Evolution of Community Supervision of Sex Offenders

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Evolution of Community Supervision of Sex
Offenders
How British Columbia Corrections got to applying
the principles of Risk, Needs and Responsivity in
working with sex offenders
Chris Thomson Britu Kolumbijas Likumparkapeju
labošanas dienests/ Britu Kolumbijas Tieslietu
instituts (Kanada) Riga, 2011.g. marta
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Frequently asked questions about sex offenders
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Using Risk Needs and Responsivity
The Risk Needs Responsivity (RNR) model of
assessment and supervision is designed from
evidenced based research of offenders and has
been adopted in many areas across North America.
British Columbia Corrections was the first
province in Canada to incorporate these
principles in specific policy. This was
supported with probation officer training
designed to enhance the understanding and applied
effectiveness of this model. RNR is used within
the supervision of sexual offenders to manage
risk and help reduce recidivism.
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Origins of Sex Offender Supervisionin British
Columbia
1987 1st experimental community office set up to
specifically supervise sexual offenders released
on probation supervision and provincial parole
(Supervision as part of early release from
prison). Two probation officers, one
psychologist supervising 120 offenders. Theoretic
al background behind the supervision Relapse
Prevention Model influenced by the work of (Dr.
Marlett, Dr. R. Laws, Dr. Pithers, Robert
Freeman-Longo)
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Relapse Prevention Model
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Early Assessment of Offenders
Offenders were interviewed at length on family
background, employment education, sexual history
(using the SONE sexual history background) and
attitude towards the offence. Psychologist
interviewed the offenders using MMPI ( Minnesota
Multi-Phasic Personality Inventory) The test is
used by trained professionals to assist in
identifying personality structure and
psychopathology. A Plan to Live By was
constructed by the offender and the probation
officer that Incorporated the probation
conditions. External supervision by collateral
contacts were also utilized. These contacts were
screened by the probation officer to assess for
understanding of the probationers risk to
re-offend.
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3rd Generation Risk Assessment
An assessment tool called the Sex Offender Risk
Assessment (SORA) was developed in British
Columbia by Dr. Randy Atkinson, Dr. Randall Kropp
and Dr. Richard Laws. It was used by British
Columbia probation officers in the early 90s.
The SORA divides into two sections. The first
section is comprised of 10 static factors and the
second section is comprised of 17 dynamic risk
factors. This second section of dynamic risk
factors, although not actuarial, was crucial for
probation officers to develop case management
strategies. This concept was ahead of the
literature available at the time, which was to
simply categorize offenders on actuarial
instruments.
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Sex Offender Risk Assessment SORAStatic 99R and
Stable 2007
SORA Risk Factor titles
Static 99R
SORA Explanations
Stable 2007 Scoring
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Philosophy Change
In the early 90s, the BC Corrections Branch
adopted the use of evidence based research and
incorporated the principles of Risk, Need and
Responsivity. (Dr. Don Andrews, Dr. James Bonta
and Dr. Paul Gendreau.)
All of our case management supervision plans were
directed by our risk/needs assessments that were
adopted from evidence based research. Our
Provincial Director of Community Corrections,
Mr. Robert Watts provided the direction and
support for a cultural shift from the way we had
been supervising offenders. Dr. Andrews passed
away Oct. 22. 2010. His final paper was The
impact of nonprogrammatic factors on
criminal-justice interventions. Legal and
Criminological Psychology (2011), 16, 123 C
2010 The British Psychological Society
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Principles of Evidenced Based Corrections Risk
Need Responsivity
Risk Match the level of service to the
offenders risk to re-offend. Need Assess
criminogenic needs and target them in treatment.
Responsivity Maximize the offenders ability to
learn from a rehabilitative intervention by
providing cognitive behavioural treatment and
tailoring the intervention to the learning style,
motivation, abilities and strengths of the
offender. General Use cognitive social learning
methods to influence behaviour. Specific Use
cognitive behavioural interventions that take
into account strengths, learning style,
personality, motivation, and bio-social (e.g.,
gender, race) characteristics of the individual.
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What works in Corrections

