Fifteen Month Planning and Evaluation Report of the 'Special Offender Program' (SOP) in Suffolk County: Preliminary Statistical Results

• NCJ Number: 112122
• Author(s): W A Stewart; J J Golbin
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 24 pages
• Corporate Author: Suffolk County Probation Dept
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This preliminary evaluation of Suffolk County's (New York) Special Offender Program (SOP) -- a special intensive supervision program for sex offenders, mentally ill offenders, and developmentally disabled offenders -profiles participants and examines recidivism under the program.

Abstract

Probation officers serving in the SOP have specialized caseloads and have been trained to address the primary dysfunctions exhibited by their caseloads. Immediately accessible and relevant treatment services are another major aspect of the program. Over the first 15 months of the program (October 1, 1986, through December 31, 1987), 83 persons representing 103 cases had been accepted into the SOP. Of these, 77.1 percent were sex offenders, and 22.9 percent were offenders exhibiting a major mental illness or a developmental disability. Over this period, not one of the sex offenders was rearrested for a felony sex offense, and only two of the six sex offenders who recidivated were rearrested for sex offenses consisting of B misdemeanor charges. None in the mentally deficient subgroup were rearrested for any felony offenses. These initial results are encouraging but only represent early indicators. 14 tables and study instruments.