❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice addresses sex offender programs within the Department of Corrective Services, including program details, availability, and consequences for non-participation. The response details program specifics and explains limitations in data collection.
AnsweredQoN 6310Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) How many of these are sex offenders who have not been through a sex offender program?
(2) Of this number how many are out in the community without supervision?
(3) What sex offender program is offered to offenders in prison?
(4) Who runs these programs?
(5) What is the time length of these programs and what material is used?
(6) Are there any programs running now and what month and year did the last program run?
(7) If a sex offender is imprisoned and believes that they are innocent of the charges and do not take part in a sex offender program, are they penalised in any way?
(8) Is it a requirement of parole that a person jailed for a sex offence must complete a program before release?
(2) Of this number how many are out in the community without supervision?
(3) What sex offender program is offered to offenders in prison?
(4) Who runs these programs?
(5) What is the time length of these programs and what material is used?
(6) Are there any programs running now and what month and year did the last program run?
(7) If a sex offender is imprisoned and believes that they are innocent of the charges and do not take part in a sex offender program, are they penalised in any way?
(8) Is it a requirement of parole that a person jailed for a sex offence must complete a program before release?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
17 June 2008
Responded by
Minister for Employment Protection representing the Minister for Corrective Services
Response time
35 days
There are no offenders unsupervised in the Community. Offenders across the State continue to be managed and supervised. Those offenders who are not currently assigned to a specific case officer are still required to report to a duty officer in accordance with their orders and their compliance is monitored through the supervisory team in each Community Justice Services branch.
(1- 2) Offenders are recorded by order type rather than by offence type. As such, the Department would be required to undertake a manual review and audit of offender's files in order to provide a response. I am not prepared to divert scarce resources.
(3) The Department of Corrective Services currently has the following sex offender programs: Indigenous Medium Program, Intensive Program, Medium Program and Intellectually Disabled Program.
(4) The Indigenous Medium Program, Intensive Program and Medium Program are all run by Department of Corrective Services, Offender Services staff. The Intellectually Disabled Program is jointly run by Offender Services and a Disability Services Commission staff member.
(5)
Indigenous Medium Program
· Format: 18 week group program, 2 days per week, 5 hours per day (10 participants).
· Objective(s): Reduce sexual reoffending.
· Content: Taking responsibility, identifying and reducing cognitive distortions, increasing victim empathy and implementing relapse prevention.
· Target group: Indigenous sex offenders.
· Availability: Greenough Regional Prison.
Intellectually Disabled Program
· Format: 16 week group program, 2 days per week, 6 hours per day (limited to 6-8 Participants).
· Objective(s): reduce sexual reoffending, increase level of observed social skills, increased insight and understanding of dysfunctional sexual behaviours and maintain increased monitoring and control over these behaviours.
· Content: Comprehension, Social Skills, Relationships, Sexuality, Victim Empathy and Relapse Prevention.
· Target group: medium risk sex offenders with low levels of intellectual ability.
· Availability: Casuarina.
Intensive Sex Offender Program (INSOTP)
· Format: Residential program, with 6 hrs group-work per day, 3 days per week for 6 months.
· Objective(s): Reduce sexual reoffending
· Content: Responsibility taking, emotional self-management, motivation to change, intimacy and relationship skills, distorted thinking, relapse prevention, fantasy, trust and consent, problem solving.
· Target group: Male sex offenders who pose the greatest risk of re-offending and will cause the greatest amount of damage to victims.
· Availability: Casuarina and Bunbury Prisons.
Medium Program
· Format: 16 week group program, 2 days per week, 5 hours per day. (max 10 participants).
· Objectives: Reduce sexual reoffending.
· Content: Taking responsibility, identifying and reducing cognitive distortions, increasing victim empathy and implementing relapse prevention.
· Target group: Medium risk sex offenders. These individuals may have committed offences involving some level of aggression and repetitive sex offences against a small number of victims.
· Availability: Karnet Prison Farm and Bunbury Prison.
(6) Programs currently running:
· The Intensive Sex Offender Program (INSOTP) currently being delivered at Casuarina started on 29
th
October 2007 with pre-group interviews and assessment taking place the month prior. The INSOTP is due to finish on 20
th
May 2008.
· Pre-group interviews for the next Intensive Sex Offender Program will commence July 2008.
· Medium Sex Offender Program - Pre-group interviews commenced on 19
th
March 2008 for the Bunbury. The program is due to commence 19 May 2008.
