1. Assessment of Sex Offenders

2. Learning Objectives Identify information and assessments that reliably estimate risk posed by sex offenders; Describe some of the areas of uncertainty in risk assessment of sex offenders; and Describe expected qualifications of professionals who conduct specialized, sex offender-specific assessments.

3. Overview Types of Assessments That Can Inform Decision-Making Static and Dynamic Risk Factors Commonly Accepted Sex Offender-Specific Risk Assessment Tools What to Expect in Assessments and From the Professionals Completing Them

4. Common Questions Courts Face in Cases Involving Sex Crimes Is this defendant truly a “sex offender”? What type of sentence is warranted? How can justice and public safety concerns be reconciled in this case? Will this individual re-offend?

5. Questions Addressed through Post-Conviction Assessments What level of relative risk does this individual pose? What factors indicate that this person is a greater (or lesser) risk to recidivate? Which strategies may be effective for this individual? Is this person likely to be amenable to strategies the court may utilize to positively affect risk reduction/management?

6. T YPES OF A SSESSMENTS THAT C AN I NFORM D ECISION -M AKING

7. Key Assessments Risk assessments –General and sex offender-specific Pre-sentence investigations Psychosexual evaluations

8. Important Assessment Considerations Objectives Timing Method, approach Evaluator expertise Information access and sharing

9. Sources of Information for Assessments Offender interviews Collateral interviews Official records General psychological measures Sex offender-specific measures Empirically supported risk assessment tools

10. Identifying Higher vs. Lower Risk Offenders Professional judgment Research-supported risk assessment tools –General offenders –Sex offenders

11. Predictive Accuracy of Risk Assessment Strategies with Sex Offenders 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0.70.42 Professional Judgment Empirical Actuarial Greater Accuracy Less Accuracy (Andrews & Bonta, 2007; Grove, et al., 2000; Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2007)

12. S TATIC AND D YNAMIC R ISK F ACTORS

13. Two Categories of Risk Factors Static: generally unchangeable Dynamic: variable over time

14. Examples of Static Risk Factors for Sex Offenders

15. Examples of Dynamic Risk Factors for Sex Offenders

17. Variables Not Linked to Sex Offenders’ Recidivism Maltreatment history Emotional/psychological difficulties Poor clinical presentation (Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2005)

18. Key Risk Factors in Case Studies

19. Static vs. Dynamic Risk Factors Previous conviction for sex offense Desert Storm veteran Methamphetamine user Incest-only offense Clinically depressed offender Victim needs therapy for PTSD

20. C OMMONLY A CCEPTED S EX O FFENDER -S PECIFIC R ISK A SSESSMENT T OOLS

21. Risk Assessment Tools Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool - Revised (MnSOST-R) Rapid Risk Assessment for Sexual Offense Recidivism (RRASOR) Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG)

22. Risk Assessment Tools (cont.) STABLE- and ACUTE-2007 STATIC-99, STATIC-2002 Vermont Assessment of Sex Offender Risk (VASOR) SVR-20

23. Sample Assessment: Static-99 1.Age (25 is cut-off) 2.Relationship > 2 years 3.Non-sexual violence with index event 4.Any prior non-sexual violence 5.Prior sex offense convictions (1, 2-3, 4+) 6.Prior sentencing dates 7.Non-contact convictions 8.-10. Unrelated, stranger, or male victims

24. Sexual Reconviction by Static-99 Score (%): Group Estimates 5 Years 10 Years 15 Years

25. Stan 1.Age: 22 2.No stable relationships 3.No sexual violence with offense 4.No prior non-sexual violence 5.No prior sex convictions 6.Prior sentencing dates: (less than four) 7.Two non-sexual assault convictions 8.-10. Known, but unrelated, male victim

26. Additional Tools Polygraph Viewing Time Measures (e.g., Abel Assessment for Sexual Interest (AASI-2)) Plethysmography

27. Polygraph

28. Pre-Sentence Report 2 victims/5 offenses Sexual History Disclosure Form 8 victims/20 offenses First Polygraph 10 victims/22 offenses Second Polygraph 11 victims/23 offenses Polygraphs: Compare Admissions Medium Number of Victims/Offenses Reported Similarly, the reported age of the first offense dropped from 28 to 12 from PSIs to polygraphs. (Ahlmeyer, et al., 2000)

29. Polygraph: Compare Victim Reports Type of CrossoverCourt Polygraph Adult & Child Victims7% 70% Male & Female Victims9% 36% (Heil, Ahlmeyer, Simons, 2003) 223 Sex Offenders Participating in SOTMP TC at the Colorado Department of Corrections

30. Plethysmography Instrument to assess sexual arousal Arousal does not mean offender Ability to manage arousal may decrease recidivism risk

31. Abel Assessment for Sexual Interest TM Assesses sexual interests via relative time spent viewing different visual stimuli Some research: can discriminate between offenders and non-offenders Undermined by websites that disclose the basis of the test

32. Commonly Accepted General Risk Assessment Tools Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) Statistical Information on Recidivism (SIR) Wisconsin Risk and Needs Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS) Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R)

33. Pre-Sentence Investigations Index offense Prior criminal history Social supports Health, mental health Employment, financial, residential stability

34. Pre-Sentence Investigations (cont.) Victim impact Aggravating, mitigating circumstances Findings from psychosexual evaluations Recommended criminal justice interventions

35. Commonalities Between General Psychological and Sex Offender-Specific Evaluations Intellectual, cognitive functioning Personality, psychopathology, diagnosis Interpersonal, social history Developmental, family history Risk of harm to self, others

36. W HAT TO E XPECT IN A SSESSMENTS AND F ROM THE P ROFESSIONALS C ONDUCTING T HEM

37. Expanded Content Important for Psychosexual Evaluations Sexual development, attitudes, behaviors, adjustment Sexual interests, arousal, preferences Sexual, violent recidivism risk

38. .. PSYCHOSEXUAL EVALUATION I.Identifying information II.Referral source and question III.Informed consent IV.Records review V.List of assessment tools and strategies used (including offender interview) VI.Background information, psychosocial history, employment VII.Criminal history, responses to interventions VIII.Sexual history IX.Interpretations of assessment data, case formulation (including diagnosis, summary of intervention needs) X.Recommendations

39. Assessing Evaluators’ Expertise ● Relevant advanced degree ● Forensic training, experience ● Specialized training, clinical supervision ● Licensure, professional affiliations ● Continuing education

40. Summary Assessments are essential for understanding sex offenders on a case-by- case basis. Research reveals specific factors linked to recidivism risk for sex offenders. Specialized, research-supported assessment tools increase accuracy of estimating risk.

41. Summary (cont.) Psychosexual evaluations provide added value over general psychological evaluations. Thorough, complementary assessments by quality evaluators can inform sentencing decisions.