The U.S. Supreme Court made a tough decision recently that lets convicted sexual predators be held indefinitely after they have completed their prison terms. It was not an entirely satisfactory ruling, but then again, there is no easy answer to the question of what to do with criminals who may remain extremely dangerous even after they finish serving their time.
We understand why authorities would not want to turn a convicted sex offender loose after his sentence is over: Sexual predators are driven by a compulsion that makes their rehabilitation doubtful at best. Even the possibility that they will return to prison if they re-offend may not keep them from seeking new victims.
But at the same time, America is a nation of laws. Those laws spell out the range of sentences for particular crimes. And while we do not like so-called “life sentences” that let a violent criminal go free after just a few years, there is also something troubling about extending a sentence for an indefinite number of years after it has been completed.
So what is the answer? Well, Congress and state legislatures may be the place to start. Considering the harm that repeat offenders can inflict on their victims, there would probably be strong public support for legislatively increasing the prison sentences of sexual predators on the front end. But short of a true life sentence, that might only delay rather than eliminate the chance that a criminal will re-offend. Other measures, such as sex offender registries, may also help some.
But ultimately, and sadly, there is just no easy solution to this difficult question.