The state Department of Corrections plans to start moving the first of up to nearly 300 violent or predatory sex offenders to a privately run detention facility in Otero County next month — despite objections from lawmakers.
Corrections officials say the move will save money and provide better treatment options for sex offenders “who will be released” at some point. But the plan is drawing fire from key legislators, who question the wisdom of putting 288 predatory sex offenders in what they described as a “county jail.” Full Article
No point in linking to the article, when they force you to register to the website to gain access to it. I don’t want to sign up for a website membership just to read one article.
Here is a link that you don’t have to join to read. http://www.correctionsone.com/Prisoner-transport/articles/6124697-Mass-sex-offender-transfer-planned-in-NM/
Nicholas, I agree. however, a bigger concern is how little people understand this issue as a whole. These men are serving their sentence and should not be subject to violence from other inmates just because of the nature of their crimes. That’s the first issue.
The second, and the one that stood out even more to me, is the idea of comparing it to county jail. I don’t know how it is in New Mexico, but here in California, inmates in prison are treated much better than they are in county jail, ESPECIALLY when it comes to men in jail facing charges of sex crimes. Los Angeles County Jail did everything they could to strip us of all rights that are supposed to be afforded inmates, to the point of at times serving us inedible food that was already starting to rot.
If inmates are being moved to protect the life and health of inmates, then it MUST be done. This country has failed miserably in how sex offenders are treated, both in custody and out of custody. Here’s a thought…a person who has custody of an individual whose life is endangered or even lost because of that person’s failure to adequately protect the individual can and often is charged with committing a crime. Why don’t we hold our government to the same accountability when it comes to an individual in state or federal custody.