Intensive Parole For Sex Offenders

In the relatively rare event you or someone you know is granted parole from prison and is a sex offender, Massachusetts (and other states I'm sure) have a program tailored specifically for SO's.  The difference is stark when comparing and contrasting being a SO on intensive parole (especially if you are a Level 2 or Level 3) and being on superior court probation.  As difficult and demanding as some of the conditions of intensive parole look to be, and these terms become more elaborate and invasive the higher your SORB dangerousness level is, doing prison time outside of the wall is the better choice.  Some elements of parole are in probation, but when you look at the requirements for Level 2's and 3's on parole, that is where the difference really lies.

I know a RSO who successfully went through intensive parole after about 8 years being in prison so it's definitely doable

Here is Massachusetts program and terms for intensive parole for sex offenders:

Intensive Parole for Sex Offenders

Offenders classified as Level 1 by the Sex Offender Registry Board, or appealing Level 1 classification are subject to the following conditions:

You will agree to allowing shared communication among Treatment, Polygraph Examiners, Probation/Parole, District Attorney’s or Attorney General’s Office, other law enforcement officials, and the Court; and disclosure to any others as deemed appropriate. 

You will enroll and participate in a treatment program for sex offenders approved by the Parole Officer. 

You will develop and abide by a Relapse Prevention Plan, which has been reviewed and signed off by an approved sex offender therapist.  You will assume responsibility for paying counseling costs.

You will be required to take a Polygraph Examination every six (6) months or more often, if required, at the discretion of the Parole Officer.

You will not have contact of any kind with the victim(s) or the families of the crimes you have been convicted.   A family member will include spouse or person who lives with the victim in a relationship similar to marriage, child or stepchild, sibling, parent, stepparent, or guardian, aunt or uncle, and grandparent.  

You will not use the internet without permission of your supervising officer and you must submit to an examination and search of your computer to verify that it is not used in violation of your supervision and treatment plans.

You will not possess, own or use computer programs unless approved by the Parole Officer.

You will not engage in the use of personal ads or the internet to contact or meet people.

You will not view pornography of any type or enter adult entertainment establishments.

You will not possess any equipment or devices which are designed for the purpose of restraining or confining a person (e.g. Handcuffs, restraint chains, etc.)

You will not possess any camera(s) or other equipment used for the recording, playback, or storage of images or filed unless approved by the Parole Officer.

Any home plan must be approved by the Parole Officer prior to relocation.

You will not pick up hitchhikers regardless of whether you are the driver or passenger of the vehicle.

You will not frequent places where individuals under the age of 18 congregate, such as parks, playgrounds, schools and not attend movies with the without permission of your parole officer.

You will not engage in any employment or activity involving the unsupervised caretaking of any other individual.

If you are on parole for a sex offense, you will be fitted with a GPS monitoring device and conform to any requirements for the implementation of the device. You will adhere to any Exclusion Zones as determined by the Parole Board and remain out of these restricted zones at all times. (This condition is effective 12/21/2006).

Offenders classified as Level 2 by the Sex Offender Registry Board, or appealing Level 2 classification are subject to all the above conditions, including all the following additional conditions:

You will not travel out of state at any time unless approved by the Parole Board.

You will not have sexual, intimate, or living arrangements with any individuals without the individual being informed of your Parole Status, sexual deviancy, and criminal history.  You are responsible for advising individuals who meet the above criteria of your crime.  You must reveal to the Parole Officer the name of anyone you are involved with, as stated above, and the Parole Officer may confirm compliance.

You will keep a daily log of all activities; to include all personal appointments, a detailed driving log to include the starting and ending odometer readings, times, places, and persons visited.

You will not socialize or otherwise have contact with individuals under the age of 18 at work or at social situations unless accompanied by an adult who has been made aware of your sexual deviant tendencies, as approved by the Parole Officer.

