Posting #107 – Virginia’s Homosexual Gitmo

By: RSOL of Virginia
Date:  06/25/2009

Dear ACLU, Human Rights Watch and GLADD,

RSOL of Virginia attended the June 25 Virginia Crime Commission meeting in Richmond, VA. One of the many topics they covered was the Civil Commitment of Sexually Violent Predators.

We had recently received correspondence from two residents at the Virginia Center for Behavioral Rehabilitation (VCBR for the civilly committed) which implied that a disproportionately large amount of the residents that have been civilly committed are homosexual. We attended today’s crime commission on this topic to attempt to ascertain if in fact homosexuals were being either purposefully or unintentionally targeted by the tools utilized to institutionalize them as Sexual Deviants who are a danger to society.

During today’s discussion between legislators and the Attorney General’s office they covered the questionnaire/assessment tool (Static-99) used to decide who is a “Sexually Violent Predator”. They covered 10 questions and the implication was that there are only 10 on the Static 99. The current score to decide who must be locked up as a “SVP” is a “4” or a “5” and the discussion between the legislators and the AG’s office was about lowering it to a “3”.  This test is currently limited to just a few specific crimes, but the discussion was leaning towards removing that as a stipulation also. Thus any “Sex Crime”…. Underage Consensual Sex, Public Sex, Sodomy, Aggravated Sexual Battery (grabbing someone’s buttocks in a bar that results in a fight) “Sexting” and the like would be subject to the Static 99 Evaluation.

Three questions give a grave concern on the Static 99 evaluation. They are as follows:

• Is the Perpetrator 18 to 24.99 years of age? Yes, results in 1 point.
• Has the Perpetrator ever lived with a lover for at least 2 years? No, results in 1 point.
• Was the Victim a Male? Yes results in 1 point
• Has the Perpetrator had any previous criminal convictions of any type, sexual or non-sexual? Yes, results in 1 point.

As one can easily see any college aged, homosexual male, who has not lived/shacked up with anyone for 2 or more years need only to have a reckless driving mis-demeanor conviction and he is currently just 1 point away (4 points) from being deemed a serious threat to society and could be locked away for life in an insane asylum for the “Sexually Perverse”. Clearly the most insignificant “Sex Crime” (including consensual sex with a 17 year old) would then immediately make him eligible for a life sentence of Civil Commitment in Virginia.

We find this unacceptable and hope you share our concern and outrage over this twisted form of justice.

Sincerely,
RSOL of Virginia Organizers

(For more information on Civil Commitment and the Static 99 see Postings #60, #67 #106 and #108)