What makes me ill are the rapist get out to rape again and again.

The only time they spend a lot of time in jail is when they kill the person they have raped.

Rape to me should be considered Murder of Manslaughter because after a person is raped they are not the same person anymore. I know first hand because I was raped for nine (9) years starting at the age of twelve (12) and didn't stop until I was twenty-one (21) because I got married. I lost a lot of good jobs lost my family and lost my first husband. I was like an animal because I didn't allow anyone to close and if someone would say something he would say I would lose my cool or if someone would touch me like he would meaning he would touch my arm meaning I will see tonight or tomorrow morning I would lose my cool not until I got intensive help many many years later I didn't even realize it really hurt me what he did.

As the doctor said to me I was the rape and the rape was me because it went on for such a long time. I never talked because he told me that if I talked he would kill my family starting with mother and let me watch so I always afraid. But the thing is this is what happens to all rape victims but they just don't have voice.

Unfortunately there is no statistics to subjectivity. Yes we can make all kinds of wonderful stats and present in the presentations. But at the end of the day, there is subjectivity associated with the 'second chance'. It entirely depends on the individual whether he deserves the second chance or not. If the criminal decides not to repeat the crime he committed and changes his course of actions, then bravo you achieved it without punishment of any sort. Are you capable of making society as a whole a better place without punishment of any sort? If answer to the question is 'yes', you don't need prisons at all.

And it need not be for those who committed a crime for the first time. At any point in time, if someone decides to change for the betterment, he or she should be allowed to do so and accepted by society. It's never too late to change. The real question is what medicine can work? And can the same medicine work for all?

Mary, your comment scares me a little, thinking of A Clockwork Orange...  What kind of medicine indeed?

Statistics like these are created by the just us department. Like William states, technical violations of parole rules make up the vast majority of recidivism. I have not only been returned to prison 4 times in 22 years, each time for technical violations, (no new criminal activity), but have had the sentence extended by 4 years to a 24 year sentence, for "Mail Fraud", if those of you who think the system isn't broken and needs reform would go inside one of these gaol's and check it out for yourself, you would understand that Matt is correct, and we, the taxpayer's are footing the bill for a system that breeds criminals in the system by instilling hate and resentment due to the conditions prisoners must live in.
There are numerous adjustments that could be made to this multi-billion dollar industry, which we all pay for, that would enrich and enable offenders released into the community to become contributing members of society.  Rehabilitation models of reform are in existence in some states and have met with lots of success, however our political leaders are needful of appearing tough on crime in order to obtain their re-elections. http://criminaljustice.change.org/actions/view/end_this_sentence  

You don't believe my statistics? Well, NFL wide reciever Dante Stallworth struck and  killed a pedestrian on March 14 because he was driving drunk. His jail sentence...30 days! This is not a typo. 30 days for DUI manslaughter. One more example of how the justice system is too lenient.

Well, it's sort of like this.  A couple of pretty smart men, first Benjamin Disraeli  and later  Mark Twain said that there are three kinds of lies, Lies, damned lies, and statistics" and you seem to have this down pat. Get a life, do your homework and find out what 1529 will and will not do and find a better way of expending your energy than being critical of those who are trying to help.  Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way.  Further comment will be ignored, you are just not worth the effort.

If spending 12 years in prison and more than 10 years on parole for a 10,000 mail fraud charge is too lenient...what would you dictate I serve Dennis? Life? Sure, the statistics are skewered because of cases like stallworth's (a reknowned sports figure, who got the deal in a bargain w/the state after he agreed to pay the family a huge sum of money), but like I stated above the statistics on recidivism (which is what we are talking about) are always Skewered when controlled by government agencies seeking more money to fund their positions.  There is aberrant behavior of ex-cons commiting henious crimes, but most are returned to prison for drinking or smoking pot, not for new crimes. 
    The advocacy here is designed to give NON-VIOLENT felons an opportunity, after straightening their lives out, paying their penalties, to participate in and contribute to, a society that has blacklisted them from everything from loans to jobs.  Not to further mete out punishment after having paid what the courts have said they must pay.  That is what the Second Chance bill is about.
    Look at the time served from your quoted statistics for all the various VIOLENT crimes you cite, and justify to me Dennis, why a person like me, non-violent Mail Fraud criminal, is serving a sentence that expired more than 2 years ago.  The system is NOT doing a good job of letting people go, they are increasing the time served in order to perpetuate their own friggin jobs.  If you only look at statistics through tunnel vision, and are not knowledgeable about the subject, which you are not, then do not be critical of those who are trying to correct some fundamental inequities in this government.   