You will adhere to the Parole Board’s established curfew of 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM. You are required to be home between the hours of 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM daily, unless otherwise directed by the Parole Officer.

Offenders pending classification, or classified as Level 3 or Sexually Violent Predators, or in the process of appealing Level 3 classification, are subject to all above conditions, including the following additional conditions:

You will be fitted with a GPS monitoring device and conform to any requirements for the implementation of the device. You will adhere to any Exclusion Zones as determined by the Parole Board and remain out of these restricted zones at all times.

Hiccup with 2 Months Left on Probation

First: no, I have not reoffended, violated probation, or something like that

I made an office visit to the courthouse where I was to see my new probation officer.  While there, I asked the bookkeeper to (again) review my account so I knew that I might owe in probation fees.  The bookkeeper came out and said I owed about $2,400.00!  I said that was impossible and she should recheck my account.  $2,400.00 is about 37 months worth of probation supervisory fees and if that were the case, my PO would have violated me a long time ago for violating one of the conditions of my probation (paying probation supervisory fees).

The bookkeeper came back and then said I now actually owed about $1,600.00.  I asked what made the difference but she didn't answer my question directly.

I then met with my new PO and he pulled out a sheet saying I wasn't due to be released from probation until November 2011, which I also said was impossible.  Every document I have from sentencing to my probation contract says I am to be done with probation 10 years from the day I was released from prison, which was July 2001.  He said he'd look into it.

You really have stay on top of things!

Sorry For the No-Posts: I've Actually Been Working!

I'm grateful to have been gainfully employed the past month.  It's something of an elixir and high against the relative poverty I (an many other RSO's) experience all too often.

You've "Sexually Offended", Never Been Caught, But Want To Talk About It: How To Safely Discuss It and Improve Your Life

Readers note:  This is a tricky post to write without sounding like I want to help people "get away with it".  But there are many in this situation who are unaware of their options.  Check with an attorney and your therapist and know the laws if you decide to go down this path.
Also, I put quotes around the words sexually offended in the title of the post since the definition of a sex offense can vary from state to state, country to country, as well as person to person.


The title is just an example of many people who are in a Catch-22.  Most sex offenses are never reported and a majority of sex offenders will never get their mug shot taken.  With the growing awareness of sex offender laws coupled with perhaps the self help movement and other personal decisions, there are many people who have "deviant attractions" and/or committed sex offenses nobody knows about and who want to address that part of their life in an open and honest manner.  Some are bothered by their past and/or current behaviors; others want insight; or there may be a lifestyle change such as having a family, where he is concerned about, for instance, inappropriate feelings he is having toward his children and fear he might repeat past behaviors.  Whatever the case, these people want to be proactive. They realize the more secretive they have to be about their behaviors and desires, the more of a grip these it will have on them.

Unfortunately, there is an understandable fear in discussing sexual offending, even with a licensed therapist and all of the legal and privacy protections enjoyed in the therapist/patient relationship.  Talking about sex offending is not the same as talking about drug use.  The concern lies in the fear of being reported by the therapist, being arrested, losing one's family, a job, friends, going to prison, having to register as a sex offender, etc... The risk simply isn't worth it for many and the system isn't constructed to facilitate this sort of proactivity.

However, there absolutely is  a safe way if you do want to talk about past criminal/sexual behaviors or deviant thinking without the Gestapo crashing through the door to take you away.

Here in Massachusetts, there is a mandatory reporting law (I assume it's similar with other states) for therapists if essentially they feel you are currently endangering yourself, someone else, or if you give them particular details about sexual offending you may have done.  But, if you leave out identifying information such as the name and relationship of the person you offended against then you can be free to talk without triggering the mandatory reporting responsibility of the therapist.

