Background: Due to several well-publicized cases in the media, the 73rd legislature increased the minimum period of supervision for felony sex offenders and required courts to enforce registration of sex offenders for specific offenses, especially sex offenses involving children. Photographs and fingerprints were added as part of the registration process. The supervision officer is required to notify the local law enforcement agency, refer the offender, and verify the registration process. For all sex offenses in which the victim is under the age of 17, the local law enforcement agency must publish a notice in the newspaper of the offender’s age and gender, a description of the offense, and the city, street, and zip code of the person’s residence. Additionally, the local law enforcement agency is required to notify the school district in which the offender resides, if the victim is an active student within any school district.
The Sex Offender Caseload Program was implemented in ’91 to provide intensive and specialized supervision and treatment to offenders whose primary offense is a sex offense. The goal of the program is to provide treatment for all sex offenders who are court ordered to receive it, regardless of their financial status.
Program description The department contracts for indigent services with a clinical psychologist who specializes in dealing with sex offenders. The psychologist provides individual and group therapy for offenders.
All sex offenders are required as a condition of community supervision to report for a sex offender evaluation by a licensed therapist approved by the CSO, including a psychological or psychiatric testing, a clinical evaluation, and a clinical/therapeutic polygraph if determined necessary. In addition, the sex offender is required to attend and participate in a counseling program recommended by the CSO.
In Fiscal Year ‘97, a support group for offender’s families was added, to help family members understand the counseling provided, sex offender rules, and provide a resource for questions or concerns.
In Fiscal Year '99 a Chaperone Training Program was added to the program. The program consists of a two class, two hour training seminar designed to train potential chaperones. An offender who is court ordered to have a chaperone present when having contact with minors is required to find an individual that can go through this training and be appointed a chaperon. The individual is usually an adult family member and is screened by the Sex Offender Caseload Officers. Those that are approved as potential chaperones attend the seminar. Appointed Chaperones are required to attend the class initially, attend a refresher seminar in six months, then attend annual refresher courses.
