CANADA'S "CURE FOR SEX OFFENDERS"

Correctional Programs

Sexual Offender Programs

The Correctional Service of Canada's (CSC) Sexual Offender Programs are primarily focused on male offenders who have been identified as a result of their offence history.
Two programs are delivered nationally; the Moderate Intensity Sex Offender Program (NMISOP) and the Low Intensity Sex Offender Program (NLISOP). Offenders are referred to the programs based on their risk level and need as assessed by a specialized sex offender assessment. Both programs were accredited by an international panel of corrections experts in June 2000.

The programs are delivered according to Correctional Program Standards. The National Sex Offender Program Guidelines also give useful clarifications in regards to program implementation (selection criteria, program director role, etc.). As well, the programs include a detailed evaluation process that permits a comprehensive program evaluation and outcome analysis of the program's success in reducing the thinking and behaviours associated with sexual violence.

National Moderate Intensity Sex Offender Program
The National Sex Offender Program is a cognitive-behavioural intervention that is designed to be a therapeutic, rather than solely a didactic or psychoeducational program. It is based on empirical research and best practice in the provision of services to sex offenders, and on the principles of social learning, adult learning, group processes, therapeutic rapport and alliance, motivational enhancement, overlearning, and skills development.

The National Sex Offender Program targets criminogenic needs and known risk factors for sexual offending. The format of the National Sex Offender Program uses a "menu" approach based on criminogenic needs and known risk factors associated with individual offenders' patterns of sexual offending behaviour. In the National Sex Offender Program, the client is regarded as the "expert" about his own behaviour and, as such, the role of the service provider is to assist the client to develop, through guided learning, an awareness of the dynamics and motivations of his sexual offending behaviour and to develop a self-management plan to avoid re-offending. The National Sex Offender Program also incorporates both group and individual work, and recognizes learning that occurs outside the formal treatment venue.

Referral Criteria
The Sex Offender Program is intended for all federal offenders who:
Have been convicted of a sex offence or;
Have been convicted of a sexually motivated crime or;
Have admitted to a sex offence for which they have not been convicted.
AND
Offenders having a moderate risk to re-offend relative to other sex offenders, as assessed using a sex offender-specific actuarial assessment instrument such as the Static-99
Offenders who have moderate to high criminogenic needs as assessed using a sex offender specific measure of dynamic risk factors such as the Stable-2007 (moderate to high need levels refers to both the number, type, and extent of entrenchment of dynamic risk factors).
Selection Criteria

The Moderate intensity program is designed for offenders assessed as moderate risk to offend sexually and with need levels that are either moderate or high. Moderate to high need levels may be based upon evidence that the offender has multiple criminogenic needs associated with sexual offending behaviour. For example, an offender whose sexual offending behaviour is associated with several domains, such as attitudes supportive of sexual aggression, deficits in social competence or skills, impulsivity, and empathy deficits, may be assessed as having moderate to high need levels and should receive treatment designed to address these criminogenic needs.

Alternatively, offenders may be assessed as moderate to high need as a result of deficits in fewer domains, but which are particularly well entrenched or influential on behaviour. For example, offenders whose sexual aggression is associated with well-entrenched attitudes supportive of deviant sexual behaviour and with frequent deviant sexual fantasy, may also be assessed as moderate to high need.

Methodology
The Moderate Intensity National Sex Offender Program is structured to require approximately four to five months to complete. There is a minimum requirement of 10 hours of group work per week, with a maximum of 14 hours per week. Additionally, service providers conduct a minimum of two individual sessions with each offender during the course of the program. The program is conducted with two service providers.

Continuum of Service/Maintenance Programming
The final phase of the Moderate intensity program is maintenance programming that is offered as a component of the program. This component is designed as a follow-up to treatment intervention, and is to be offered to all sex offenders completing the moderate intensity program. Maintenance is conceptualized as a component of treatment, rather than as a separate program, to emphasize the importance of follow-up and continuity of service to sex offenders, as well as the importance of continuity of care between the institution and the community. In maintenance, clients review and reinforce their self-management plans (and release plans, if applicable) to entrench these plans and strategies and to revise these in light of changes in circumstances.

