Ocular‐motor Deception Testing in Civilly Detained Sexually Violent Persons: An Alternative to Post‐Conviction Sex Offender Polygraph Testing?

Author(s):  
James C. Mundt ◽  
Jason W. Smith ◽  
Gina Ambroziak
Author(s):  
Shan Jumper ◽  
Mark Babula ◽  
Todd Casbon

The records of 377 men civilly committed under Illinois’ Sexually Violent Persons Act were compared with similar published samples from seven other states. Civilly committed sexual offenders in Illinois were more likely to be diagnosed with any personality disorder and more likely to exceed the cutoff score for psychopathy than similar offenders in other states. The authors then present a national composite of demographic, victim, and diagnostic information on men referred or pursued for civil commitment in eight states to better understand how these individuals differ from sex offender populations in correctional settings. Results suggest that there may be less victim specificity in sexually violent person (SVP) populations, as although nearly 50% of SVPs are diagnosed with pedophilia, 80% had committed at least one sexual offense against a child or adolescent victim. Across all samples, 72.7% of SVPs were diagnosed with a personality disorder, with antisocial personality disorder the most prevalent.


Sexual Abuse ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107906322110197
Author(s):  
Samuel Vincent ◽  
Rachel E. Kahn ◽  
Gina Ambroziak ◽  
Jason Smith ◽  
Emma Jardas

Evaluating patient satisfaction in therapeutic settings is consistent with a Risk–Needs–Responsivity (RNR) model. This study provides results from a program improvement initiative in a sexually violent person (SVP) civil commitment facility that queried patients and treatment providers about their satisfaction with therapeutic processes and assessment methods. Overall, patients reported high levels of satisfaction with treatment at the facility, with the highest levels of satisfaction on items about being treated with kindness and respect and staff acting professionally. Providers rated current assessment methods such as the Penile Plethysmography (PPG) assessment, polygraph testing, and neuropsychological testing as most helpful for patients in treatment progress; however, patients rated PPG assessment and polygraph testing as the least helpful of the assessments conducted. Soliciting patient feedback periodically could be important for maintaining treatment engagement and discovering opportunities to enhance patient satisfaction to treatment in a SVP civil commitment setting.


Author(s):  
Kim English ◽  
Linda Jones ◽  
Diane Pasini-Hill ◽  
Diane Patrick ◽  
Sydney Cooley-Towell

Author(s):  
Sharon M. Kelley

In many parts of the United States, individuals can be civilly committed as Sexually Violent Persons (SVP) to a secure treatment center based on their history of sexual offenses, current mental disorder, and current risk for sexual recidivism. While the specific criteria vary between jurisdictions, SVP civil commitment is indefinite, and periodic examinations occur to determine if ongoing commitment is necessary. Release recommendations may be made in part based on patients’ treatment progress. Therefore, incorporating treatment change into periodic risk assessments is an important role of the SVP evaluator. The current paper sought to explore the benefits of using an actuarial tool within SVP populations to measure decreased sexual recidivism risk as a result of treatment change. Specific discussion of the use of the Violence Risk Scale – Sexual Offense version (Olver et al., 2007, https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.19.3.318) is provided.


2020 ◽  
pp. 009385482097244
Author(s):  
Gina Ambroziak ◽  
Rachel E. Kahn ◽  
James C. Mundt ◽  
Kerry L. Keiser ◽  
David Thornton

Older age is a well-established protective factor against sexual recidivism. However, research on the effects of aging in individuals considered for civil commitment as sexually violent persons (SVPs) is limited. The current study investigated 53 such individuals released after age 60: 15 were released following dismissal of the civil commitment petition, and 38 were discharged following civil commitment. Recidivism outcomes, including details of the release environment, were examined and the groups were compared on recidivism risk and age-related factors. The sexual recidivism rate across both groups was 7.5% over an average follow-up of about 9 years. The rate of sexually violent offenses was 3.8%. Results suggest that age-related protective effects apply to older SVPs. However, the groups differed in total time institutionalized and release environments. Findings highlight the potential impact of release type and environments on observed recidivism rates. Risk management implications for older individuals released from SVP programs are considered.


2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory Declue

The 1990s saw an upsurge in statutes and procedures for civil commitment of sexually violent predators. Some current cases involve consideration of whether a person who has been in long-term sex-offender treatment continues to meet commitment criteria. Psychologists' and psychiatrists' roles in such proceedings involve diagnosis, risk assessment, and risk communication. Particular challenges to evaluators are how to integrate and communicate findings regarding estimated risk from static and dynamic factors. Although both are theoretically important in considering a person's risk for sexual reoffense, there are considerably less empirical data regarding dynamic factors than static factors. Therefore evaluators should use considerable caution in using dynamic factors to adjust risk assessments based on static factors, and we should clearly communicate the lack of empirical base for risk-assessment adjustments based on dynamic factors.


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