· Pre-group interviews for a Medium Sex Offender Program at Karnet are due to commence on 20
th
May 2008.
· A second Medium Sex Offender Program will be delivered at Karnet with pre-group interviews starting in July 2008.
(7) Where an offender for any reason chooses themselves not to take part in a program they have been assessed as needing, they are required to sign a Waiver that outlines possible consequences for their choice. They are informed that "Should you choose to waiver your booking in this program you may affect your security rating, placement and subsequent release to parole."
With regard to sex offenders who deny their sex offending, Dr Bill Marshall, world renowned expert in the field, will come to Perth in July 2008, to oversee the delivery of a program based on a similar program from Canada that DCS is in the process of developing.
(8) This is a matter for the Prisoner Review Board's consideration and determination.
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
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(1- 2) Offenders are recorded by order type rather than by offence type. As such, the Department would be required to undertake a manual review and audit of offender's files in order to provide a response. I am not prepared to divert scarce resources.
(3) The Department of Corrective Services currently has the following sex offender programs: Indigenous Medium Program, Intensive Program, Medium Program and Intellectually Disabled Program.
(4) The Indigenous Medium Program, Intensive Program and Medium Program are all run by Department of Corrective Services, Offender Services staff. The Intellectually Disabled Program is jointly run by Offender Services and a Disability Services Commission staff member.
(5)
Indigenous Medium Program
· Format: 18 week group program, 2 days per week, 5 hours per day (10 participants).
· Objective(s): Reduce sexual reoffending.
· Content: Taking responsibility, identifying and reducing cognitive distortions, increasing victim empathy and implementing relapse prevention.
· Target group: Indigenous sex offenders.
· Availability: Greenough Regional Prison.
Intellectually Disabled Program
· Format: 16 week group program, 2 days per week, 6 hours per day (limited to 6-8 Participants).
· Objective(s): reduce sexual reoffending, increase level of observed social skills, increased insight and understanding of dysfunctional sexual behaviours and maintain increased monitoring and control over these behaviours.
· Content: Comprehension, Social Skills, Relationships, Sexuality, Victim Empathy and Relapse Prevention.
· Target group: medium risk sex offenders with low levels of intellectual ability.
· Availability: Casuarina.
Intensive Sex Offender Program (INSOTP)
· Format: Residential program, with 6 hrs group-work per day, 3 days per week for 6 months.
· Objective(s): Reduce sexual reoffending
· Content: Responsibility taking, emotional self-management, motivation to change, intimacy and relationship skills, distorted thinking, relapse prevention, fantasy, trust and consent, problem solving.
· Target group: Male sex offenders who pose the greatest risk of re-offending and will cause the greatest amount of damage to victims.
· Availability: Casuarina and Bunbury Prisons.
Medium Program
· Format: 16 week group program, 2 days per week, 5 hours per day. (max 10 participants).
· Objectives: Reduce sexual reoffending.
· Content: Taking responsibility, identifying and reducing cognitive distortions, increasing victim empathy and implementing relapse prevention.
· Target group: Medium risk sex offenders. These individuals may have committed offences involving some level of aggression and repetitive sex offences against a small number of victims.
· Availability: Karnet Prison Farm and Bunbury Prison.
(6) Programs currently running:
· The Intensive Sex Offender Program (INSOTP) currently being delivered at Casuarina started on 29
th
October 2007 with pre-group interviews and assessment taking place the month prior. The INSOTP is due to finish on 20
th
May 2008.
· Pre-group interviews for the next Intensive Sex Offender Program will commence July 2008.
· Medium Sex Offender Program - Pre-group interviews commenced on 19
th
March 2008 for the Bunbury. The program is due to commence 19 May 2008.
· Pre-group interviews for a Medium Sex Offender Program at Karnet are due to commence on 20
th
May 2008.
· A second Medium Sex Offender Program will be delivered at Karnet with pre-group interviews starting in July 2008.
(7) Where an offender for any reason chooses themselves not to take part in a program they have been assessed as needing, they are required to sign a Waiver that outlines possible consequences for their choice. They are informed that "Should you choose to waiver your booking in this program you may affect your security rating, placement and subsequent release to parole."
With regard to sex offenders who deny their sex offending, Dr Bill Marshall, world renowned expert in the field, will come to Perth in July 2008, to oversee the delivery of a program based on a similar program from Canada that DCS is in the process of developing.
(8) This is a matter for the Prisoner Review Board's consideration and determination.
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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