Maintenance in the institution is designed to assist offenders in maintaining treatment gains and to revise their self-management plans. In the community, maintenance also performs these functions, but also continually reassesses risk and dynamic risk factors to assist in supervision. In the community, sex offenders should have a comprehensive self-management plan which outlines their high risk situations, triggers to sex offending, and behaviours that parole officers and program officers would observe in the community if an offender's risk was increasing. These should be clearly delineated in the self-management/release plans and should be reassessed on a continual basis.

Low Intensity National Sex Offender Program
Low intensity is a structured cognitive-behavioural, process-oriented group that allows offenders to individualize, integrate, and enact other aspects of the treatment experience and treatment topics. The long-term goal of treatment is to maintain the risk of offending at a low level and/or to reduce risk. The foundation for low intensity treatment is the self-management of behaviour that may place the offender at risk to reoffend. Clients are assisted in developing an understanding of their risk factors and potential pathways to re-offending based on an analysis of past offences.

Through this analysis, service providers assist clients to identify dynamic risk factors relating to their offending behaviour, after which clients formulate risk self-management plans.

Referral Criteria
The Sex Offender Program is intended for all federal offenders who:
Have been convicted of a sex offence or;
Have been convicted of a sexually motivated crime or;
Have admitted to a sex offence for which they have not been convicted.
AND
Offenders who are at a lower risk to re-offend relative to other sex offenders as assessed using an instrument such as the Static-99.

Offenders who have low to moderate criminogenic needs as assessed using a sex offender specific measure of dynamic risk factors such as the Stable-2007 (low to moderate need levels refers to both the number, type, and extent of entrenchment of dynamic risk factors).
Selection Criteria

The Low Intensity Sex Offender Program is designed for low risk offenders whose needs range from low to moderate.

As a general rule, this group includes intrafamilial (incest) offenders, first time sexual offenders (based upon conviction data), offenders without a history of noncontact sexual offences, offenders without a history of offences against male victims, offenders without significant deviant sexual arousal related to their offending behaviour, and offenders with minimal or no conviction history for nonsexual violent offences.

Note that these are general guidelines based upon research pertaining to sexual offenders and are not inclusion criteria.

Methodology
The Low Intensity Sex Offender Program is approximately two to four months in duration. There is a minimum requirement of 3 hours of group work per week, and a maximum of 5 hours per week. Individual intervention is conducted as required. Groups may be led by one or two service providers depending upon the needs and size of the group.

Continuum of Service: Maintenance Programming
The final phase of low intensity program is maintenance programming that is offered as a component of program. This component is designed as a follow-up to treatment intervention, and is to be offered to all sex offenders completing the low intensity program. Maintenance is conceptualized as a component of treatment, rather than as a separate program, to emphasize the importance of follow-up and continuity of service to sex offenders, as well as the importance of continuity of care between the institution and the community. In maintenance, clients review and reinforce their self-management plans (and release plans, if applicable) to entrench these plans and strategies and to revise these in light of changes in circumstances.

Maintenance in the institution is designed to assist offenders in maintaining treatment gains and to revise their self-management plans. In the community, maintenance also performs these functions, but also continually reassesses risk and dynamic risk factors to assist in supervision. In the community, sex offenders should have a comprehensive self-management plan which outlines their high risk situations, triggers to sex offending, and behaviours that parole officers and program officers would observe in the community if an offender's risk was increasing. These should be clearly delineated in the self-management/release plans and should be reassessed on a continual basis.

{Well as much as I hate to admit it Canada is 20 years ahead of the United States when it comes to actual SOLUTIONS for people that commit Illegal sexual acts. First of all they do not base their solutionsto these problems with guilt and shame based legislation.

Secondly they have no online sex offender registry to frighten the uninformed public or make the offender a pariah in their community.

I think its time we took a few pages from the Canadian play book as far as the massive failure our current RSO laws are creating. Some in the RSO community have suggested a 5 tier graduated system where offenders can earn their way thru counseling and treatment then be given a chance to become responsable product members of society again. Canada is a true model for our failing policy's} http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/prgrm/sexoff-eng.shtml