Robin J. Wilson

Circles of Support & Accountability: A Canadian National Replication of Outcome Findings

Circles of Support & Accountability (COSA) started 15 years ago in Ontario, Canada, as an alternate means of social support to high-risk sexual offenders released at the end of their sentences without any community supervision. The pilot project in South-Central Ontario has since assisted almost 200 offenders. Projects based on this model are now in place in the United Kingdom, several jurisdictions in the United States, and throughout Canada. Initial research into the efficacy of the COSA pilot project showed that participation reduced sexual recidivism by 70% or more in comparison with both matched controls and actuarial norms. The current study sought to replicate these findings using an independent Canadian national sample. A total of 44 high-risk sexual offenders, released at sentence completion and involved in COSA across Canada, were matched to a group of 44 similar offenders not involved in COSA. The average follow-up time was 35 months. Recidivism was defined as having a charge or conviction for a new offense. Results show that offenders in COSA had an 83% reduction in sexual recidivism, a 73% reduction in all types of violent recidivism, and an overall reduction of 71% in all types of recidivism in comparison to the matched offenders. These findings suggest that participation in COSA is not site-specific and provide further evidence for the position that trained and guided community volunteers can and do assist in markedly improving offenders’ chances for successful reintegration.

Circles South East: The First 10 Years 2002-2012

This article describes the first 10 years of the implementation of Circles of Support and Accountability (Circles) in the management of sexual offenders in South-East England by Circles South East (CSE). The Circles of 71 core members are reviewed in detail, with reference to demographic data, offense and sentencing histories, risk assessment data, and considerations regarding Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. A group of 71 comparison subjects who were referred to CSE and deemed suitable for but did not receive the service was identified. Follow-up behaviors of both groups are examined (including all forms of reconviction, breach of orders, and prison recall). Over a comparable follow-up period of 55 months, the incidence of violent and contact sexual reconviction in the comparison group was significantly higher than for the Circles cohort. Comparisons are made between expected and actual levels of sexual reconviction, with the Circles cohort showing lower than expected rate of sexual reconviction but not to a statistically significant degree.

Incentives for Offender Research Participation Are Both Ethical and Practical

There is little consistency in policies concerning incentives for offenders to participate in research. With nonoffenders, incentives are routine; in contrast, many jurisdictions and granting agencies prohibit offenders from receiving any external benefits. The reasons for this prohibition are unclear. Consequently, the authors reviewed the ethical and practical concerns with providing incentives to offenders. They conclude that there are no ethical principles that would justify categorically denying incentives for offenders. Research with offenders, however, presents unique practical concerns that need to be considered when determining the magnitude and form of the incentives. In general, the incentives should not be so large as to compel participation of a vulnerable population or to undermine the goals of punishment and deterrence. The authors propose that incentives for offenders should be routinely permitted, provided that they are no larger than the rewards typically available for other socially valued activities (e.g., inmate pay, minimum wage).

Pedophilia: an evaluation of diagnostic and risk prediction methods.

One hundred thirty child sexual abusers were diagnosed using each of following four methods: (a) phallometric testing, (b) strict application of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text revision [DSM-IV-TR]) criteria, (c) Rapid Risk Assessment of Sex Offender Recidivism (RRASOR) scores, and (d) “expert” diagnoses rendered by a seasoned clinician. Comparative utility and intermethod consistency of these methods are reported, along with recidivism data indicating predictive validity for risk management. Results suggest that inconsistency exists in diagnosing pedophilia, leading to diminished accuracy in risk assessment. Although the RRASOR and DSM-IV-TR methods were significantly correlated with expert ratings, RRASOR and DSM-IV-TR were unrelated to each other. Deviant arousal was not associated with any of the other methods. Only the expert ratings and RRASOR scores were predictive of sexual recidivism. Logistic regression analyses showed that expert diagnosis did not add to prediction of sexual offence recidivism over and above RRASOR alone. Findings are discussed within a context of encouragement of clinical consistency and evidence-based practice regarding treatment and risk management of those who sexually abuse children.

Comparing Sexual Offenders at the Regional Treatment Centre (Ontario) and the Florida Civil Commitment Center

Sexual offender civil commitment (SOCC) continues to be a popular means of managing risk to the community in many U.S. jurisdictions. Most SOCC states report few releases, due in large part to the reluctance of the courts to release sexually violent persons/predators (SVPs). Contemporary risk prediction methods require suitable comparison groups, in addition to knowledge of postrelease behavior. Low SVP release rates makes production of local base rates difficult. This article compares descriptive statistics on two populations of sexual offenders: (a) participants in high-intensity treatment at the Regional Treatment Centre (RTC), a secure, prison-based treatment facility in Canada, and (b) SVP residents of the Florida Civil Commitment Center. Results show that these two samples are virtually identical. These groups are best described as “preselected for high risk/need,” according to Static-99R normative sample research. It is suggested that reoffense rates of released RTC participants may serve as a comparison group for U.S. SVPs. Given current release practices associated with U.S. SOCC, these findings are of prospective value to clinicians, researchers, policy makers, and triers of fact.

