PA- Franklin County Jail adds treatment for sex crimes

12-13-2008 Pennsylvania:

FRANKLIN COUNTY -- The increasing number of sex offenders landing in the Franklin County Jail and concern for public safety has led jail administrators to develop an adult sex offender treatment program for inmates.

The program goes into effect next week.

Warden John Wetzel explained the program Thursday at a meeting of the county's Criminal Justice Advisory Board.

"The number of sex offenders we've gotten at the jail has gone up substantially in the past two years," Wetzel said.

There are currently 16 local inmates who are unsentenced or accused sex offenders, some of them who have not yet been tried, according to Wetzel.

He said there are five inmates who have been ordered to undergo sex offender treatment at the jail, and five who fall under Megan's Law.

Wetzel said jail psychologist Frank Diprima and therapist Justin Lensbower will be in charge of the treatment program. The first thing they will do is assess each inmate.

Wetzel said that assessment will include:

- A psycho-sexual evaluation based on Abel's Assessment of Sexual Interest;

- Personal interview;

- Risk assessment, including the type of risk the offender poses to the community and what situations would most likely trigger a repeat crime;

- Nature of the crime.

Following assessment, inmates will get an individualized treatment plan that will include group and individual therapy, according to Wetzel.

He said among the goals are for sex offenders to learn to act appropriately, understand the impact of their crime on the victim; identify and change their sexually deviant behavior and accept responsibility for their actions.
"We also want to provide a seamless transition into treatment in the community following their release," Wetzel said.

Judges and probation officers will play a part in making the project a success, according to the warden.

He said as part of the program, inmates will have to sign away confidentiality rights that would normally be part and parcel of a therapist/client relationship, so their information can be shared with others in the judicial system.

"This is a public safety issue, from both the work release and release into the community standpoint," Wetzel said. "When it comes to public safety, it wins out over confidentiality." ..News Source.. by Terry Talbert