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Mentally Ill Offenders and Sex Offenders

Mentally Ill Offenders and Sex Offenders. The Problem. Mental illness and the lack of sufficient mental health care have driven offenders into the CJ system for control. History. Why has society relied on the CJ system rather than the health care system to control so many mental health cases?.

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Mentally Ill Offenders and Sex Offenders

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  1. Mentally Ill Offenders and Sex Offenders

  2. The Problem • Mental illness and the lack of sufficient mental health care have driven offenders into the CJ system for control.

  3. History • Why has society relied on the CJ system rather than the health care system to control so many mental health cases?

  4. History • 1970s Economic Recession • Business Closings $$$$ Strained States • States Sought Budget Cuts • Targeted Unpopular Programs • Targeted Programs With Low Voter Backlash • Saved Money • Eliminated Potential Political Liabilities

  5. Reality • Programs that cost the most and have the least impact on voting members of society usually deal with:

  6. What Happened? • There was a major initiative to close state mental hospitals or greatly reduce the number of patients. • How could this be done?

  7. What Happened • If medication worked, why was there a problem?

  8. How Prevalent Is The Problem? • More than a half million probationers and 180,000 state inmates are believed to be mentally ill.

  9. Who Are These Cases? • Mentally ill probation cases most generally fit the following description.

  10. Corrections Problems • Correctional staff typically have little training in identifying and dealing with mental health cases.

  11. Corrections Problems • The problem is exacerbated with the serious psychotic offender who typically poses the greatest risk to society.

  12. Mentally Ill Offender Problems • Understanding and Remembering Directions • Behavioral Requirements May Difficult or Impossible to Satisfy • Inaccessible or Overtaxed Community Mental Health Resources • Service Integration Is Lacking

  13. Implication • Effective supervision of the mentally ill correctional client population is critical.

  14. Some Successful Strategies • Some successful strategies and programs have been developed to deal with these cases.

  15. Specialized Mental Health Programs • Fully Utilize Existing MH Services • Locate and Use Existing MH Professionals • Develop Alternative Funding Sources

  16. Specialized Training For Correctional Staff • Identification and Assessment • Effective TX Modalities • Location of TX Providers • Confidentiality Laws RE: Mental Illness • Reasonable Expectations • Cross Training With MH Staff

  17. Specialized Supervision Policies and Procedures • Specialized Caseloads • Consider Likelihood of Relapse • Develop Progressive Sanctions • Realizing This Is A Different Client Population

  18. Overall Goal • Deal with mental health criminal cases in the most effective manner.

  19. Sex Offenders

  20. Public Perception • Even murderers are accepted by communities with less resistance than the average sex offender. • Why?

  21. Public Resistance • Nature of the Criminal Offenses • Trauma the Offenses Cause Victims • Long Term Psychological Effects • Especially On Young Victims

  22. Why Use Community Corrections? • Most sex offenders will eventually be released from prison.

  23. Keeping Track Of Sex Offenders • Notification Laws were established to create and maintain a central registry, which would serve as a community resource, so sex offenders would not be able to hide from citizens interested in knowing if their neighborhoods were at risk.

  24. Sex Offender Supervision Strategies • Offender Containment Programs • Specialized Caseloads • Interagency Cooperation Programs • Community Education Programs

  25. Offender Containment Programs • The goal has less to do with offender rehabilitation than with public safety.

  26. Offender Containment Programs • Program Beliefs

  27. Offender Containment Programs • Program Beliefs • Most sex-related crime is done in secret and planned in advance. • Most sex offenders are high functioning persons with well-developed social and cognitive skills.

  28. Offender Containment Programs • Program Beliefs • Sex offenders typically have serious and deep-rooted psychological problems, and they are able to create convincing facades to hide the truth about their actions. • Sex offenders are likely to be repeat offenders and typically commit many and varied acts of sexual deviancy over the course of their lives.

  29. Offender Containment Programs • What do offender containment programs regard as highest priority?

  30. Offender Containment Program Structure • Five Key Points • Public safety is paramount. • Sex offender POs require specialized training. • All facets of offenders life must be involved. • Maintain consistent public policy. • Ongoing program evaluation is essential.

  31. Specialized Caseloads • Can specialized caseloads be utilized without an offender containment program approach to supervision?

  32. Interagency Cooperation Programs • How can interagency cooperation programs enhance offender supervision and reduce the risk of recidivism?

  33. Community Education Programs • What is the major focus of community education programs in relation to sex offenders?

  34. Ethical Questions • Do sex offender notification laws and community education programs infringe of sex offender rights?

  35. Ethical Questions • Do sex offender notification laws and community education programs actually serve to increase the likelihood of sex offender recidivism (Labeling Theory)?

  36. What Works • The Supervision Triangle

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