In my group counseling, there were many guys who had more crimes than they were convicted of and felt safe revealing those episodes in that environment since we knew the parameters to talk with.  The goal being it is better to put this stuff on the table, hash it out, understand the patterns in ones life leading to offending, thereby helping the offender to manage his behavior, which leads to a safer society.  A big part of offending is secrecy and isolation, which can magnify the power deviant thoughts and behaviors can have over oneself, among other things.   In my opinion, if you are able to circulate those things out of your system by at the very least discussing them, it diffuses a significant amount of influence it may have.  This isn't about getting a free pass for past behaviors, but rather a realization that talking about this stuff with a trained professional and maybe similar individuals is most important to ones well being, safety, and happiness.

It's best to verify with (ideally) an attorney and chosen therapist regarding privacy and when they are compelled to contact authorities.  Too many people aren't aware of this option, which at the outset sounds like suicide but in reality can help people lead healthier, happier, more honest lives.

Lots of Waiting Awaits You: After 232 Home and Courthouse Visits I Know!

Whether you're in prison or on probation, you know all about waiting.  Waiting for the years to click away; waiting for chow time; waiting for a letter; waiting for the gate to open; waiting for your Probation Officer; etc...  As a probationer, it's maddening and somewhat counterproductive for a probationer who is working or attending class.  But it is what it is.

Tomorrow, I yet again have to wait for my probation officer to make a home visit. This will be about the 116th home visit by probation.  They always say they be at the house between 7am-12pm.  This type of waiting is one of my real gripes with probation.  Imagine having to wait for the cable guy once a month!  I have alternating biweekly home and courthouse/probation office visits which doesn't sound that bad but if you do the math the hours of waiting add up.  With me, a whole morning every other week is dedicated to probation.  Whether it is waiting to see my PO come down the street or driving 45 minutes/40 miles to the Superior Courthouse, its costly in terms of lost income at the very least.  I've had to turn down work and substitute a day class with a night one due to the scheduling conflict with probation and the mandatory nature of the home visit.  And if you miss the home visit, your PO is less than pleased since he is only out in my area once every few weeks.  I'd be violating the "maximum supervision" condition of my probation contract.


If I worked at any "real" job, I'd be gone unless I could come up with some life or death excuse such as "I'm receiving life saving transfusions at a hospital every other week" or "I have to bring a family member to the hospital for chemotherapy".  Sounds extreme but you might find it necessary to, yes, lie.  For those of you who are able to work with an understanding boss to get the time off to see you PO, that's awesome, though at the same time people who can't mind their own business will ask around and wonder why you aren't at work and who you are talking to in the parking lot one Friday a month.  Make sure you have a believable cover story!  Your job may depend on it.

Tsunami, Earthquake, and My Previous Attempt At Visiting Japanese Family & Friends

Like many others, I have family and friends in Japan who have been experiencing the unrelenting horror that has been playing out since Friday.  I was relieved to hear from those I know saying they were okay but know aftershocks continue and winds today could take any significant nuclear material from reactors in the affected region south toward Tokyo and Osaka.  It's not over.

A few years back, I received permission from my chief probation officer and a judge to visit Japan for work and family reasons.  But it wasn't going to be that simple.  I had a ticket in hand and boarded the long flight to Tokyo.  This was my first international flight and when the customs card was passed out, I filled it out truthfully and completely.   That means checking the box that said I was a convicted felon.  Now, in the etherial world of honesty, this was an awesome choice.  But in reality, when I passed the card to the customs officer after disembarking, she asked me if I had really checked the correct box.   I, of course, said yes, and she called over a supervisor.  Long story short, I was denied entry to Japan and was put on the first flight out, which happened to be to Hawaii.  Not a bad thing, I suppose, because after almost a full day of flying I spend a day in Honolulu, rented a car, and went swimming during my layover.  Overall, I was disappointed and devastated.  Stupid me...

I should have done some research on customs but maybe I didn't want to know the truth-that Japan really doesn't let anyone in with a declared criminal record.  The exact regulations aren't clear. One website says if you spent more than a year in jail/prison you aren't allowed entry.  Whether or not they know beforehand of any criminal record-I don't know.  I'm not suggesting to lie if you are a convicted felon but I wonder how things would have gone if I hadn't been so honest!  Naive...

