NOTE: Do not use any real names, just your experience.
Have you ever had to attend a sexual offender treatment program? If so, what do you think about it? Do you feel like it helped, hurt, was a waste of time, or what?
- Did you have to have polygraphs? If so, please explain.
- Did you have to complete the Abel, Static 99, or any other tests? If so, please explain.
- Did you have group therapy? If so, please explain.
- Did you have individual therapy? If so, please explain.
- What types of fees did you have to pay?
- Was the therapy mandatory or voluntary?
We are just wanting to see how others have experienced therapy, if they believe it helped, hurt, waste of time, etc, and so that others, ex-sex offenders and the general public, can read about your experience with therapy.
Leave a comment below.
Yes I had to take polygraphs. Ive taken at least 4 polygraphs. The first time I had to take it twice. I failed the first and passed the second with the exact same answers. I wont tell you the city or state but the polygrapher had an inside nickname with the group therapy guys called 2-time jim. Nothing like getting 1000 dollars instead of 500.
ReplyDeleteI had to take all the tests. Took one where i had to look at pictures of men women and children in bathing suits and what not, passed, slight attraction to women under the age of 18 moderate attraction to women over the age of 18. This is what every male or hetero male should get. Plathysmagraph this one I failed apparently I did fine till the last scenario where they describe a scene but the girls age is 14 to 18 years old. If the girl is 18 (or 16 in most states) this is completely legal. Guess who got to take this twice. Also while this test is boring and you have to put a rubberband type sensor around your exposed penis the normal sexual interactions are described boringly. While the underage ones are very explicit and involve more acts than just getting on top of your age appropriate lover. I took a psycho sexual evaluation again in 2009 since all my records "got lost" passed as normal scored a 2. with a recommendation to be let off probation. Every other test I have taken I have passed.
Yes I had group therapy. it was terrible. I find it strange that in some states your sex offender for being 19 and having sex with a 16 year old girl. But in other states this is normal? So when I moved I was no longer considered a sex offender.
I had individual therapy this helped me for other issues I had sex issues weren't really touched on because in the state I live in now my offense isn't against the law.
In the first state well over 2000 in testing within the first 90 days. Now after I take an annual polygraph to get off probation while living in another state I will be up to maybe 600 dollars. Im not evcen including probation fees from the first state or counceling fees. In fact I know first hand alot of money is being exchanged with in sex offender probation/treatment fees. Its a monopoly and group therapy is a joke. its a warehouse for a few lucky pyschologists to get paid. In fact our main therapist used to always love telling us how they wrote the treatment book in the Bahama's so their vacation was a write off.
Therapy is mandatory and you can't pick where you want to go at all. Like I said above its a monopoly.
For me, it's pretty much been a mixture of good and bad:
ReplyDelete1) I was double-teamed by probation to sign away my right to a hearing to determine if I really needed to go to therapy...
2) They sent me for an assessment which involved the ABEL test and, of course, it revealed that I had issues which, being a sex offender, had to include pedophilia (of course)...
3) Been with my group for about 17 months now and, while much is a waste of time (we have everything from solicitation of a minor to various forms of pornography) since everything is generally applied no matter what your offense
4) Polygraphs come every 6 to 8 months (I pass regularly since I don't take questions at face value and ask for clarification before answering -- try it, it works!)
5) Currently, we are working on male and female sexual development (so that's where that is!)
6) My group therapist has been after me for a few months now to do individual therapy (I assume they need the money) but I have declined as I don't require further scrutiny (I'm sure I could use somebody to talk to occasionally but I don't trust somebody who is employed by the government)
I never look forward to going to group but generally get into the discussion and often control the responses because I have plenty to say and offer. If this is my calling and I have been gifted with the ability, then I'm happy to share (regardless of the inane curriculum)...
The monthly co-pay is $50.00 (essentially extortion since the court never ordered me to attend as I noted above. The probation department manipulated events so that I was forced to attend)...
nuf said...
We'd also like to hear from females who had to go to treatment.
ReplyDeleteI was charged with 3 counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct 2nd Degree at age 17 as an adult. Two of the charges were from a detective taking my twin 7yo cousins in a room alone and talking to them and them coming out an hour later each crying and having said I molested them.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the other charge the only evidence they had was my aunt (different mother then the twins) saying she heard her daughter say something about me molesting her.
