FY1999 Comprehensive Approaches to Sex Offender Management Grants

Planning Grants

Arkansas

The State of Arkansas utilized a planning grant to evaluate its management of juvenile sex offenders. At the time of this grant, Arkansas had a population of approximately 2,527,600. Despite several thriving metropolitan areas, it is predominately rural, and many of its rural regions are poor and isolated. Between 1995 and 1998, 527 counts of sexual offenses were recorded for juveniles adjudicated in the state, with 189 counts of those constituting felony forcible rape. Juveniles adjudicated for sex crimes increased by approximately 13 percent during that same four-year period. The grantee team conducted a statewide review of practices in juvenile sex offender management, identified the strengths and weaknesses of those practices, and provided recommendations to enhance the management of these youth.

California, San Diego County

San Diego County, the fourth largest county in the United States, covers 4,261 square miles and in 1999, had a population of approximately 2,794,800. The county utilized a planning grant to coordinate efforts of local agencies in the management of juvenile and adult sex offenders. Through this grant, community members were brought together to participate on committees to examine practices around sex offender management and identify gaps in services, communication, and information sharing. Each committee focused on a specific topic: registration and notification; community supervision; assessment and treatment; victim advocacy; data collection and research, and court protocols. The committees made recommendations that directed county efforts to provide a coordinated, comprehensive continuum to the management of sex offenders.

California, San Luis Obispo County

San Luis Obispo County is a largely rural area on the California coast, located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. In May 1999, the county Probation Department supervised 135 sex offenders and the Parole Unit supervised 81 sex offenders. There were 619 registered sex offenders living in the county. A planning grant was used to bring together local agencies to form a coalition to develop a coordinated, countywide approach to sex offender management. To this end, the Probation and Parole Departments and the Sheriff's Office worked together to supervise sex offenders on probation and parole, monitor and track registered sex offenders, and develop a prevention program for elementary school students. The coalition also worked to develop a risk assessment tool, incorporate the use of the polygraph into treatment plans for sex offenders on probation, and develop a database for law enforcement agencies to share information on convicted sex offenders residing in the county.

Idaho

Idaho is a rural state with a 1999 population of approximately 1,006,750 and a youth population of 351,350. The land area is over 83,557 square miles. The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections received a planning grant to bring together a team representing different parts of the juvenile justice system to develop a comprehensive system for managing youthful sex offenders throughout the state. Although sex offenders made up only 6 percent of the total juvenile arrests in Idaho in 1998 (136 out of 22,116), they represent over 30 percent of youth in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Corrections. As part of the grant, the team provided relevant professionals training in supervision, assessment, and treatment. The team also created a plan to provide more services and resources around the state, including better access to treatment and aftercare focusing on community reintegration.

Maryland, Baltimore City

The Maryland Division of Parole and Probation utilized a planning grant to develop a more effective management and supervision system for adult sex offenders in the community. As of April 1999, 1,898 sex offenders were incarcerated in Maryland prisons. Approximately 600 sex offenders were under the supervision of the Division of Parole and Probation, with 358 being supervised by the division's Special Offenders Unit. The efforts of the grantee team focused on the city of Baltimore, where the majority of sex offenders in the state are supervised. Baltimore 's population in 1998 was 736,014; approximately 60 percent were African Americans. The division intended to replicate the planning process used in Baltimore to improve the supervision of sex offenders in other parole and probation regions in the state.

New Jersey

The New Jersey Department of Corrections received a planning grant to establish a statewide approach to managing sex offenders on probation or parole and in residential centers. In 1998, the state's 21 counties had an estimated total population of 8,143,400. The grant supported a planning process that engaged key stakeholders in examining management practices and developing a comprehensive plan to manage sex offenders in the community. The collaborative team worked toward developing strategies to identify sex offenders and maintain a statewide tracking system. The team also worked to create a directory of treatment providers and assess treatment practices. The team developed a strategic plan for supervision and related interagency policies and procedures, and sought to establish a council to oversee coordination of statewide supervision. In addition, the team worked to address gaps in sex offender legislation.

New York, New York City

The City of New York is the largest city in the United States, with a 1999 population of over 7,000,000. The city used its planning grant to develop a more comprehensive plan to manage juvenile and adult sex offenders under community supervision and improve the coordination of services among involved agencies. The grantee team collected information to increase their knowledge about the city's sex offender population and mapped offenders' paths through the criminal justice system. Through the mapping process, the team assessed the effectiveness of their interactions at each point and explored the need for expanded services. The team also examined probation officers' capacity to manage successfully sex offenders as part of their regular caseloads. In addition, the team examined the needs of juvenile offenders and worked toward increasing available resources for this population.

