Can rapists be rehabilitated and if not how should they be punished?

Answer

Although the crime is incredibly heinous, and should be considered nothing short of murder, one cannot deny that even the most vile of rapists can be rehabilitated. Rape, like any other violent crime, is usually motivated by a deep-seeded psychothapy. This illness can be addressed and treated, therefore addressing the impulse to do harm, even to rape. Studies have been done where, with the help of chemical castration during the reformation process, rapists and other violent sexual criminals have been able to combat and even end the urge to act on these impulses in violent ways. So, the answer is yes - rapists can be rehabilitated.

However, there is a larger question at issue here. Rehabilitation, including medical and psychiatric treatment, is very expensive and time consuming. Therefore, one must consider whether or not society has the responsibility to rehabilitate criminals. Of course, if the crime is relatively benign like shoplifting or even auto theft, the issue is different than violent capital crimes such as murder or rape. Rapists can be rehabilitated, but should society take the time to do this? Polls of citizens in different parts of the United States have uniformly indicated that people do not believe the government should rehabilitate such violent offenders.

The central issue is this - is rape a capital crime? If it is to be considered a capital crime, then it is punishable by life imprisonment or death. If rape is not to be considered a capital crime, then at some point the rapist will be integrated back into society. In this case, I would argue rehabilitation is not only a choice, it is a responsibility. If a rapist still has the urge to rape when released, even chemical castration will not stop him or her, the offender will just use another object to fulfill the violent desires. Remember that rape is not about sex, it is about violence. Someone does not have to be able to climax to rape.

Once it is determined whether or not rape is a capital crime, the logical progression to the question of rehabilitation is easy to make.

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