Treating Sex Offenders

12-30-2009 Utah:

All individuals sentenced to prison for a sex offense - both new commitments and parole violators - will receive a treatability assessment from a member of the Sex Offender Treatment Team. The offender's name and the results of the assessment will then be placed on the Department's Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) tracking list.

Offenders who pass the assessment will be listed as being eligible for the SOTP when their name comes up on the priority list. Offenders are placed into treatment based on the following factors: availability of a treatment slot, level 3 privilege classification or higher, amenability to treatment, and a priority classification from the Board of Pardons indicating that the offender would likely parole if satisfactory progress is made in treatment.

Not all offenders who have committed a sex offense will be eligible for SOTP. Some possible reasons for exclusion from treatment may include, but are not limited to: no possibility of parole, poor motivation, violating institutional rules, the offender does not want treatment, disciplinary measures and write ups, test results that suggest incompatibility with treatment.

Offenders who are eligible for SOTP and 1) fail to successfully participate in treatment 2) refuse to participate 3) remove themselves from treatment, or 4) are removed by staff from treatment may lose a parole date.

The SOTP is designed to last a maximum of 18 months. Upon being accepted into SOTP, the offender will participate in a 30-day evaluation to determine treatment needs. The offender will begin SOTP after the evaluations are complete and the SOTP treatment team determines the inmate is an appropriate candidate for treatment. SOTP is based on best-practice principles. The SOTP is best described as Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy with a strong relapse-prevention component. Therapy consists of group psychotherapy, psycho-educational classes, homework and therapeutic activities with other offenders in treatment. The therapy is based on the offender's skill level. All therapists providing treatment to offenders are mental-health professionals with specialty training in Sex Offender Treatment.

The main component of Sex Offender treatment occurs at the Special Services Dormitory. This facility houses up to 135 residents. Completion of the program varies from nine to 18 months. ..Source.. Utah Dep't of Correction