Second chances can be a rare thing in the criminal justice system. So, if you were given the option of six months in jail followed by treatment instead of 10 years in prison, you’d probably jump at the first option and toe the line the rest of your life.
Then again, men who drug and rape 10-year-old girls and leave a $20 bill at their bedside don’t always make the most of second chances within the legal system.
A Snohomish County Superior Court judge made the right call recently by sending Roy Hodges Haralson straight to prison for violating the terms of his May 2002 sentencing. The terms were strict. Haralson wasn’t in trouble again for child rape. This time, he watched porn flicks and failed to mention it to his therapist. Knowing he would have to take a routine lie detector test, Haralson finally admitted the truth, too late.
Haralson had some other problems, too, according to deputy prosecutor George Appel and state community corrections officer Katherine McKenna-Smith. Like being around some children when he wasn’t supposed to, according to the terms of his special sentencing, and leaving the county without getting permission (an offense that all agreed was not by itself worthy of 10 years in prison).
The fact that these officials were on top of the matter should give the public confidence that our legal system can work — even in an area as sensitive as sexual offenders being released or treated in our communities.
It also brings up the issue of zero tolerance in our justice system. The catch-phrase is so widely used it is stamped on nearly every imaginable offense — drugs, bullying, drunken driving, domestic violence — all worthy of not being tolerated. The problem is, our legal system has about zero room left for those for whom society has zero tolerance.
This legislative session, the matter of delegating more money for our prisons, among many other worthy issues, will undoubtedly resurface. The Legislature will have to apply the Priorities of Government model to every department and issue. Refusing to tolerate those who prey upon the vulnerable is a priority worth considering.
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