NCJ Number
214769
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 70 Issue: 1 Dated: June 2006 Pages: 13-17
Date Published
June 2006
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article presents an overview of effective sex offender management in the Federal probation and pretrial services system.
Abstract
Sex offenders are a disparate group of offenders who can be effectively managed in the community if the probation or pretrial services officers are knowledgeable about sex offender treatment and supervision. The article begins by debunking current myths about sex offenders before moving onto a discussion of the key components to effective sex offender management. The importance of specialized training on sex offender community supervision is underscored, as is the importance of providing treatment that is sex offender-specific. The differences between traditional mental health treatment and sex offender-specific treatment are outlined and officers are advised to work with treatment providers who have advanced degrees and who adhere to the standards and practices of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. Information regarding the supervision of sex offenders on post-conviction supervision indicated that the most widely used method for treating sex offenders was group and individual counseling while polygraph testing was considered the most effective means of validating the offender’s self-reports. Finally, the authors discuss the costs of managing and treating sex offenders in the community versus keeping them incarcerated in a correctional institution and offers cost information on the treatment of sex offenders in 10 districts across the United States. Tables, figure, footnotes