CA- Convicted Sex Offender's Online Activities Scrutinized

What I glean from this article is that, the powers that be are upset over the release -by one civilly confined- "conditions of confinement" in the facility where he is being held; Coalinga. Further, constitutional rights do not end when one is incarcerated, and this person is entitled to protections under 1st amendment freedom of speech. Throughout history atrocities have been revealed by those suffering them behind facility walls and later rectified.

5-8-2009 California:

SAN DIEGO -- From the halls of Coalinga State Mental Hospital, one patient is voicing his opinions.

Michael St. Martin, 52, has been convicted twice for molesting young boys in both San Diego and Riverside counties in the 1990s.

Although St. Martin is in state custody, he is busy online.

Audio interviews, letters and other documents from St. Martin are all over Voices of the Gulag, a blog that takes a critical look at the care offered by the state's sexual offender treatment program.

In one blog post about a fellow patient, St. Martin wrote, "Medical response to a detainee emergency was wholly inadequate and his death preventable."

Hospital officials told 10News patients do not have Internet access but they do have visitation rights and are able to send and receive e-mail, which is likely how St. Martin is posting online.

Victim's advocates said it might not be illegal, but for St. Martin's victims could be devastating.

"At the same time, victim's rights can get lost in the shuffle," said Janedra Sykes of the San Diego Center for Community Solutions. "It needs to be balanced, have all the voices at the table. It shouldn't be one voice over the others."

This week, prosecutors argued in court that St. Martin, who has served his time, still poses a danger to the community and should remain in custody at Coalinga.

Victim's advocates said in custody or not, his actions on the Internet proved he is not interested in treatment.

"It's a devastating crime … a devastating crime," said Sykes. ..News Source.. by 10News.com