❓ WA Parliamentary Question on Notice regarding sex offender rehabilitation programs at Bunbury Regional Prison, including program details, staffing, offender numbers, and future program development with expert consultation.
AnsweredQoN 2781Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(2) If the answer to (1) is no, for how long has there been no sex offender rehabilitation program run at Bunbury Regional Prison?
(3) If the answer to (1) is yes, how many prisoners are enrolled in the sex offender rehabilitation program at Bunbury Regional Prison?
(4) If the answer to (1) is yes, how many FTE staff are employed to run the sex offender rehabilitation program at Bunbury Regional Prison?
(5) How many sex offenders are currently imprisoned at Bunbury Regional Prison?
(6) How many sex offenders have been released from Bunbury Regional prison in the past two years?
(7) Of the sex offenders who have been released in the past two years, how many completed the sex offender rehabilitation program?
(8) If not all sex offenders are required to complete the sex offender rehabilitation program, why not?
(9) What does the sex offender rehabilitation program involve?
(3) If the answer to (1) is yes, how many prisoners are enrolled in the sex offender rehabilitation program at Bunbury Regional Prison?
(4) If the answer to (1) is yes, how many FTE staff are employed to run the sex offender rehabilitation program at Bunbury Regional Prison?
(5) How many sex offenders are currently imprisoned at Bunbury Regional Prison?
(6) How many sex offenders have been released from Bunbury Regional prison in the past two years?
(7) Of the sex offenders who have been released in the past two years, how many completed the sex offender rehabilitation program?
(8) If not all sex offenders are required to complete the sex offender rehabilitation program, why not?
(9) What does the sex offender rehabilitation program involve?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
31 January 2008
Responded by
Minister for Corrective Services
Response time
107 days
1) An Intensive Sex Offender Program finished on 16 October 2007. This program commenced in March 2007.
A Medium Intensity sex offender program is scheduled to begin before the end of this year.
2) N/A.
3) For the program that commenced in March 2007 and concluded in October 2007, 10 prisoners were enrolled in the program. At present there are 10 prisoners scheduled for the next Medium Sex Offender Program referred to above.
4) There are currently 4 FTE employed to run Sex Offender Programs at Bunbury Regional Prison.
5) There are currently 64 sex offenders imprisoned at Bunbury.
6)
The number of sentenced prisoners with Sexual Offences (as Most Serious Offence) released from Bunbury Regional Prison are as follows:
11 in 2005/2006 and
13 in 2006/2007.
7) Of the 24 abovementioned prisoners, 17 completed a Sex Offender rehabilitation program.
8) A range of criteria apply to offender programs. These include:
· the prisoner is not appealing their sentence or conviction;
· they are psychologically well and any psychiatric conditions are stable;
· they are not in denial of their offending behaviour;
· they have the intellectual capacity to participate;
· they are willing to participate.
The decision to not participate in a program or a denial of the offence can impact on parole release. However, I do not consider it acceptable that those who deny their offending behaviour serve time in prison and are then released without undergoing treatment programs. We are, therefore, developing a targeted program for those prisoners who deny they are sex offenders.
I am asking the world renowned expert in the field, Dr Bill Marshall, to come to Perth and oversee delivery of this radical new program. I spoke to him at length about the issue on my recent visit to Canada.
9) All sex offender programs offered to prisoners are based on a cognitive behavioural group-work model. This is recognised as the most therapeutic and effective means of delivering such interventions. The Department's sex offender programs are based on a "Relapse Prevention Framework" that encourages prisoners to identify the factors that contribute to their offending and develop practical strategies to prevent or better manage factors that are likely to that place them at risk of re-offending. The emphasis is on control of behaviour rather than "cure". The sessions in these programs generally address issues such as responsibility taking, emotional self management, motivation to change, intimacy and relationship skills, distorted thinking, victim empathy, gender attitudes, appropriate sexual behaviour (including consent), communication skills, and problem solving.
Prisoners with a higher risk of re-offence and more complex treatment needs are allocated to the Intensive program, whilst those with a moderate risk need and less complex treatment needs are allocated to the Medium intensity program. For a Clinical program to be effective, considerable time must be invested to address complex clinical needs. Therefore, the Intensive Sex Offender Program is
six (6) months
in duration and consists of 6 hours group-work per day, 3 days per week. The Medium Sex Offender Program is
four (4) months
in duration and consists of 5 hours of group-work, 2 days per week. Each program has a maximum of 10 participants.
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A Medium Intensity sex offender program is scheduled to begin before the end of this year.
2) N/A.
3) For the program that commenced in March 2007 and concluded in October 2007, 10 prisoners were enrolled in the program. At present there are 10 prisoners scheduled for the next Medium Sex Offender Program referred to above.
4) There are currently 4 FTE employed to run Sex Offender Programs at Bunbury Regional Prison.
5) There are currently 64 sex offenders imprisoned at Bunbury.
6)
The number of sentenced prisoners with Sexual Offences (as Most Serious Offence) released from Bunbury Regional Prison are as follows:
11 in 2005/2006 and
13 in 2006/2007.
7) Of the 24 abovementioned prisoners, 17 completed a Sex Offender rehabilitation program.
8) A range of criteria apply to offender programs. These include:
· the prisoner is not appealing their sentence or conviction;
· they are psychologically well and any psychiatric conditions are stable;
· they are not in denial of their offending behaviour;
· they have the intellectual capacity to participate;
· they are willing to participate.
The decision to not participate in a program or a denial of the offence can impact on parole release. However, I do not consider it acceptable that those who deny their offending behaviour serve time in prison and are then released without undergoing treatment programs. We are, therefore, developing a targeted program for those prisoners who deny they are sex offenders.
I am asking the world renowned expert in the field, Dr Bill Marshall, to come to Perth and oversee delivery of this radical new program. I spoke to him at length about the issue on my recent visit to Canada.
9) All sex offender programs offered to prisoners are based on a cognitive behavioural group-work model. This is recognised as the most therapeutic and effective means of delivering such interventions. The Department's sex offender programs are based on a "Relapse Prevention Framework" that encourages prisoners to identify the factors that contribute to their offending and develop practical strategies to prevent or better manage factors that are likely to that place them at risk of re-offending. The emphasis is on control of behaviour rather than "cure". The sessions in these programs generally address issues such as responsibility taking, emotional self management, motivation to change, intimacy and relationship skills, distorted thinking, victim empathy, gender attitudes, appropriate sexual behaviour (including consent), communication skills, and problem solving.
Prisoners with a higher risk of re-offence and more complex treatment needs are allocated to the Intensive program, whilst those with a moderate risk need and less complex treatment needs are allocated to the Medium intensity program. For a Clinical program to be effective, considerable time must be invested to address complex clinical needs. Therefore, the Intensive Sex Offender Program is
six (6) months
in duration and consists of 6 hours group-work per day, 3 days per week. The Medium Sex Offender Program is
four (4) months
in duration and consists of 5 hours of group-work, 2 days per week. Each program has a maximum of 10 participants.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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