CA- 10News Examines Sex Predator Treatment Program

3-26-2009 California:

SAN DIEGO -- Locked away in Coalinga State Hospital are 760 sexual offenders, with 60 of them from San Diego County.

Among the 60 is Matthew Hedge, a sexually violent predator who could leave Coalinga and move into a trailer stationed outside of Donovan State Prison in a few weeks.

The nearby community has expressed outrage over the plan.

"Understandably, people don't want sex offenders living with them. However, when there is no place for a sex offender to live, they become homeless," said social worker Ernie Marshall.

Marshall said that is in nobody's best interest. He oversees patient therapy and treatment for sexually violent predators at Coalinga.

"It's better to have someone where we know where they're at, and we can help them maintain their safety, than have someone where we don't know where they're at, under stress, who has nothing to lose," said Marshall.

10News received an exclusive look at the five-phase program designed to help patients maintain themselves, since many experts said there is no cure.

"Within that, it's primarily psychological in nature in that they're looking at what decisions and what thoughts or beliefs they had that made it OK for them to sexually offend," said Marshall.

Treatment ranges from psychiatric to chemical castration. There are checks and balances along the way to make sure the patient is not faking recovery.

"We do physiological testing of both deviant and normative sexual arousal patterns," said Dr. Shannon Kelly of Coalinga State Hospital.

Marshall uses a special machine that is sensitive to any physical arousal, as images and sounds of both children and adults are shown to the patient.

"We need to identify it, be able to target it in treatment," said Marshall.

A camera is used to make sure the patients aren't being deceptive, and even if a patient passes this test there is still the lie detector.

"We just want to rule out any deception," said Marshall.

The patients have a real world simulation inside the hospital to prepare them for the outside life many have not seen for decades.

The hospital has a mall complete with a store, barber and library, and career learning centers.

Treatment providers boast about their record, as 11 patients have been conditionally released into society and none have re-offended.

Those who broke their terms of release, like John Norman and Hedge, are brought back into the hospital.

Marshall said that was possible because of the tight security used for those who are housed.

"If they make a mistake very early in the process, they come back here. The goal is to help them identity that mistake so they don't make it again," said Marshall.

State law mandates that sex offenders be released after they have done their time for the crime.

Mental health experts said this treatment is vital before that release happens.

According to the state, 135 sexually violent prisoners have been unconditionally released through the court system without treatment or tracking. ..News Source.. by 10News.com