Thomas, where are the lies in my post about Stallworth? Like I've stated several times, my posts don't concern 1529. Just stating opposing arguments on a one sided page.
Get a life? Maybe you should try that instead of following my posts. I'm glad you'll be ignoring me from now on because you are not worth my time either.
You're right Mark, my comments are directed towards violent criminals. Why aren't there more people outraged about violent criminals on the street? You would never know that's a problem by reading the blogs on this page. Let's get the right people locked up. The justice system is failing us on both sides it seems.
Nice to see you guys got you're panties in a bunch, but your missing the point.

Proof? Of what? Sex offender registries tend to aggregate a broad segment of the offender population, many whose crimes are in dispute or are minor. Classifying them all as rapists is to misunderstand what the registry does. In some jurisdictions it's possible for teen-aged girls caught sexting to end up on such registries.

In NY, the minimum time one is entered on the registry is 20 years.

No one is suggesting that anyone should be free to commit crime without consequence. Those of us who would reform the criminal justice system are simply pointing out the reality that our current approach is failing us, and doing so at an extremely high cost, both in dollars and in human potential. Our goal the same: to make our communities safer. Doing so will require us to examine the flawed assumptions that undergird our failing system.

OK I only want to ask a couple of questions regarding this thread.  Dennis, first I don't understand what part of FIRST TIME NON-VIOLENT you don't understand and why you choose to respond to Matt's commentary with a rant about Violent offenders.  Have you even read H.R. 1529?  It is not a free ride? None of the offenders you describe qualify for consideration. And here is my last question.  Why does someone who, on this very web site as evidenced on your profile page, supports many humanitarian causes and actions, elect to trash this most human and humanitarian legislation? 

William, did you actually take my advice and look at the NYS registry? Your comments indicate that you didn't. I'm not sure what you meant by "In NY, the minimum time one is entered on the registry is 20 years". Maybe you can explain that further so I can respond. I have never come across a teenage girl on the NY registry that is on there for sexting. I guess you choose to ignore the thousands who are on there for sexually violent offenses against women and/or children who are given a sentence of 1 to 4 years. Your other argument is that the crimes committed are in dispute or minor. Give me a break. In dispute? Of course criminals are going to dispute the charges against them, but they were locked up for a reason. Also, I have'nt seen any minor crimes on the NYS registry. That is an insult to any victim. Again, it seems you did'nt look at the website at all. I urge you to visit the registry and come back with solid facts.

Thomas, I fully understand the premise of this particular post. My argument against the posts on this page is that they are totally one sided. Not once have I heard anything about victim's rights. My arguments have nothing to do with HR 1529 and I didn't mention it in my comments. If my comments were directed at HR 1529, you would be correct in saying that they are misguided. This is a "Criminal Justice" page. Plenty of awareness is raised about how the system abuses it's power at times, but never a mention about those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe. Never a mention about how the system fails at times in the opposte fashion of what Matt suggests. There needs to be harsher punishment at times and this page is squed so far left that I feel I need to stand up for victims and also the good cops out there that do their job well. Just trying to tell the other side of the story that is conspicuous by it's absence on these blogs.
I appreciate you looking at my profile and noticing the work I do. Actually, the main reason I joined Change.org was to raise funds and awareness for the NYCC. I work closely with this organization which provides services for abused children. It would be nice if the efforts of NYCC or organizations like it would get some recognition on here, but that would be too much to ask. Maybe now you see where I'm coming from.

Also, let's not get into the habit of forgiving all non-violent crime simply because violence is not involved. Have we forgotten the Madoff scandal already?

I think I will just let my original questions stand.  While you did not directly reference 1529, your post is on a page referencing only 1529.  You accuse Mr. Newmiller of not reading the NYS registry yet you are clearly not familiar with the terms and conditions of 1529, which by no stretch of the imagination forgives "all" Non-Violent offenders. And, since you seem to have chosen to block access to your profile, I can't seem to find any reference to NYCC anywhere on Change.org to determine what it is and if it may be something I would be interested in supporting.  A search for NYCC on the home page of Change.org returns nothing.

And I will let my original answer stand. Since there are no blogs on the "criminal justice" page concerning the issues and concerns that I present, I have to post my comments on the blogs that are available. I temporarily block my profile at times because some members of this site feel it necessary to harrass other members instead of keeping the debate on the forum. But again, thanks for your interest.

Thomas,

Well said. . . You are my Hero & Thank You!

Thanks Martica we intend to continue working on this until we win.  Keep supporting the effort, sign and encourage others to sign, the petitions on this and the other sites mentioned.  You efforts are not un-noticed.

Thanks Marsha for the kind words.