New York, Oswego County

Oswego County is a mostly rural area covering 968 square miles, with a population of approximately 122,000. With their planning grant, the county designed a locally tailored, comprehensive plan for sex offender management. The grantee team worked to identify sex offenders as they move through the criminal justice system and are released, and developed a sex offender database for county law enforcement officers. It also focused on addressing several problems, such as the lack of specialized treatment options, transportation problems, financial constraints of offenders that prevent them from obtaining treatment, and inadequate resources for probation officers to effectively supervise sex offenders. The team also explored ways in which they can improve victim services.

New York, Ulster County

Ulster County is a largely rural jurisdiction covering 1,134 square miles, with a 1999 population of approximately 170,000. It is located 100 miles north of New York City and 50 miles south of Albany. At the time of this grant, the county Probation Department operated a specialized caseload of 50 to 60 sex offenders. A mental health provider and a probation officer co-led three adult treatment groups and one juvenile group. Through a planning grant, the county examined the effectiveness of its supervision and treatment practices and worked on developing comprehensive countywide policies on sex offender management. The team also addressed the needs of all involved community stakeholders, while complying with state law.

Ohio, Cuyahoga County

Cuyahoga County is the largest county in Ohio with a 1999 population of 1,401,552. It is home to the city of Cleveland. In 1999, the county Probation Department had a sex offender unit that supervised approximately 130 offenders, while the Parole Department also had a specialized unit that served approximately 160 sex offenders. Through a planning grant, the county worked to enhance its knowledge and use of promising practices in sex offender management. The grantee team examined county practices and how offenders are identified and processed in the criminal justice system, assessed system strengths and weaknesses, and developed a comprehensive plan to manage sex offenders living in the county. The team also facilitated cross-training programs and increased collaboration among the treatment community, criminal justice system, and victim advocates.

Ohio, Montgomery County

Montgomery County is an urban county in Ohio, with a 1999 population of approximately 574,000. Its largest city is Dayton. The county Sex Offender Steering Committee used a planning grant to study community needs regarding sex offender management and recommend a strategy to develop needed services and resources. The committee's objectives include: increasing knowledge of the local sex offender population; determining appropriate uses of information from the state's adult sex offender registry; discerning optimal treatment and supervision responses to juvenile offenders; and expanding options for dealing with offenders with developmental disabilities, mental retardation, and mental illnesses. The committee has six workgroups addressing the following topics: sex offender notification; continuum of juvenile treatment options; best practices; risk assessment, prevention/education, and data collection.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island has a population of just less than 1,000,000. In early 2000, 166 juveniles and 450 adults were on probation for sex offenses. The Superior Court had 505 pending sex offense cases and Family Court had 25 pending sex offense cases. Approximately two to eight sex offenders are eligible for release from prison each month, and 4 to 20 are eligible for parole; there are over 700 entries in the state sex offender registry. The Rhode Island Justice Commission used a planning grant to develop a strategic plan to more effectively manage sex offenders in the state. Generally, the commission worked on four primary areas of concern: registration and notification; identification of the resources necessary to supervise sex offenders; expansion of treatment options; and evaluation and data collection to assist the team in decision making. The team met monthly, with subcommittees meeting more frequently.

South Dakota, Yankton Sioux Reservation

The Yankton Sioux Reservation is located in southeastern South Dakota, covering 56,500 acres and is comprised of four communities—Greenwood, Lake Andes, Marty, and Wagner. In 1999, there were approximately 4,000 members living on the reservation. The tribe used a planning grant to: facilitate information sharing among federal, state, and tribal agencies; identify convicted sex offenders; update their sex offender registry; facilitate effective case management; provide victim advocacy; educate families of offenders; and provide a public forum for discussion about sex offender management issues.

West Virginia

West Virginia covers 24,231 square miles and had a1999 population of approximately 1,793,500. Through a planning grant, the team engaged in a strategic planning process to improve the management of sex offenders on a statewide basis. The grantee team examined the staffing and equipment necessary to track sex offenders within the state, identified the number and location of sex offenders in their state, and examined sex offender management practices. It also developed a public opinion survey and explored the resources needed to create a comprehensive sex offender management system.

Wisconsin, Oneida Tribe

The Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin is located near the city of Green Bay in northeastern Wisconsin and in 1999, had approximately 13,229 enrolled members of whom 5,856 lived on or near the 65,000 acre rural reservation. The Oneida Tribe used a planning grant to establish a multidisciplinary team to assess sex offender management policies and practices and develop a comprehensive strategic plan to enhance sex offender management on the reservation. In the process, the team created protocols for information collection that included gathering data on the number, types, and location of sex offenders on the reservation.

