In San Diego, people are rightfully outraged over a convicted sex offender who killed two young women. In 2005, he had been released from prison after serving five years for beating and imprisoning a 13-year-old girl. After three more years on parole, he was basically living free. We hear these stories all the time.

Whenever cases like this arise, people understandably ask how such a person could go free in society, and there are cries for perpetual monitoring or imprisonment. I totally understand the outrage, whether it applies to sex offenders or murderers or other violent criminals.

But I got to thinking–how many thousands upon thousands of people who have committed such crimes and served their time–for sex offenses and violence–are living free and will NOT repeat their crimes? I know a few people who served their time and have not been repeat offenders. They are back in society, living freely and productively.

When someone commits a sex crime, do we want to imprison him for the rest of his life, or perpetually monitor him electronically? We could. But it would overload an already-burdened system.

Is this guy in San Diego an exception, or the norm? I’m asking, because I don’t know. The stats show that sexual predators tend to remain sexual predators, and repeat offenders deserve little mercy. But there’s only so much we can do (like sex offender registries) after a person has served his time. And a great many convicted criminals do change their lives.

I’m not advocating anything. I’m just wondering out loud. Criminal justice isn’t my area of specialty, so a high lack of knowledge accompanies my musings. What should be my attitude, and society’s attitude? Do we really want to come down hard on everyone, because of the potential repeat offenders? What’s the right approach?