Boss - I have to agree with your stand on the Constitution and I also agree with your second post - that the punishment should be part and parcel of their sentencing.
With this in mind we need to determine a proper sentence, as these 'people' do not respond to imprisonment or psychiatric treatment, which is why their recidivism rate is so high. The old notion of convicts/prisoners not liking child abusers and making it tough for them in prison has washed out significantly with so many imprisoned for sex crimes and with the incredibly violent psychopathology they posess. Prison isn't a terrible penalty for some of these people anymore, it's sort of like a respite that allows them to prepare for their next bout of freedom and predation. This is why I don't have a problem with Pataki's insistence that they remain in soem sort of custody, whether penal or mental health, as long as they remain off the streets.
To make a comparison - many of those who commit suicide never let on that they have a plan to do so, even when they meet with trusted advisors the day before - they all say they are just fine, thank you. A sexual predator will always tell you that he/she no longer has those urges, especially when they are talking to you, and that fools many, very many of the so-called mental health professionals, but not all. Fortunately Pataki has some good advisors and they don't work in his state's mental health system which is full of idiots, liberals and dumbocrats who would discharge these people to private housing within sight of schools because not to would seem unfair...........to them of course.
Sentencing for sexual offendors should include life-long institutionalization, whether prison or psychiatric hospitalization, and that should be part of their sentencing. Tax-payers would probably scream at the cost of keeping them in prison for life, unless one of them victimized their child.
It has always seemed to me that if you are going to bring children into this world you should do as much as you can to protect them so they can grow healthy, happy and into a useful and productive life. In this light I would protect them as much as possible against these predators and if that means keeping them off the streets forever the cost for incarceration is much less than the cost of the human suffering they cause or the cost of treating their victims. JMHO. Mikey.