What does it take to keep a convicted sex offender from re-offending?

The biggest obstacle in reducing sex crimes is the lack of communication. At least 60 percent of sexual assaults against children, women and men go unreported. Most cases are reported long after the incident. Many offenders are victims themselves. Report by FerderalWayMirror.com.

Since 1990, Washington has required public registration and notification of convicted sex offenders. Along with supervision as required by law, sex offenders need a supportive environment that steers them away from bad behavior. Churches are often behind-the-scenes heroes in this process.

“Faith communities have always played a key role in helping offenders reintegrate,” said Alisa Klein, public policy consultant for the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. She said faith communities offer a place for offenders to get their spiritual needs met. They also foster a sense of community, and sometimes assist offenders in finding jobs or housing. Offenders who lack stability in these areas are more likely to regress into criminal behavior.

King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) sponsored an interfaith symposium on Jan. 25 in Federal Way. Representatives from local faith communities, prison ministries, the Department of Corrections and victim advocacy organizations examined the keys to public safety in regards to sex offenders.

KCSARC emphasizes the need to raise awareness and “end the silence” that accompanies this often taboo topic.

In the past 20 years of sex offender registration, Washington has seen a significant reduction (60 percent) in such crimes, said Dana Hufford, community corrections risk specialist.

“It’s a real cultural shift,” said Hufford, who works with the Department of Corrections. She credits the increased accountability of offenders, coupled with community partnerships, for this reduction. Overall, she said 13 percent of sex offenders who have gone through the judicial process will re-offend, treated or not.

“A sex offender needs social structure in the community in order to not re-offend,” Hufford said. “He needs positive relationships that hold him accountable.”

The U.S. Justice Department cites a study that says registration laws have made little difference as to whether a perpetrator re-offends. Other studies suggests that offenders are more likely to relapse because of a pre-existing relationship with the victim, regardless of the offender’s residence. The majority of sex crimes are committed by someone the victim knows — either a family member or acquaintance.

The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) advocates for specialized treatment and correct assessments of an offender’s level of risk for re-offending.

In Washington, convicted sex offenders have access to treatment and counseling during incarceration as well as one year after their release. Counselors like Mark Hudson specialize in treating high-risk offenders, some of whom are homeless upon re-entering society. If the offender wants to attend church, for example, Hudson talks with the pastors and church leadership to work on a safety plan. He would also be present to ensure proper disclosure of the offender’s crimes.

“My role is to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” said Hudson, who works for the state Department of Corrections.

Proposed cuts to the state Department of Corrections budget of $1.6 billion will mean less supervision of convicted felons and sex offenders. With that in mind, the symposium stressed the need for stronger community partnerships to pick up the slack.

Controversial state and federal laws

The Community Protection Act of 1990 was created on the heels of two violent sex crimes in the Puget Sound region.

The controversial program allows for indefinite incarceration of the most dangerous sex offenders who still pose a risk at the end of their sentences. More than 300 “sexually violent predators” have been committed under this law, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office. A 2010 State Supreme Court decision made it easier for offenders to challenge their confinement once a year. In December 2011, a proposal called for transferring responsibility of these particular cases in order to reduce the state’s related legal costs.

The Seattle Times recently published a comprehensive special report titled “Price of protection: State wastes millions helping sex predators avoid lockup.” The report notes that Washington spends nearly $12 million a year in legal bills related to the program, which is “plagued by runaway legal costs, a lack of financial oversight and layers of secrecy.”

Passed in 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act is considered the most significant federal legislation. The law calls for more comprehensive registration and monitoring of sex offenders. It was named after Adam Walsh, a 6-year-old boy who as kidnapped in 1981 from a Florida mall and later found murdered.

However, only seven states have met the law’s requirements. Washington has yet to comply. According to a June 2011 report in the Washington (D.C.) Examiner, the cost of implementing the unfunded mandate has slowed states’ progress.

Federal Way connection

In Federal Way, there are 217 registered sex offenders. According to Federal Way police, 21 active registered sex offenders are homeless, 19 have inactive registration (no longer required to report or register), and nine have died.

Every year, Federal Way police check that all of the city’s registered sex offenders are in the right place.

Since 2008, the additional money needed for this operation has come from a King County grant. The funding for the 2011 sex offender check-in was secured with a grant for $34,956.88.

