monday, October 2, 1978
page 2
daily nebraskan
Committee told law on sex offenders needs change
By L. Kent Wolgamott
Nebraska's methods of identifying and treating sexual
offenders should be changed, according to witnesses
appearing before the Nebraska Legislature's Judiciary
Committee Friday.
The committee is studying the establishment of a re
search program on "deviant sexual behavior," LR207,
proposed by Sen. Herb Duis of Gothenburg.
Differentiation should be made between violent
sex crime offenders, such as those convicted of sexual
assault and the minor, more innocuous crimes such as
exhibitionism, witnesses said.
William Stone, clinical psychologist at the Lincoln
Regional Center, said that contrary to the wording of
the resolution, "most sex offenses are minor and don't
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draw much attention." Stone also said sex offenders do
not follow a progression from the minor sex crimes to
violent attacks.
Violent crimes
The assumption that such a progression exists is
based on the records of those arrested for violent crimes,
he said, which show a large number of minor sex crimes
arrests.
Stone said the records only demonstrated that "people
who commite serious offenses don't have any qualms
about committing minor ones" and that violent sex
crimes offenders have "a disregard for other human
beings that most people don't have."
Gina Washburn, coordinator of the Lincoln Rape
Crisis Center, told the committee they should re-examine
sex crime laws and treatment and should establish:
- A statewide program with emphasis on areas out
side Lincoln and Omaha;
- A provision for "nuance offenders" not only those
convicted of sexual assault;
- Family and peer group therapy.
Treatment programs
She said the committee also should explore graduated
releases for offenders, follow-ups on offenders in the
community and establishment of community programs to
enable the convicted offenders to adapt to society.
James Allison, research psychologist for the medical
services division of the Department of Public Institu
tions, discussed three new treatment programs; family
therapy, psychiatric treatment of adolescents prone to
violence, and chemical therapy with an experimental
West Grman drug.
The adolescent treatment program is possible because
"all authorities agree that sexual violence usually begins in
early adolescence" and decreases by age 35, he said.
Possible sex crime offenders can be identified because
they usually are involved in other types of violent crimes.
Chemical castration
The proposed drug, cyproterone acetate, now is used in
Europe and functions as a form of chemical castration,
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However, the differences between our career
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TO THE ELECTRONIC ENGINEER (BS MS): An NSA
career means delving into unique projects' which can
span every phase of the R&D cycle. An engineer may
design, develop, test and manage contracts on
communications, recording, and information storage
devices and systems whose capacities and speeds
are still considered futuristic in most quarters.
TO THE COMPUTER SCIENTIST (BS MS): It means
applying his or her knowledge in a wide range of
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TO THE MATHEMATICIAN (MS): A career means
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matrix algebra and combinatorial analysis are just a
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Interested in learning more about the difference in
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Allison said.
Washburn opposed the use of the drug as a cruel
method which did not address the problem because rapists
"use the penis as a weapon" and if treated by the drug,
they "will use anything available."
Nebraska's sexual sociopath law was criticized by
Lancaster County Deputy Public Defender Rodney Rehm
and by a man convicted under the law, through an open
letter read by Washburn.
Being confined indefinitely underr the law "is like being
in the bottom of society's garbage can with little or no
hope of crawling out," the inmate wrote.
Left in limbo
He said the law has no provision for those convicted
to prove themselves in society, and with doctors afraid
to put their reputations on the line and certify an
offender as cured, those convicted under the law are left
in limbo.
"Are we patients or prisoners?" he asked.
Rehm said the state "ought to just do away with the
law" or amend it to make it fair.
The law should be amended to call for unanimous jury
determinations of whether a person is a sexual socio
path, he said, rather than being determined by the judge.
There are nine sexual sociopaths or psychopaths (con
victed under an earlier law) now at the Lincoln Regional
Center, according to Joyce Page, psychiatric social worker
at the regional center.
They range in age from 23 to 65 years and have spent
from 1 Vi years to 6Vi years at the regional center, she said.
short stuff
The Student Y is spon
soring a group talk on male
female relationships at
11:30 ajn. today in the
Nebraska Union. Room
number will be posted.
The Teaching and Learn
ing Center is sponsoring a
lecture by William Perry on
"The Meanings Students
Create" at 3:30 p.m. today
in the Nebraska Union Cen
tennial Room.
Need help in accounting?
Beta Alpha Psi is sponsor
ing an accounting lab today
in CBA 120 from 3:30 p.m.
to 5 pjn. and in CBA 123
from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Beta Alpha Psi members
will be available to answer
any questions you may have
on accounting material.
The UNL Table Tennis
Club will meet from 7 p.m.
to 10 p.m. in the Nebraska
Union conference rooms.
The Undergraduate
Sociology Association will
meet Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.
in Old father Hall 722 and at
3:30 p.m. in Oldfather 707
The Circle K club will
meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday in
the Nebraska Union. Room
number will be posted.
The Student Dietetic
Association will meet at 7
p.m. Tuesday in Home
Economics Building 25.
The UNL Gay Action
Group is sponsoring a can
didates' night for legis
lative candidates at 8 p.m.
Tuesday in UMHE
Commonplace, 333 N. 14th.
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The Student Y is spon
soring a running group at 5
p.m. Wednesday in Neb
raska Union 117.
Ihe University Program
Council-East will meet at
6 p.m. Wednesday in the
east union.
The UNL Pre-Vet club
will meet at 7 pjn. Wed
nesday in Veterinary Basic
Science Building 151.
The American Society
of Civil Engineers will meet
at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the
union. Room number will
be posted. The featured
speaker will be Chuck
Larson of Peter Kiewit and
Sons Co.
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