Within the next few years, I do plan on petitioning the consulate here in Boston to try and get an official to allow me to gain entry to Japan, which I am sure involves connections and a fair amount of money.  I've never seen my family in Japan but recent events make this wish more imperative than ever before.  At the same time, I also have had a recent offer to travel to Thailand, too.  Yeah, I know, totally looks bad as a RSO but there is nothing nefarious about the trip at all.  I love to travel and that is a dream vacation no matter who you are!  A friend of mine has a "connected" family in Bangkok who will host me and show me around.  I should try and go before laws get passed stripping RSO's of passports.

Hysteria

In response to this blog article:
http://www.newdirectionsacs.com/sex-offender-specific-treatment-provider/bid/27867/Sex-Offender-Hysteria

It seems every generation the public needs some group to hate in the name of protection.  Thanks to the internet, when it comes to sex offenders you can spread false information and scare others like never before.   The relative anonymity of the internet means one is not accountable for his comments, misinformation, and disinformation.  In a way, some of these folks are "cell warriors" in public; behind the safety of a computer they'll say anything but when they walk out their door they don't speak with as much bluster or righteousness.

Many comments in the media or news article comment sections aren't grounded in any sort of science.  Many times, these same people say sex offenders can never be cured.  I don't even think that's the appropriate question, whether or not we sex offenders can be "cured".  You don't cure sexuality or sexual behavior in any of its forms, you manage these behaviors.  There are sex offenders who reoffend with a sex offense, yes, but its not to the epidemic proportions many are lead to believe.  If that were the case, and with all of the many facets of protection parents and the public use to protect children, wouldn't we by now know about unseen daily rampage of child molestations by sex offenders?

To be blunt, many in the public don't know what they are talking about when it comes to sex offenders.  They've never looked at an actuarial table, talked with a seasoned chief probation officer, or followed a sex offender for years after he has been adjudicated.  But it's difficult and uncomfortable to have one's worldview questioned since it has been a cozy companion for years.   Any sentiment falling short of "kill all child molesters" "and throw them in prison for life" could mean you are a sympathizer or a soft-on-crime liberal, right?

It will take time, but the hysteria has reached it's apogee, and a more realistic and effective conversation  is taking place everywhere.  It may take a few decades or so, but American's obsession and hysteria toward sex offenders will subside to a more rational state.

The College Sex Offender

A few months after I was release from prison in 2001, I enrolled in a state college here in MA, studying for a bachelor degree in psychology.  I was young enough (just about to turn 25) and motived to attend school full time, but thrusting myself into the realm of 18-21 year olds took a little getting used to.  Thanks to my family, I was able to commute to school and live at home.  I can't imagine I would have been able to afford attending school any other way, especially a few months out of prison and on probation.

With my bachelor degree, I planned on attending graduate school where I could then be trained and certified as a clinical or counseling psychologist.  Yeah, I know the usual critique of psychologists, they are in the profession because they are screwed up themselves.  It's probably true but to some extent, who isn't?!  Anyway, as good as my intentions were there was no way I could ever do the internships and receive state certification.  So now, on to Plan B: becoming certified as a "life coach".  It is an expensive credential, important to have when trying to find clients, and the strengths-based approach with a foundation in positive psychology is more attractive to me.  I don't regret my 4 year degree and subsequent debt at all.  I learned how to learn, made some good friends, and proved to myself I could actually accomplish something besides surviving prison.  I had zero skills to bring to an employer, so school was really the only viable option.  But I should have thought things through before choosing my major!

Let's talk about things you need to consider if you are thinking of attending any institution of higher ed.

