An Army of Sex Offenders

About three months ago, 11-year-old Shakira Johnson disappeared from a neighborhood party in Cleveland. A widespread search and investigation produced no immediate leads. Weeks passed and then her body was found a couple miles from her home. She had been murdered. A man in the neighborhood is the alleged culprit, an ex-convict and a known sex offender.

During the search and investigation phase of the case, it was found that about 200 known sex offenders lived in Shakira's neighborhood. That's right, 200 known sex offenders in one neighborhood.

My question is how in the world did society get to the point where such a large number of sex offenders are walking around in these communities? The answer has to be that the criminal penalties for sex crimes are unconscionably lenient. Sex offenders go to jail and get out too soon. My solution? Change the laws so that these perverts spend much more time in prison. Lengthen all sentences. Get them off the street. Society owes it to the memory of Shakira Johnson.

At the Captain's Quarters is a post in which the captain expresses his experience and outrage on the same subject. The issue angers him as it does me.

And, lastly, I challenge anyone to justify allowing 200 known sex offenders to live in one neighborhood without specifically informing and warning the law-abiding residents of that neighborhood.