There are three classification levels for sex offenders. Level one indicates the least likely to reoffend, and therefore the least dangerous of these individuals. Level three is considered the most likely to reoffend and the most dangerous to the community. The city checks on level one offenders once a year, level two offenders twice a year and level three offenders every three months.

Tammy Re-offending, Sex Offenders, Washington

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) The majority of sex offenders in Horry County will be allowed to hand out candy to children on Halloween.

State law only prohibits sex offenders on probation or parole from participating in Halloween activities such as handing out candy or putting up decorations.  Report by WMBF News.

Horry County Sheriff’s Deputy Lieutenant Dowe Enzor said parents need to be aware of sex offenders living near their families, especially on Halloween.

Enzor suggested using the State or County sex offender tracking web site to keep track of offenders living nearby.

“It allows [parents] to put in an address or city, and lets you know who’s around you, so you know who’s around you and who you need to look out for,” Enzor said.

Socastee Resident Addrienne Highsmith lives within a quarter mile of 3 registered sex offenders, and despite the fact all three were convicted of crimes against children, she said she is not worried about her two children on Halloween.

“I stay with [my children while trick or treating].  I think parents should stay with their kids and they will be safe in any case, regardless [of whether sex offenders are nearby],” Highsmith said.

Johnny Chestnut lives next door to Highsmith and has 3 children of his own.  He said the thought of sex offenders handing candy to children is disconcerting, but does not think there is a reasonable way to prevent it.

“I don’t like the idea of it, but I think it would a very difficult thing to regulate,” Chestnut said.

Horry County Probation and Parole officials say about 80 of the more than 420 active sex offenders in the county are on probation or parole, and the rest have no restrictions on Halloween activity.

Officials say extra officers will monitor offenders on probation or parole on Halloween, making sure none of them put up decorations, leave their porch lights on or hand out candy to children.

Probation and Parole officers will also enforce a 5:30 PM curfew on Halloween for Offenders on probation or parole.

Horry County has an online data bank of all offenders and an email alert system that allows you to be notified when a sex offender moves to your area. To sign up go to: www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?agencyid=54080&disc.

Tammy SC Horry County, Sex Offenders, South Carolina

MOSCOW—Russian lawmakers on Tuesday gave first-round approval to a bill that strengthens punishments for pedophilia, including imposing mandatory chemical castration or life sentences in cases that involve repeated offenses.

The lower house, or State Duma, unanimously passed President Dmitry Medvedev’s bill in the first of three required readings. The bill also needs approval by the upper house and Medvedev’s signature. Report by BostonGlobe.com.

It imposes chemical castration for sexual crimes against minors younger than 14 by those with a previous pedophilia conviction. The procedure of chemical castration involves the administration of testosterone-suppressing hormones intended to curb sexual drive.

In Europe, Britain, Denmark and Sweden offer chemical castration drugs to sex offenders to control sexual urges on a voluntary basis. In the United States, several states including Louisiana, California, Oregon and Arizona have laws allowing chemical castration.

The law also envisages a life sentence for repeated offenders. Existing law allows for a sentence of 20 years for second-time offenders.

It bill also said that convicted pedophiles can be released on parole only after serving four-fifths of their sentence — or apply for an earlier release only after volunteering for a chemical castration. Under existing law, convicts can apply for a release on parole after serving two-thirds of their sentence.

A lawmaker with the ruling United Russia party said the law follows an increase in the number of crimes against minors.

“In the past 10 years the number of pedophiles in our country rose three- or fourfold,” Tatyana Yakovleva told the Interfax news agency.

In 2010, almost 7,600 people have been convicted for sexual crimes against persons below 16, according to Internal Affairs Ministry statistics

Tammy Russia, Sex Offenders

Electronic tagging of criminals and a serious offenders’ register will be in place in Malta by the end of the year when a law regulating these matters should be finalised, according to the Times of Malta.

Justice and Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici said… the ministry had worked on the groundwork for the introduction of electronic tagging. It would apply to those out on bail awaiting judgement as well as to keep track of prison inmates’ whereabouts. It would also benefit foreign people charged in Malta who might not otherwise be granted bail for fear they might abscond.  The tagging, which may be in the form of a bracelet, could also apply to inmates granted parole, one of the main proposals in the White Paper on Restorative Justice that was presented earlier this year.

