Treatment of sex offenders by Probation Service

WQ.341/2019

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS BY DEPUTY M.R. HIGGINS OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 16th JULY 2019

Question

Will the Minister request from the Probation Service an explanation of the measures taken by the Service to treat sex offenders released from prison and to prevent re-offending, and of the policies which underpin this work; and will he request confirmation of the number of staff engaged in this area and the qualifications they hold, as well as the number of ex-sex offenders who are currently being dealt with and the success rate?

Answer

Although the Jersey Probation and After-Care Service (JPAC) is not the responsibility of the Home Affairs Minister, there are close working relationships between the Service and the Department for Justice and Home Affairs. Accordingly, the Chief Probation Officer is very pleased to be able to provide the Minister with the following information.

At the point of sentence, all prisoners, including sex offenders, are allocated a Probation Officer. The Probation Officer, in partnership with colleagues in the States of Jersey Prison Service, will work with that prisoner throughout the sentence to provide opportunities to address offending and to plan for a safe reintegration into the community.

All sex offenders are offered voluntary contact upon release as there is currently no mandatory post custodial legislation in Jersey although this is currently being considered. Work with sex offenders is predicated on the principles of public protection and rehabilitation. In terms of public protection, the Probation Service adopt the policies agreed as part of the Jersey Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (JMAPPA) whereby all registered sex offenders are subject to assessment and management plans to assist their rehabilitation whilst ensuring that public safety is prioritised.

It is also vital to assist an ex offender to maintain a non-offending lifestyle. A treatment plan will be agreed in conjunction with a Clinical Forensic Psychologist who has developed an individualised programme for sex offenders that takes into account levels of risk, key areas for intervention and the learning style of the offender. Probation policies stipulate that all contact with offenders is to be regularly conducted, recorded and that risk assessments are updated every three months as a minimum. Offenders will be reminded of their responsibilities under the registration scheme and joint appointments and assessments are regularly undertaken with police officers from the Offender Management Unit.

There are currently nine Probation Officers who work with sex offenders. All are either qualified social workers or have attained a degree in Probation Studies. Before taking on case management responsibility, the Probation Officer will have had a minimum of three years post qualifying experience and have been able to demonstrate competence through the Service's performance and appraisal process. Ongoing training is provided by the Clinical Forensic Psychologist who will also meet with the offender and the Probation Officer to monitor compliance with the treatment plan and consider any ongoing victim safety considerations.

It is important to stress that staff from HMP La Moye have also attended joint training events delivered by the Clinical Forensic Psychologist. All Probation and Prison staff who work with sex offenders have attended the same training in order to undertake accredited assessments. The development of closer co- working is being actively pursued by the Chief Probation Officer and Prison Governor.

There are 46 current clients flagged as Registered Sex Offenders = 15% of caseload Breakdown:

Prison  28 Probation  3 Conditional Early Release  1

Voluntary After Care (following release from Prison)  9

Voluntary Supervision (clients asking for assistance without any

Statutory Order)  5

Since 2017 these have been 3 sex offenders who have offended whilst under supervision. These involved downloading indecent images of children and breaching a Restraining Order; breach of a Restraining Order and malicious damage.