NCJ Number
195853
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Dated: June 2002 Pages: 16-20
Date Published
June 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article reports on the findings of the 2001 Texas Sex Offender Supervision Survey, which examined the use of six supervision tools for sex offenders by local community supervision and corrections departments (CSCDs).
Abstract
The survey determined how many departments were using the various methods of supervision and identified the most significant barriers to the use of each tool. The survey focused on the following supervision tools: specialized caseload supervision; the clinical polygraph; the Abel Screen (measures sexual interest in various stimuli); the penile plethysmograph (PPG), a medical device that assesses male sexual arousal to various stimuli; electronic monitoring; and clinical staffing (meeting attended by the offender, therapist, and supervision officer to discuss offender progress). The survey found that 66 percent of CSCDs had implemented specialized sex offender supervision caseloads, approximately the same proportion found in 1999. Eighty percent of the responding agencies reported using the clinical polygraph regularly for sex offender supervision, a significantly greater percentage than in 1996. Almost half of the CSCDs regularly used the Abel Screen as a component of sex offender supervision and/or treatment, and 21 percent used the PPG regularly. Fewer than half (39 percent) of the CSCDs reported using electronic monitoring regularly, approximately the same proportion as in 1999. Sixty-three percent of the Texas supervision departments were using clinical staffings regularly in their supervision of sex offenders. This article assesses these findings and notes the importance of monitoring sex offenders' use of the Internet. 2 tables and 6 references