually violent predators, meaning they have committed sex crimes against multiple victims and can be expected to continue that pattern if they are released.

The state now operates four mental hospitals. The newest, Atascadero, opened in 1954. The Coalinga facility is scheduled to open in early September.

Coalinga's 320 acres are surrounded by a double fence topped with razor wire and backed by guard towers. But inside are bright colors and rooms and corridors with familiar names like Candlestick Park, Angel Island, Union Square, Golden Gate Avenue - even historic Route 66. Courtyards have fruit trees and smoking areas, and offenders can visit a mall with a barber shop, post office, pharmacy and a gymnasium.

more...
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/politics/12150911.htm

[liberalnurse]

1. What a waste of good services!

They should be locked up behind bars for LIFE!

[Conservativesux]

5. In most cases, I agree 100% with you !!!! These are sick perverts!!!

[lvx35]

9. Its frustrating, especially when you're homeless

And never committed an offense to think of these sex offenders getting three hot meals and smokes in "candlestick park" with a warm bed while you sleep on the street. This is what I call "Selective socialism", or only acknowledging the need for socialist solutions when things get really bad, thus creating situations that are morally intolerable, such as the suggestion that sex offenders have the right to three hots and a cot on the taxpayer dime, but homeless non-criminals with mental problems don't.

[pop goes the weasel]

2. Good

I can't see why we expect any kind of rehabilitation under typical prison or sanitarium conditions. And if a person has an uncontrollable compulsion to commit crimes, and is therefore too dangerous to be let out, it has always seemed to me also cruel to insist that they live under punitive conditions (when they have a psychiatric condition that they can not change). I'm perfectly fine with society providing non-punitive but highly restrictive living situations even for people who can never be outside the concertina wire again. So, here's hoping for the best for the new prison/hospital.

[Conservativesux]

6. Waste of time and money, that could have helped people who could

use it when they get out of the CI's.

Fact is that SP's are fantastic repeat offenders.

This will be shown to be a fiasco as soon as these sex-crazed loonies get let out of the new playground prison in Colinga and
go straight for the public schoolyards, in search of new prey.

[pop goes the weasel]

10. they aren't being released

Some might be, but it is doubtful. When people are put in state hospitals, their chances of release are less than those of prisoners. Why not hold them humanely, under conditions which might allow the few capable of reform to actually succeed in modifying their behavior positively? We already know that holding them inhumanely doesn't help matters, and that quite a few are released directly into society completely unreformed or even worse.

[Conservativesux]

11. I hope you are right. Time will tell. eom

[lvx35]

3. I worked in this field in Washington State

Proving 1 on 1 24 line of sight supervision to folks considered at risk to offend. Its true what the first person says that some of these people should be behind bars for life, but everybody should also know that there is another segment of offenders who doesn't fit that mold, whose offenses are either 1) not that vile 2) a direct result of having a mental impairment that requires aid and supervision which they were not recieving.
An example of the former would be a 19 year old who had consensual sex with a 14 year old and her parents turned him because he was from the wrong side of the tracks. The latter would be a guy arrested for indecent exposure around children because he himself has the mind of a three year old and removed his clothes in a public park because he was hot and confused. The two I have just described are based on actual people, and they certainly don't belong behind bars for life.

[liberalnurse]

7. The mentally handicap offender

or the imature make are all mental health issues and deserve psychological treatment. I definately want the violent predator locked up for life. Look here....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=172x6840


http://www.wdtn.com/index.cfm?action=dsp_story&storyid=73046

Updated 7/13/2005 at 8:32:47

Ohio legislators are working on a plan to keep violent sex predators behind bars for life.

State Representative Courtney Combs, flanked by Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, held a press conference on Tuesday announcing the new legislation. Both men say after seeing all the recent tragedies involving predators who re-offend, they say there's no other choice to protect our children.

"There's not a day goes by you don't see 'em in the news most of 'em are re-offenders. Makes me sick to my stomach," said Jones.

Representative Combs said his bill would lock up offenders for life, "Under this law, convicted of sex crime deemed to be a sexually violent predator, you will spend the rest of your life in jail without the possibility of parole."

The bill could go to committee this fall. Combs hopes to have the bill on the floor of the House by end of year.

[lvx35]

8. I agree.

I just hope people realize that there are a lot of different types under the sex offender label...But there is one class that needs to be locked up for life, who is a violent coersive predator, and has a certain profile.

[Gyre]

13. Bullshit!

Sexually violent predators (SVP) have to have two qualifying felony convictions for serious or violent sexual crimes (ie, strike level) just to be considered for this category.

Your two "examples" are misleading crap since neither of them are strike level offenses and could not qualify somebody in California for treatment under our civil committment procedures for SVP.

Don't trash a law as draconian unless you actually know what you're talking about.

Gyre

[Conservativesux]

4. And they will make sure that no Viagra is stocked in the medical locker...

I presume?


Fact: Most S-P's never change their stripes and commit more offences when they are "out".

[Gyre]

12. Well, that will be a relief to those in San Luis Obisbo.

Atascadero is where they warehouse these freaks now.

Gyre