• Pick a viable major (see previous paragraph)
• Try and figure out if it's worth it from the stand point of taking on debt and your current financial situation.  Holding a job while attending classes is best.  If you are able to secure grants and loans, even better.  Sometimes a job is more valuable than a diploma, especially if you are a convicted sex offender.
• Be a commuter or live off campus.  Do not live on campus in a dorm, even if somehow you can.  With mandatory reporting of sex offenders on college campuses, very soon you will be popular for all the wrong reasons.  Skip the drama.
• Tell a trusted advisor or professor about your situation:  You want a respected member of the campus community to be aware of your situation by way of your telling him/her and not them finding out from the campus police.  My advisor ended up being a staunch ally of mine and always offered to help if I had problems with anything relating to being a sex offender on campus.  Also, when the rumors about you start to fly, he can shut a lot of conversation and people down by saying "yeah he told me about that".  Simple but effective.
• You might not be popular and well liked.  Deal with it.  But do your job as a student and member of the community, be yourself, be friendly, make friends, and even if others don't like you, they have to respect you, which can pay dividends.
• Avoid the dorm parties starring booze and drugs. The parties are a volatile mixture of hormones and emotions and things can and do happen.  You don't want to be anywhere near it when it does.
• If you run into trouble on campus such as being harassed, document it in any way you can, even going to the campus police and filing a report.  And don't wait until it's convenient.  My story of dueling police reports with my victim, then an adult in 2004, is fair warning.
• Don't be creepy.
• Be normal and do what you want to do.  Go work out in the gym, join clubs, play intramural sports, tutor other students, etc... You're paying good money for school so use it like any other student.
• Be fearless without being offensive.
• If there is a report of a sex offense on campus by an unknown assailant, you may want to get in front of it.  Consult your lawyer and/or probation officer, let them know what happened on campus.  My PO suggested I, along with my attorney, stop in the local police department and introduce myself to the detective and answer any questions he had.  It sounds ridiculous, I know, but sometimes being out in front of this stuff is effective.
• Make the Dean's List
• If you are on probation/parole, inform them of your schedule for the semester and see if you can make alternate arrangements if, say, you have a class scheduled the same time you are supposed to meet your PO for a home visit or court house check-in.  You could also file a motion with the court to try and get some of your requirements/restrictions modified with a judges order to accommodate schooling.  It's tough for them to be hardasses with someone trying to turn their life around by going to school.

Watch This Video From 1967 and When Someone Says "Homosexual" Replace It With "Sex Offender"

Check out this link for a full report from http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/remembering-%E2%80%9Cthe-homosexuals%E2%80%9D/discrimination/2011/03/08/17858

Sound familiar?  The correlation is not 100% but you get the idea.
-Richard

Sanctioned Hateful Rhetoric

 I posted this in response the usual ignorant/hateful comments you see in the discussion section of any online article related to sex offenders. http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2011/03/08/minnesota-sex-offender
There really isn't enough to write when it comes to people calling for my castration (so 20th century, come on) and/or murder.  

As someone who sexually offended against a child when I was 20, spent 4 years in state prison, and am finishing up a 10 year probation sentence, I'm pretty well informed with how being a sex offender can affect ones life as well as the lives of those who care about him. It's interesting to see how a story on a sex offender acts as Rorschach Test of sorts. The blustery posts in any comment section of a sex offender related article calling for castration or murder do nothing to advance the issue to any semblance of educated understanding. I find people calling for the murder, any murder, but in this case murder of those convicted of a sex offense, appalling and the fact that rhetoric is tolerated only points to a level of sanctioned hate facilitated against sex offenders. I accept the sentiments of punishment and vengeance - normal human emotions - but a red line should be drawn as to the extent of either.

I am 34 now, went to a state college here in MA right when I got out of prison, got a BA in psychology, have had and continue to cultivate wonderful relationships with people who know my background and support me. I am writing about my experiences in my blog to help others convicted sex offenders and their families navigate the onerous world of living as sex offender in the United States.

The vast majority of us don't reoffend and look to redefine our lives in more healthy and productive ways. 

-Richard