Toughen parole standards for sex crimes

Viewpoints

November 5, 2009

By Brian Smith The Richmond Register Thu Nov 05, 2009, 10:59 PM EST

As the father of a young daughter, I must say I am a bit disturbed and shocked by the outcome of Brandon Rousey’s text messaging-for-sex case.

Having followed the case since I came to work at the Register, the facts of the case aren’t what shock me most. It’s not even that Madison Circuit Judge William G. Clouse granted him probation on Thursday.

What I find most disturbing is that if Clouse had not granted the defendant’s motion for probation, Rousey likely would have been free in another week anyway.

The state of Kentucky has decided that for non-violent offenses, a felon has to serve only 15 percent of a sentence to be eligible for parole.

On a one-year sentence, as Rousey received, that amounts to 55 days in custody. That means that as a state, we have all agreed that someone can use text messages to proposition our children for sex and only see the inside of a prison cell for fewer than two months.

That disgusts me.

As the justice reporter for the Register, I’ve spent a lot of time inside the courtrooms of Madison County, and I have respect for the work our judges do on a daily basis. I believe Judge Clouse is a thoughtful jurist who considers the gravity of his decisions before he makes them, and I don’t blame him for granting probation for Rousey. His hands were tied by a parole schedule that would have set Rousey free days later anyway.

Judge Clouse is to be commended for imposing a lengthy list of conditions for Rousey’s probation, including instituting a curfew and requiring him to be monitored by ankle bracelet.

However, I do question how effectively our state’s probation department can enforce the prohibition against Rousey using e-mail or text messages, particularly when his probation terms allow him to own a cellular phone.

When legislators created the state sex-offender registry, they recognized that sex offenses, especially crimes against children, are a special class of offense that should carry a greater penalty than other crimes. That’s why we restrict where sex offenders live and require them to register with law enforcement.

Why haven’t legislators taken the same steps when it comes to when those same offenders are set free from prison?

Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.

Text Only

Viewpoints

Republicans are making some noise
FRANKFORT — Last week’s news was mostly about Tuesday’s primary election but some Republicans who were not on the ballot also had interesting things to say.

May 26, 2012 1 Photo
Taking our Sunday night baths
There in the head of Blair Branch, when I was growing up in the 1950s and ‘60s, we always took our weekly baths, even during cold weather, every Sunday night, whether we needed one or not.

May 24, 2012 1 Photo
Obama pursues higher tax rates
In the run-up to this weekend’s G-8 summit at Camp David, journalists have unfavorably compared European “austerity” with Barack Obama’s economic policies.
European spending cuts, the argument goes, have hurt people and are arousing political opposition, while Obama’s proposals to keep federal spending at 24 percent of gross domestic product indefinitely are likely to succeed.

May 21, 2012 1 Photo
Graduation day
It’s that time of year. What’s the old song? “I can still remember...” And I do. It’s what I talk about when I’m invited to be a graduation speaker and what I write about every year at this time.
It’s about all those painful memories.

May 18, 2012 1 Photo
Recent news could cause panic for Obama campaign
Is it panic time at Obama headquarters in Chicago? You might get that impression from watching events – and the polls – over the past few weeks.

May 17, 2012 1 Photo
EPA goes medieval on Kentucky coal
EPA goes medieval on KRoman legions? Horrific crucifixions? Sacking dissenters and making examples out of their deaths?
These may sound like some of the gruesome tactics used by military commanders of the ancient world, but according to Al Armendariz, who, until recently, was regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, it’s much more relevant to modern America than we’d care to believe.

May 13, 2012 1 Photo
Don’t just pick out a card
When Anna Jarvis launched the movement for a Mother’s Day observance in 1908, her intention was to have everyone write their mother a letter, putting some thought and sincerity into thanking and telling her what she had meant to them.
Unsurprisingly, the idea caught on quickly and became very popular. But, Jarvis was disappointed with the outcome.

May 12, 2012 1 Photo
Returning to a calmer situation
FRANKFORT – After a two-month absence, I’ve returned to Frankfort where things seem calmer than when I left.

May 11, 2012 1 Photo
Saturday night with Bea
“They made me feel so small.”
Bea does my nails. I found her because she works seven days a week until 8 at night.
She sits at the front table, which in the world of Vietnamese nail salons means the money is in her drawer, and she’s the one who makes sure everyone gets their fair share of business.

May 10, 2012 1 Photo
Why are we in the dumps, again?
The many positive comments readers and friends have given my weekly column have motivated me to keep writing it.

May 5, 2012 1 Photo
More Viewpoints Headlines

Viewpoints

Search Results

Toughen parole standards for sex crimes

A recent health ranking listed Madison County as the 20th healthiest county in the state. It measured factors such as exercise, access to health care and smoking. Do you smoke cigarettes?

Site Map