Criminal

Bucks County Adult Probation and Parole

Sexual Offender Supervision Program

Bucks County Adult Probation and Parole Department's Sex Offender Supervision Program was conceptualized in 1992 to address a departmental concern that general supervision services inadequately serviced this particular population of offenders. Several staff members applied and were selected to attend a week-long seminar in Longmont, Colorado at the National Institute of Corrections on the development and implementation of sex offender programming.

Selected staff members and the Deputy Chief worked on program development and toward identification of appropriate community treatment resources. In 1993, the Bucks County Adult Probation and Parole Department and the Network of Victim Assistance in Bucks County entered into a unique partnership. They secured a grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to partially fund and offset the cost of providing twice-weekly group therapy to those sexual offenders in the Sex Offender Supervision Program.

Groups operating under the acronym of STOP (Special Treatment of Offenders Program) were run twice weekly in the Central and Southern areas of Bucks County at a cost of $25.00 per week to the offender. In the final year of the three-year grant program in 1996, a source for matching funds could not be found and STOP came to an end.

The Department was successful in 1997 in negotiating with the original STOP providers to continue to provide group therapy, but functioning as independent providers. This same arrangement continues to the present day.

The Department's Sex Offender Supervision Program was designed to follow the programmatic recommendations of the American Probation and Parole Association's model "Containment Approach" in managing this offender population. The staff of this program is committed to providing supervision that holds sexual offenders strictly accountable for deviant, irresponsible, and criminal behavior. Sex offender specific treatment is required to teach offenders methods to monitor and control their behaviors. The offender is managed in a system that provides close surveillance, monitoring, and treatment. Treatment providers in close coordination with the adult probation department require polygraph testing to assist in monitoring offender behavior.

It was clear through review of existing supervision practices across the country and the literature that the personality of the program officers, the style of supervision, and the frequency of supervision were substantive issues to be addressed. The need for a close alliance between the supervising officers and the treatment providers was identified to be of the utmost significance and importance. Concerns for the recovery of the victim and the safety of the community were identified to be guiding factors in policy development, program implementation, and the development of supervision strategies for officers.

The Department's Sex Offender Supervision Program consists of seven officers who carry a small sex offender caseload in addition to general supervision clients. A minimum of one officer is assigned to each general supervision unit. This arrangement was felt to be most appropriate in attempting to manage burnout among the sex offender probation officers. Dealing with a small intensive caseload and teaming up with other professionals can help mitigate the stress working along with a sexual offender. Sex Offender Officers work in a close collaborative relationship. Cases are regularly reviewed in a peer group setting to assess progress and problems.

Upon assignment to the Sex Offender Supervision Program, officers receive training as available, in managing offenders who demonstrate inappropriate sexual behavior, identifying personality traits that correlate with sexual offending, and effective methods of supervision. Officers have attended training with nationally recognized authorities in the field of sexual offending through Departmentally sponsored training, the National Institute of Corrections, the American Probation and Parole Association, Johns Hopkins Medical School, PAPPC, MASCA , the Board of Probation and Parole, and the Delaware Valley Adult Probation and Parole Training Consortium.

The staff of the Bucks County Adult Probation and Parole's Sex Offender Supervision Program provide quality effective supervision to the Department's sexual offenders. The Department's philosophy of utilizing a containment approach in the management of its sex offender population puts the program on the cutting edge of current practice in dealing with this challenging and dangerous population. The commitment of the individual officers to the mission of the Department and to the Sex Offender Supervision Program provides the Court and the citizens of Bucks County with a level of care and service of which they can be proud. This program should be recognized for its innovative approach and philosophy as well as the energy and commitment of its staff.