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Monday, June 21, 2010

Sexual Predator Treatment Squeezes Budgets

'They had no idea 10 years ago ... what this program was going to cost'

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. - Just off the highway leading to this woodsy Minnesota town, more than 400 men live behind tall fences topped with razor wire. They spend their days shuffling between meals, group therapy sessions and activities such as painting state park signs.

The men are sex offenders who have completed their prison sentences. But because they are still considered dangerous, they have been locked away indefinitely — part of a national trend that began when states were flush with cash.

Now these "civil commitment" programs are costing states hundreds of millions of dollars more than anyone envisioned, and they've created a political quandary for lawmakers who need to cut spending but don't want to be seen as soft on rapists and child molesters.

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is true that the states (ie. citizens) are paying hundreds of millions of dollars.

However, the purpose of the program was always to enrich individuals and corporations who run these expensive programs.

It is more fleecing of the citizens via taxation. The private owners of these "treatment centers" pay judges to sentence people into the facilities.

This is the face of Facism. The corporations have taken over our government. We the people now serve the corporations.

Anonymous said...

theres ALWAYS a cheaper alternative for these folks...

Brittni said...

Why aren't all facilities of this nature (including jails) run to be self sufficent? Turn these places into self sufficient farms where the inmates do the work and any extra produce or livestock gets sold to the community to provide money for the salaries of the staff. They could also do other things for the community like making furniture or producing some other goods to help fund the salaries of the staff. WE SHOULD NOT BE SUPPORTING CRIMINALS!!

Anonymous said...

The facility is probably run by a private company and gets its money from the state. Money, money, money.

Anonymous said...

Enlist these lazy a$$e$ into the military. Send them into Afgan and let them fight for this country.

Anonymous said...

Send them to three lower counties (Tri-AZ ??)in Arizona that seem to be drifting toward Mexico.