Paradoxical and double-bind communication in treatment for people who sexually offend

Abstract At its most fundamental structural level, treatment for people who sexually offend has inherently paradoxical elements. These involve questions about efficacy, the balance of community safety and client autonomy and responsibility for meaningful change. These elements can create further forms of paradoxical and double-bind communication within the treatment experience itself. This paper explores this communication and its potentially harmful effects on clients, therapy and community safety, particularly in light of the schemas, implicit theories and cognitive deficits exhibited by people with histories of sexually offending behaviour. It is intended to suggest topics for consideration in solving clinical dilemmas and preventing harm to therapeutic relationships.

Measurement of Male Sexual Arousal and Interest Using Penile Plethysmography and Viewing Time

Not all people who engage in sexual violence do so for the same reasons. It appears that some people do so as a consequence of significant social and personal dysfunction, leading to decreased general and sexual self-regulation including poor interpersonal boundaries. There are, however, some people who engage in sexually offensive behavior because they have a strong sexual interest in or, perhaps, even a sexual preference for doing so. Meta-analytic reviews of the predictors of sexual recidivism suggest that clients who demonstrate sexual interest in or preference for engaging in inappropriate sexual behavior are at considerably higher risk for reoffending. At present, there are two main methods used to identify problematic sexual interests and preferences. The penile plethysmograph (PPG) or phallometric test measures changes in penile physiology upon presentation of audiovisual stimuli intended to elicit sexual arousal. As a measure of relative sexual deviance, the PPG is in wide usage throughout Canada, the USA, and other nations; however, concerns exist regarding standardization and psychometric utility. More recently, viewing time measures (VT; e.g., Abel Assessment, Affinity) have been suggested as being helpful in identifying problematic sexual interests. VT methods tend to be used in jurisdictions where ethical and moral concerns exist regarding use of PPG and in situations where PPG cannot be used (e.g., individuals with erectile dysfunction). In this chapter, we present a historical and practical overview of each method (PPG and VT), highlighting strengths and weaknesses. We conclude with a comparative analysis of these two approaches to identifying paraphilic propensities in clients who have sexually offended and make suggestions for future research and practical considerations.

People with special needs and sexual behaviour problems: balancing community and client interests while ensuring effective risk management

Abstract Deinstitutionalisation movements of the mid-1900s led to changes in policy and practice in the management of people with special needs (defined for this article as people with severe and persistent mental illness, intellectual disabilities and high levels of personality factors that interfere with treatment participation). Although the majority of clients with special needs receive care in community settings and interact more with family, friends and others in the community, some such clients require more rigorous case management. For clients who have offended, especially sexually, community-based services are scarce, and concerns regarding reoffence potential often supersede traditional understandings of diminished capacity. Recent reports suggest that jails and prisons have replaced hospitals as the institutions-of-choice for clients with special needs who engage in inappropriate conduct. This paper examines policies and practices regarding community risk management of people with special needs who have sexually offended. Vignettes are provided to illustrate how some clients and agencies have been affected, and suggestions are made to ensure best practices in risk management and public safety.

Community-Based Management of Sexual Offender Risk: Options and Opportunities

There are few, if any, communities anywhere in the world that are unconcerned about the potential for renewed harm posed by people who have engaged in sexual abuse. A quick glance at any newspaper will confirm that this topic inspires a lot of strongly emotional rhetoric. Indeed, people who have engaged in sexual abuse appear to be one of the very few groups of people that many others in the community would regard as disposable or unredeemable. The reasons for these perspectives are obvious — the types of people most likely to be victimized are women, children, and other vulnerable persons. However, as much as many members of the community might like to lock up the offenders and throw away the key, emerging perspective suggests that sexual abuse is a social health problem that we can realistically tackle (Levenson and Prescott, 2013), but that this will likely require more and better research to confirm (Hanson, 2014).

Assessment of Risk to Sexually Reoffend: What Do We Really Know?

As recently as 30 years ago, assessments of sexual offender reoffense potential were offered by “experts” relying on clinical judgments fraught with subjectivity. In the wake of damning research showing that such ratings were often no better than chance in predicting outcome, mechanical processes were developed to increase objectivity, known as actuarial risk assessment instruments or ARAIs (e.g., Static-99, Risk Matrix-2000). In contemporary practice, ARAIs are used to anchor risk judgments; however, they continue to generate controversy, especially in the highly litigious realm of sexual offender civil commitment and other extraordinary measures of containment and restriction of offender liberties. Additionally, research is clear that use of ARAIs provides only moderate predictive accuracy and that other psychologically meaningful factors must also be considered. This chapter traces the history of sexual offender risk assessment techniques, ultimately focusing on contemporary approaches marrying ARAIs with structured approaches to appraising criminogenic need and instituting evidence-based case management practices. Successes achieved and suggestions for future research and practice are addressed.