Implementation/Enhancement Grants

Colorado, Jefferson County

Jefferson County is a suburban area west and south of Denver that covers 777 square miles. It is the most populated county in the state, with more than 500,000 residents. Funds from an implementation/enhancement grant were used to develop a more effective system to identify, intervene with, and manage juvenile sex offenders. Through the grant, three new staff positions were added. One position is a pretrial supervision officer who specializes in assessing and managing juveniles alleged to have committed sexual offenses. This officer works with juveniles from the time of their first police contact through the court process. Another new position is a probation officer who is coordinating expanded community supervision teams in a school pilot project. The third position funded is a grant manager/research coordinator to administer the grant, collect data, and conduct analysis for evaluation purposes. The individuals serving in these positions also serve on a multidisciplinary collaborative working group that addresses intervention with juveniles who commit sexual offending behavior.

Connecticut

The State of Connecticut utilized an implementation/enhancement grant to augment its New London Intensive Sex Offender Unit. The New London unit, located within the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch, was established in 1995, and was the first specialized sex offender probation unit of its kind in Connecticut. Three years later, the New Haven Intensive Sex Offender Unit was created and is now a nationally recognized CSOM Resource Site. The New London unit supervises approximately 125 offenders. Grant funds were used to hire a victim advocate and relapse prevention officer to join specially trained probation officers in the supervision of sex offenders, and provide outreach services to victims. Funds were also used to coordinate, enhance, and continue the evaluation of the Intensive Sex Offender Units at both sites.

Iowa, Des Moines

Iowa 's Fifth Judicial District, Department of Correctional Services, used an implementation/enhancement grant to enhance supervision and treatment of sex offenders and provide assistance to victims and offenders' families. The department supervises and/or provides treatment for approximately 150 adult sex offenders in Des Moines. The Des Moines metro area includes Polk, Jasper, Harren, and Dallas counties and had a 1999 population of 427,723. Approximately 95 sex offenders participate in treatment on a weekly basis, including both primary and aftercare groups. Staff conduct home visits and surveillance, in addition to traditional supervision duties. Through grant funds, the department worked to improve community networking and collaboration, provide partner's and spouse groups for offenders' families, and provide group counseling sessions for victims (to be paid for by offenders).

Nevada, Clark County

Clark County, Nevada, encompasses the major cities of Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, and Mesquite. It had a 1999 population of more than 1.4 million. The county Department of Family and Youth Services (DFYS) used an implementation/enhancement grant to increase the specialization and intensity of services to juvenile sex offenders and their families. The department's Juvenile Sex Offender (JSO) Program, a component of the Probation Division, specializes in offender assessment and community supervision. Through grant funds, the JSO Program expanded the availability of long- and short-term community residential treatment, increased community supervision coverage, particularly during nights, weekends, and holidays, and provided cognitive programs to improve offender competence in areas such as social skills, victim empathy, anger management, and parent/family functioning.

New York, Westchester County

Westchester County is located directly north of New York City and had a 1999 population of approximately 900,000. It is home to Yonkers, the fourth largest city in the state, as well as a number of suburban cities and towns. While the county Department of Probation provides specialized supervision of sex offenders and has been successful in these efforts, it identified the need for more consistent and specialized pre-sentence investigations. Through an implementation/enhancement grant, the county hired and trained a probation officer to prepare pre-sentence investigations and sex offender assessments prior to sentencing. This officer also worked with an advisory group to formulate a protocol to facilitate enhanced, crime specific pre-sentence investigation. In addition, grant funds were used to develop an assessment protocol, conduct research and staff training, and develop a "bench book" for judges to reflect current case law, existing legislation, available resources, and best practices in sex offender management.

Ohio, Franklin County

Franklin County, Ohio, home to the city of Columbus (the state capital), had a 1999 population of approximately 1,013,700. The county Court of Common Pleas worked with many partners in the community to identify gaps in their sex offender management system during a strategic planning process. Through an implementation/enhancement grant, these agencies worked to established practices that address these gaps, including conducting polygraph exams on a regular basis with every sex offender under supervision, enhancing night, weekend, and holiday supervision, and adding a 12-week offender education program. In addition, agencies working directly with offenders and participating in the project were provided with workstations to help develop a common library of information regarding offenders and improve inter- and intra-agency agency communication around issues of sex offender management.

