MASPAL
believes there is a connection between the rising numbers of missing children
and the rising numbers of known sex offenders. This realization has prompted
us to create an organization dedicated to education and legislation for the
public in regards to these issues.
Our
long term goals are to help change legislative issues concerning the indiscriminate
reintegration of sex offenders into society. We feel a strong need to help create
pre-release centers in every state to deal with the special concerns of sex
offenders, and place more supervision on those individuals, after their time
has been served.
There
is also a great need for education and support for victims and their families.
MASPAL intends to provide resources for those people, concentrating all the
while on prevention.
"We
will not go quietly into the night!" It is time to educate the public and talk
about the issues involved here. There has been a conspiracy of silence surrounding
sex offenses committed involving young children. Silence, ignorance and apathy
are the child predators greatest allies. Sex offenders need special supervision
and re-habilitation facilities geared to meet their special needs. Families
need to feel safe in their neighborhoods.
Most
children who are sexually offended do not grow up to offend, but some do. There
is some evidence that this is a learned behavior. Enough to suggest that, without
good sex offender programs, and some sort of control in regards to these felons,
this situation will remain a continuing and self perpetuating problem. Also
enough evidence to suggest that there is a great need to provide adequate psychological
support and help for the victims of these crimes.
Senator
Norman Stone of Maryland is also one of the pioneers in this area. He, however,
speaks of permanent confinement to "mental institutions" for the violent sex
offenders, rather than a facility, created specifically for this problem. His
current reform bill does not address the enormous numbers of other sex offenders
released to offend again.