The serious offenders’ list would include a paedophile register and would aim to protect people from perpetrators and keep track of those who were convicted of serious crimes, a ministry spokesman elaborated.  The type of “serious crime” to make the register would be determined by the severity of the punishment. However, the details were still being worked out.

vericatrajkova Electronic Monitoring, Europe, INTERNATIONAL, Malta, Sex Offenders

Beginning June 1, it will cost convicted Butler County OH sex offenders to register at the sheriff’s office.  Report from the Dayton Daily News.

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones announced today sex offenders will be billed $25 each time they appear for registration.  Ohio law allows a sheriff’s office to charge a fee to offenders with specific annual guidelines on what amount an offender can be charged and the reason for the charge, according to a press release. A required offender can be charged for the initial registration, for registering a new residence address, and for verification of a current residence address.  Tier III offenders and child-victim offenders may be charged no more than $100 for each registration year. Offenders who have been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a sexually oriented offense or a child-victim offense, excluding Tier III offenders, can not be charged more than $25 each registration year, according to Ohio law.

Fees collected will offset the expenses the county pays each year for the registration and notification of sex offenders. Butler County Sheriff’s Sgt. Melina Smith said today Butler County has 483 registered sex offenders. The tally is fluid and changes weekly, if not daily, as offenders leave the county, move in or become incarcerated. If the number of offenders stayed the same and everyone paid the fee to register, the sheriff’s office would collect approximately $24,300 annually. The cost to notify the sex offenders by mail will be approximately $200, Smith said …

Smith said a person who refuses to pay the fee or who can not due to poverty levels, will be registered. Non payment will not stop registration.  “We are going to tell them to come in a register no matter what,” Smith said. The county can take those who do not pay, but met the criteria, to civil court if they choose to do so.

vericatrajkova OH Butler County, Ohio, Sex Offenders

Criminals are using the lack of rehabilitation in South Australian jails to win less jail time.

In the past 12 months, evidence of the lack of rehabilitation has been considered by judges when:

• Releasing a multiple child sex offender from indefinite detention partly because a lack of resources had delayed rehabilitation.
• Overturning the indefinite detention of a rapist, partly because it was “unfair” he was denied rehabilitation reserved for those soon to be released.
• Fixing a non-parole period for a drug user, commenting he could access better rehabilitation in the community.
• Suspending the sentence of a man convicted of assault, commenting this would allow him to access community rehabilitation.
• Lowering a non-parole period for a sex offender, commenting prison could set back his recovery.

Chair of the Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee George Mancini said the trend was increasing because of a State Government policy of longer sentences. “It is an aspect of overcrowding, of longer terms of imprisonment and not spending sufficient resources on rehabilitation,” he said.  A spokesman for Prisons Minister Tom Koutsantonis defended the Government’s record on rehabilitation.  “Prior to 2005, there was no sex offender treatment in SA prisons at all,” the spokesman said.

A number of the recent decisions have been made on the advice of Dr Raeside, a consulting psychiatrist to the Department of Correctional Services, who has been praised by judges for his professionalism and is highly critical of rehabilitation in the state’s jails.

“I figure if we are going to lock more people up for longer (whether one agrees with that policy or not) then we ought to do something for them whilst they are there to reduce the chances of them re-offending and make the community safer when they get out,” he said.

vericatrajkova Australasia, Australia, Drug Treatment & Diversion, Early Release, INTERNATIONAL, Inmate Programs, Private Prisons, Sex Offenders, South Australia

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver wants the Legislature to give the Iowa Board of Parole expanded authority to continue to hold soon-to-be-paroled child-sex offenders behind bars after they have served prison sentences.  Reported by the Des Moines Register.

But the idea – crafted amid widespread public concern over the release of an offender who indicated he would molest children again if freed – is not likely constitutional, a spokesman for the Iowa attorney general’s office said Tuesday. One reason: Courts could deem that “preventive detention,” a concept that is illegal under state and federal law.  “We are doubtful this kind of measure can pass constitutional muster,” spokesman Bob Brammer said.

Culver’s plan, unveiled by his spokesman, Troy Price, in an e-mail to The Des Moines Register, would give state corrections officials authority to revoke parole without first releasing sex offenders – and keep them in prison for up to two more years …

The idea to revoke parole without ever having released a sex offender appears to be unprecedented across the country, according to some tracking of state laws done by the National Conference of State Legislatures … [However, m]ost states already have enhanced or expanded criminal penalties, mandatory reporting laws, restrictions controlling offenders’ movement and global-positioning technology to track their whereabouts …

Iowa is one of more than 30 states that have civil commitment facilities for sex offenders, but most of the state’s more than 6,000 registered offenders are ineligible to be sent there.   Before a person is civilly committed as a sexual predator, state law requires the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the person suffers from a mental abnormality that makes him likely to commit more sex crimes unless confined to a secure facility.
Legal experts say that’s a high legal burden to prove.

vericatrajkova Civil Commitment, Iowa, Probation and Parole, Sex Offenders

Lancaster City CA officials are fighting the state’s plans to convert a local prison reception center into a long-term facility that could house up to 1,500 “sensitive needs” inmates.  Report from the Los Angeles Times.