Oregon, Josephine County

Josephine County is a rural jurisdiction covering 1,600 square miles in southwestern Oregon, with a 1999 population of 67,000. In May 1999, there were 112 sex offenders under community supervision in the county. Josephine County 's sex offender management team consists of two parole/probation officers, a treatment provider, a polygraph examiner, and an assistant district attorney. Funds from an implementation/enhancement grant were used to include victim advocates and the judiciary on the team, enhance information sharing and consensus building among team members, develop methods to evaluate the team's collaborative efforts, improve victim notification and support, and increase public awareness regarding sex offender management approaches. In addition, the team expanded the county's capacity to record, retrieve, and utilize information on sex offenders.

Oregon, Multnomah County

Multnomah County is geographically the smallest county in Oregon, but it contains approximately 20 percent of the state's population (644,900 in 1998). Portland, the largest city in the state, is located in the county. The county used an implementation/enhancement grant to manage sex offenders in the community who are mentally retarded, developmentally disabled, and/or mentally ill. These offenders present an added concern for the community due to the lack of appropriate treatment, transition, and stabilization resources. Through this grant, the Department of Juvenile and Adult Community Justice provided integrated wrap around services and intensive case management for these offenders, developed adjunct programming, and conducted long-range planning. An inter-agency team provided program oversight and policy development.

South Carolina

The State of South Carolina is predominately rural, but encompasses several major urban and suburban areas. In 1999, it had a population of approximately 3,716,400. While several key South Carolina agencies worked together previously to develop comprehensive treatment and supervision practices for juvenile sex offenders, a fragmented system of service delivery still existed throughout the state at the time of this grant. Through an implementation/enhancement grant, the Department of Juvenile Justice formed multi-disciplinary teams to provide leadership in creating and maintaining a statewide continuum of treatment and supervision for youth with sex offending and sexual problematic behaviors. The overall goal of this grant was to develop a systematic decision-making process regarding the level of care and treatment needs for this population. Four pilot projects worked toward increasing the number of professionals in the targeted areas who can provide appropriate treatment, providing intensive training and ongoing supervision for treatment professionals and other team members, and building the capacity of the teams to become self-sustaining.

Texas, Harris County

Harris County, Texas, is the third largest urban area in the United States with an estimated population of 3,126,966 in 1999. The county supervises approximately 1,500 adult sex offenders in the community; 80 percent of these offenders have victimized children. An implementation/enhancement grant assisted the Community Supervision and Corrections Department's Sex Offender Unit in developing a program designed to screen, educate, and evaluate adults providing supervision during sex offenders' contacts with minors. The program is intended for offenders who have had victims under the age of 14 and are allowed by the courts to have supervised contact with minors during the term of their pre-trial and/or community supervision sentences.

Vermont

Vermont is a predominantly rural state with a 1999 population of about 600,000. An implementation/enhancement grant was awarded to the Vermont Center for Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Abuse (VCPTSA), the statewide agency that coordinates treatment and prevention services for juvenile and adult sex offenders. With this grant, VCPTSA expanded the multidisciplinary statewide sex offender management team, and developed and implemented a plan to improve the system of investigating, prosecuting, supervising, and treating sex offenders. VCPTSA also developed enhanced data collection and analysis capabilities and participated in a cross-site data collection effort. Additionally, VCPTSA expanded its Community Mentor Program, which utilizes trained community volunteers to provide certain sex offenders under supervision with social supports and other assistance. VCPTSA also developed a treatment progress scale for use by state-supported outpatient sex offender treatment programs.

Washington

In 1999, the State of Washington had a population of approximately 5,590,400. Through an implementation/enhancement grant, the team developed and oversaw the implementation of a transition process to manage sex offenders returning to the community. The focus area was Snohomish County, located just north of Seattle. Specifically, the grantee team identified and addressed victim and community concerns as priority considerations when releasing sex offenders into the county. It established a coordinated approach to the supervision and management of moderate and high-risk sex offenders through responsible and effective reintegration/transition plans. Through this process, the team increased collaboration with criminal justice agencies, social services, victim groups, and the community at large.

Wisconsin, Milwaukee County

Milwaukee County is located in southeastern Wisconsin along the western shore of Lake Michigan. The county covers an area of approximately 242 square miles and consists of 10 cities and nine villages. Milwaukee is the largest city, with a population of approximately 640,000 in 1999. The county used an implementation/enhancement grant to address gaps in services for juvenile sex offenders, their families, and victims. The grantee team developed a pre-disposition evaluation that is multi-systemic, family-based, and sex-offender specific, as well as a process to conduct safety planning with these offenders. The team conducted cross-disciplinary training for those who are confronted with the complex challenges of juvenile sex offender management, treatment, and community safety, and created positions for specially trained community safety managers. These managers are responsible for collaborating with probation officers and others to maintain effective safety planning and juvenile sex offender management. Through human resources and technical assistance provided through grant funds, the team also worked to enhance the local juvenile sex offender database and outcome evaluation design.