The proposals laid out Wednesday by state prosecutors for more effective prosecution of sex offenders raise an important point in a debate that has focused too much so far on punishment. Putting the harshest sentences on the books will do little good if offenders are never caught or convicted.
Addressing the problem of sexual offenders takes more than imposing a mandatory minimum sentence. The proposals by the prosecutors represent the reality that making Vermont safer involves making a commitment to investigation and prosecution as well as punishment. That's what the prosecutors are asking for as they present their ideas before legislators.
Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell and 15 state's attorneys offered five proposals for changing state laws regarding sex crimes. They are:
A mandatory minimum sentence was purposely left off the list because many prosecutors, including Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell, and victims advocates question its effectiveness in bringing sex offenders to justice.
Sorrell says harsh mandatory sentence can sometimes mean depriving prosecutors of an option that means sure punishment and forcing a trial that would rely on testimony by victims unwilling to endure such a public ordeal. That can mean fewer guilty verdicts, and more offenders never serving a sentence, he says.
Details of the state's attorneys' proposal can be debated, especially how they effect the balance between the rights of the accused and the need to give more effective tools to investigators and prosecutors.
The state must reduce the threat to the minimum possible. That means everyone must remain forever vigilant and remain committed over the long haul to catching and putting away sexual offenders.