• Risk Principle
• Direct services to high risk offenders
• as number of risk/needs factors increase, the
  effort to modify them must increase
• Need Principle
• not all needs causally related to criminal
  conduct
• some needs are criminogenic, target those ones
• Responsivity Principle
• cognitive-behavioural interventions work best
• behaviour depends on cognitions and consequences
• tailor intervention to offender learning style,
  motivation, abilities and strengths

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Changing Course1994-to present
Community supervision was now premised on what
works and all of our interactions with
offenders became based on the principles of RNR
(Risk Need Responsivity) Risk those who pose
the highest risk get the most service. Need
discovery of what factors are related to criminal
conduct and address those needs through
appropriate programs targeting behavioral change
and management of risk. Responsivity assisting
in the learning of new pro-social skills by the
offender
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Risk Needs Assessment
Latvian
English
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Sex Offender SupervisionNew Directions
While BC Corrections was adopting the RNR
principles into the case management of the
general and domestic violence offenders, the sex
offender assessments that were becoming available
were also changing. Probation officers who were
supervising sex offenders had already been
utilizing the RNR principles prior to its formal
introduction into mainstream supervision.
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The work of Dr. Karl Hanson and Dr. Andrew Harris
was providing new and more accurate assessments
specifically, the Static 99 and the Stable/Acute
2000. BC Corrections was part of the National
study of Drs. Hanson and Harris and implemented
the use of these risk instruments as their
predictive validity was superior to the Sex
Offender Risk Assessment (SORA). By the early
2000s, community probation staff who were
supervising sex offenders were being trained on
how to score the Static 99 and the Stable 2000.
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Relapse Prevention to Behavioural Progression to
Self Management Plan
Relapse Prevention (RP) and Self Management (SM)
strategies are used to reduce sex offender
recidivism due to the operating premise of of
cognitive behavioral interventions. The
interaction of a variety of factors, external and
internal to the offender, influence whether or
not he will re-offend.
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Differences between Relapse Prevention and Self
Management
RP was found not to have relevance to those
offenders who have neutral or positive
experiences or goals prior to actively planning
an offence. It mostly focused on risk avoidance,
and not on pro-social skill building SM
interventions try to replace maladaptive or
deviant responses with adaptive pro social
beliefs and behavior by targeting the specific
areas where the offender is deficient. SM also
emphasized the offender take responsibility for
their actions and recognizes the behavioral
progression that preceded and followed the sexual
offences. It also identifies situations which
place them at risk and assists in developing
strategies to prevent recidivism.
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Risk Needs and Responsivity in Sex Offender
Supervision
The shift in adopting to the behavioural
progression/self management model of
interventions from the earlier use of relapse
prevention with sex offenders was assisted by the
fact that BC Corrections had already been
training its probation officers in pro-social
modeling, motivational interviewing and role
clarification with offenders. This prior
training was valuable for probation officers who
were working with sex offenders to take on a more
collaborative approach in supervision of the
offenders as they were already working within a
risk, needs, responsivity model.
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Training probation staff to supervise sexual
offenders in 2011 Mandatory courses and
subjects
Risk Assessment and Case Management Effective and
Purposeful Interventions Introduction to sexual
deviancy Cognitive Distortions Home Visit
Policy Behavioural Progression Risk
Principles The effects of sex offender
supervision on the Probation Officer Static
99R Stable/Acute 2007 Sex Offender Maintenance
(Group)
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Challenges Overcoming personal bias and fear
in using the risk assessments eg Probation
officer feels the person is more of a risk than
assessment instruments have him
categorized. Maintenance of the effective use of
relationship skills, reinforcement and
disapproval, prosocial modeling and problem
solving. Male to female staff ratio of probation
staff. Avoiding burnout, cynicism and cognitive
stress associated to working with this population.
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• Accomplishments
• Evidence based risk assessments and case planning
  written in policy
• The ability to demonstrate pro social modeling by
  sex offender supervisors is
• viewed as a core strength
• Training of probation officers directly related
  to using the model of risk, needs
• and responsivity
• Supervision intervention models that reflect
  offender risk
• A common language of offender management amongst
  all staff
• More collaboration between treatment providers
  and probation staff