The state’s proposal calls for housing hundreds of inmates who could be at risk living in the general prison population, such as sex offenders and former gang members. The new accommodations, located on the prison campus, would be equipped to provide ongoing rehabilitative services. Prison officials said converting the transition center in Lancaster into a long-term facility is critical to addressing a statewide backlog of 1,500 “sensitive needs” inmates who need appropriate housing. They said the inmates need to be living in a regular prison yard where they can go to school and attend substance-abuse programs and other rehabilitation courses.   “It’s not just something we’re doing on a whim,” said Scott Kernan, undersecretary of operations for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. “There is no other facility in the entire state system that could house this population” …

But Lancaster officials argue that the Antelope Valley is already home to some of the highest per-capita concentrations of parolees, juvenile probationers and federal Section 8 housing recipients in Los Angeles County. They fear that establishing a long-term facility for “sensitive needs” inmates would encourage more transfers from other prisons and make it easier for families and associates of inmates to visit or relocate to the valley.   Once released, the ex-convicts would probably choose to remain in the area, said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “It’s a tremendous risk to the community,” he said …

The Lancaster prison is currently home to 4,800 inmates, according to the state corrections department. Of these, 600 are categorized as “sensitive needs” prisoners. Roughly 2,800 prisoners living in the reception center have yet to be classified.

vericatrajkova California, Gangs (STGs), Sex Offenders

Some of the 865 male sex offenders in the New Hampshire state prison system are being held past their parole dates because there are just 90 spots in the treatment program most of them must take.

One man told the Concord Monitor that he wasn’t allowed to apply for the 18-month program until a year after he became eligible for parole. Keeping an inmate in prison one year past his parole date costs about $30,000, versus $800 for a year of parole.

Prison officials acknowledge the backlog but say some prisoners cause the delay themselves. Sex offenders can’t begin the program until they admit to their offense and those who misbehave while enrolled can get kicked out of the program.

vericatrajkova Inmate Programs, New Hampshire, Sex Offenders

There are a lot of things on the chopping block in Washington State Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed biennial budget, but one thing she said she wants to keep is a program to track sex offender registrations.  Report from the Tri-City Herald.

Gregoire and law enforcement officials said Monday that two programs — one that provides money for law enforcement agencies to verify sex offenders’ addresses and one to improve the state’s online offender database — are showing results and keeping communities safer.   The $5 million for law enforcement agencies was divvied up among the state’s 38 counties and allowed officers to visit offenders’ addresses to make sure they were where they claimed to be …

Franklin County Sheriff Richard Lathim said … the $94,107 from the state allowed him, in part, to team up with Pasco to hire a part-time person to do the paperwork to track offenders and keep the database current.   It also paid for training so that officers will be following the same procedures as the rest of the state, because part of the program’s goal is consistency in enforcement.  Benton County, which has 468 registered sex offenders, received $131,252; Adams County with 45 registered offenders got $45,000; Columbia County with 21 registered offenders got $21,000; Grant County with 275 registered offenders got $101,750; and Walla Walla County with 159 registered offenders got $84,018 …

A total of 569 offenders of the more than 13,000 visited were not at their reported addresses.   The program requires officers to visit Level III offenders — those convicted of the worst crimes or deemed the highest risk to communities — every three months.  Level II offenders — those considered a moderate risk to communities — must be visited every six months. Level I offenders are visited once a year …

Gregoire also put $321,000 into improving the state’s online sex offender database to make it easier for citizens to find information about offenders in their neighborhoods.   The new site, called Offender Watch, allows people to sign up for e-mail alerts when a sex offender moves in nearby, and links all of the county sheriffs’ registries so they can track when an offender moves from one county to another.   “Together, these two programs have put tools into the chest of our law enforcement community to strengthen the way we manage sex offenders,” Gregoire said.

vericatrajkova Sex Offenders, Washington