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Feb. 18, 2005 Most people agree that the worst crimes committed are rape and child molestation. The people who commit them are also the hardest to rehabilitate. Or, is it because inmates aren’t getting proper treatment while they’re incarcerated, and parole boards are turning them loose just for good behavior? An example is the case of Rex Krebs in California. After serving 10 years of a 20-year sentence for rape and attempted rape at knifepoint, he was paroled. Two years later, he raped and murdered two college co-eds and buried them in his yard. The judge who handed Krebs his 20-year sentence when he was only 21 realized he’d still be young enough to reoffend by the time he got out. He urged him to seek treatment during his incarceration. Krebs did seek treatment, but was denied on a technicality: he only committed one rape. His second victim successfully fought him off. Krebs’ rap sheet included the attempted rape of a 12 year-old girl when he was 18, but since he was, again, unsuccessful, he was slapped with a misdemeanor and thrown in jail for three months. When officials evaluated Krebs upon his 20-year sentence, they learned he was abandoned by his mother and raised by his sadistic, violently abusive father. He also admitted he committed his crimes under the influence of alcohol. If Krebs wasn’t the perfect candidate for treatment, who was? According to Corey Mitchell’s book, Dead and Buried, Krebs stood at five-seven and had a small build. Obviously, he was in the wrong line of criminal activity since he failed to achieve the status of a three-time rapist and violent sex offender. It’s a scary realization that if he was a strapping six-foot, he’d have had his treatment plan handed to him on a silver platter. To make matters even worse, the only treatment offered to Krebs were group meetings for sex offenders. Even in the prison world, rapists and child molesters are considered low-lifes, and the other inmates would have made Krebs’ life miserable. Krebs chose survival, and told everyone he was a lifer so they would leave him alone. Lifers are known to kill in a heartbeat. They have nothing to lose. With no women or alcohol in his reach, Krebs thrived during his 10-year incarceration and scored points with the parole board with his blue-collar work ethic. One thing that Krebs did take advantage of was the weight room, and he buffed himself to a shine. Once he was paroled, he was not only a better rapist, but he didn’t even have to violate his parole by using weapons. He killed both of his victims with his bare hands. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Krebs now sits on death row, and California carries out executions at a snail-like pace. I estimate we’ll be paying for his meals, healthcare, and appellate fees for the next 15 years before they put him down. I’d have rather shelled out a few bucks for 10 years of his psychological treatment. This case, alone, is a wake-up call that we need to make changes. We can start with the parole board by making sure they have an I.Q. of at least 110–each. Maybe we can give sex offenders their own wing inside the prisons if they seek treatment? I suspect more would take up the offer if they were in a safer prison neighborhood. I’m not suggesting we placate these inmates, just give them a chance to get better if we’re turning them loose someday. The inmates who refuse treatment, make them serve their full sentences. Throw them to the wolves and let them get gang-raped. I don’t care. Better treatment plans would also stimulate the economy and create job opportunities since there would be a demand for more psychologists and college professors. Sure, our tax dollars would pay for them, but maybe it’ll cut down on the more costly death row packages. Ten years is a long time to be getting treatment, and with plenty of time on their hands, inmates can focus on nothing else but getting better. Another program that is proving its success as far as the reoffending rates is restorative justice. This is a voluntary program where inmates sit down with their victims in front of a mediator, and learn from them the impact of their crimes on fellow human beings and how it changed their lives. Inmates also get a chance to apologize. This program helps victims move on, but does not benefit the inmate by shaving off years of their sentence, or impact the parole board. Yet, inmates are jumping on it when it’s offered. It must benefit their souls. Maybe if Krebs had both offers, two young girls would still be alive. Two girls would have finished college, and might even be married right now with children. Think of the possibilities! ------------ About the author: Karyn Hughes has a fiction book published by Authorhouse entitled, Scattered Dreams, which is about a newly single mother who battles ADHD. Hughes is also looking for an agent since she has six other finished novels and one more in the works. All Hughes’ novels are related and could be part of a series. Email: Karynlilly1@comcast.net Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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