I was told I would face 15 years per charge if I did not plea to one of the charges and accept a 1 year sentence and 3 years probation. I was innocent but was informed that if I fight it I would end up losing because most males lose these cases.
I did so at the behest of my 2 court appointed lawyer (the first had to drop my case for some reason 2 days before my plea) knowing ONLY the above.
Right after my plea I was registered as a sex offender and when I got out of jail (not prison) after 10 month I was forced to take one polygraph test costing $400 which I was told I failed and if
I wanted to try again it would cost another $400 which I did not have. They said it was to
see if I needed counseling. I declined and I was ordered to go to group therapy.
Group therapy was a joke. I was sent to a christian oriented group (my only option even though I am Pagan) and was in the group with others who I had been in the jail with and some other people I did not know.
The offenses ranged from full on violent rape to a guy who got drunk in a bar and grabbed a 15 year old's breast.
We were forced to "accept Christ" as the leader of the group said he was the "only path to healing." We were forced to admit that we stalked and groomed children and that basically our whole life revolved around the pursuit of children for not sexual but power purposes.
I personally was forced to "admit" that I had many more victims then the 3 I was charged with. I also was forced to make my father believe that I did this (he has always been a staunch supporter of me as have my whole immediate family, thank the gods) and that if I am allowed around children I will do it again. I lied to them and did not do this as I was not going to have it break my father any more then this already had.
We took many personality tests as a group but I do not know which ones as it has been over 10 years ago.
Most of mine showed that I was deeply angry and had issues such as paranoia and depression. (Which I had been being treated for before my charges by a different therapist and I was on medication for already.) The group forced me to "admit" that these were caused by feeling guilty about what I had done and fear that I would do it again.
All in all it was a lot of making everyone gang up on an individual to get them to say what the group leader wanted to hear. If you did not participate or admit to things when you were expected to the group leader would send a report to your probation/parole officer and in the county I was in if you got I believe 3 or 5 negative reports your probation or parole was revoked and you were thrown back in jail or prison.
Even if I had truly committed a sex crime I believe this therapy would have done more harm then good. In fact I would hazard to guess that pressuring a person who truly has issues in the way they did me would cause them to commit other crimes.
I believe I had to pay $20 every week I attended in cash to the group leader and I went every week for several months until I had satisfied the group leader that I was "on the correct path towards healing in God's love." Those were his exact words when he gave me the letter to give to my probation officer.
Also for my jail stay I was charged over $12,000 which I still have not paid off as I am unemployed.
Did you have to have polygraphs?
ReplyDeleteYes, and I have passed it every time. I think it foolish if it can’t be use against you it seems like everything else money your a sex offender pay me, your any other kind of criminal its ok no charge.
Did you have to complete the Abel, Static 99, or any other tests?
No
Did you have group therapy?
Yes, more money wasted some times in fact I sleep in my group and it seem like everyone’s talking at the same time and about everything else but what took place or helping.
Did you have individual therapy? If so, please explain.
No
What types of fees did you have to pay?
Thirty five dollars a week
Was the therapy mandatory or voluntary?
Mandatory
I was in confrontative group therapy weekly and individual therapy monthly for 9 years. It was a very difficult but positive experience. It was in no regard a waste of time. Did you have to have polygraphs? If so, please explain.
ReplyDeleteYes I took polygraphs 2 or 3 times a year, as directed by the probation dept and my therapist.
Did you have to complete the Abel, Static 99, or any other tests? If so, please explain.
Yes. Several tests as directed by my therapist, including (3) plethysmographs - 1 at the beginning to assess my starting point, and 2 more during the 9 years to assess my progress.
Did you have group therapy? If so, please explain.9 years of weekly confrontative group therapy. It was the best part of my sex offender treatment. Did you have individual therapy? If so, please explain.Monthly. Mainly just to assess and talk about my participation in the group therapy. I usually also had individual tasks to perform as well, such as journalling and other therapies and assignments. What types of fees did you have to pay? I had to pay for everything. It was not fun OR easy. Paying for therapy and child support left me penniless for many years. Was the therapy mandatory or voluntary? It was a condition of probation. If I wanted to avoid prison, I needed to comply with probation. However, had I gone to prison, I would have had mandatory therapy there as well.
Overall, I'm glad to have had the experience because I know that it's extremely unlikely that I will re-offend and create more victims. Generally speaking, if a person takes an active roll in the therapy that I went through,I'm told that it is the civillian equivalent of getting a masters degree in psychology.