The Role of the Victim and Victim Advocate in Managing Sex Offenders

1. The Role of the Victim and Victim Advocate in Managing Sex Offenders Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

2. Learning Objectives Participants will be able to: • Name specific strategies for involving victim advocates and victims in sex offender management; • Understand better the needs and concerns of victims that probation and parole staff should take into account when developing strategies for victim involvement or when contacting or interviewing victims; • Identify the information needed by the interviewer and the victims during pre-sentence investigation; and • Identify the information that should be provided to the victim at the pre-release phase. Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

3. What Advocates Can Do With and For You • Day-to-day offender management • Policy development • Professional training, community education, information-sharing, and networking Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

4. What Advocates Can Do With and For You: Day-to-Day Offender Management • Explain the community supervision and treatment program to victims • Offer assistance to any new victims the offender might disclose during supervision or treatment • Address victimization issues of family and friends of offenders • Act as a liaison for victims with criminal justice system professionals and other victim service providers • Ensure that victims are informed of changes in offenders’ status Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

5. What Advocates Can Do With and For You: Day-to-Day Offender Management (continued) • Communicate with criminal justice system, treatment providers, and others on behalf of victims • Facilitate victim input regarding supervision and treatment plans • Help identify when routine offender re-assessment is needed and help identify changes to supervision and treatment plans • Accompany supervision officers on field visits to offer a victim-centered perspective Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

6. What Advocates Can Do With and For You: Day-to-Day Offender Management (continued) • Discuss with the case management team how specific interventions serve the best interest of the victim and community • Help treatment providers develop victim empathy programs • Participate in case review meetings and share information (with victim’s consent) • Assist victims in intra-familial sexual abuse cases assess the risks involved in family reunification and monitor the reunification process to ensure safety Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

7. What Advocates Can Do With and For You: PolicyDevelopment • Help review the policies and practices of the sex offender management system and assist in improving systemic responses to victims • Offer a victim perspective on proposed policy to ensure thatchanges do not compromise the safety and interests of victims • Promote legislation that protects victims and communities and holds offenders more accountable • Help craft policies that broaden coordination among agencies and streamlined, coordinated sexual assault services Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

8. What Advocates Can Do With and For You: Training, Community Education, Information-Sharing, and Networking • Provide training and information about the nature and prevalence of sexual assault, and the range of resources available to respond to victims of sexual assault • Enhance the ability of supervision agencies and treatment providers to create effective victim-centered policies and identify victim concerns or potential problems in individual cases • Participate in community notification efforts • Provide important input into the support or opposition of legislation related to sexual assault Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

9. What Victims Need • Advocacy during the pre-sentencing and post-release phases of a sex offender’s criminal justice involvement • Safety assurances and precautions during the victim’s involvement in the criminal justice system • Control over their involvement in the system. • Information on the offender’s status, notification procedures, probation or parole conditions, compensation obligations, court dates, and sentencing guidelines. Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

10. What Victims Need (continued) • The ability to give input throughout the criminal justice system process. • Additional support for themselves and their families (e.g., emotional support, financial assistance, etc.). • The ability to contact a supervision officer or other designated individual with questions and information. Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

11. Contact and Interviews When contacting or interviewing victims: • Be clear about the purpose of the interview, how the information will be used, and who will have access to it. • Explain the role of a supervision officer and what the victim can expect. • Ask if the victim is receiving necessary support services. • Ask the victim about a safety plan. • Answer the victim’s questions. • Make referrals to victim advocates or others who can provide support to the victim and respond to their needs. • Refer victims to different advocates or services for different purposes. Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

12. Pre-Sentence Investigations When collecting information for a pre-sentence investigation report: • Explain that you are interested in hearing about the victim's experiences, feelings, and thoughts during and since the assault. • Ask the victim what s/he would like to see happen. • Explain the victim’s role on the day of sentencing. • Make sure the victim knows that a victim advocate can go with him/her to the sentencing if the victim chooses to attend. • Ask the victim if s/he wants a no contact order. Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

13. Information Specific to the Offender’s Release to Community Supervision When providing information about the offender’s supervision in the community: • Explain the role of a supervision officer and what will be done to maintain the victim's safety. • Explain the limits of confidentiality and what information about the offender can and cannot be shared. • Inform the victim of where the offender is proposing to live and invite the victim to share any concerns. • Tell the victim in general terms what the offender has been doing, if incarcerated, during that time. • Explain that you may be obligated to order the offender not to have contact with the victim. Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

14. Information Specific to the Offender’s Release to Community Supervision (continued) • If a victim inquires about reunification with the offender, make sure the victim has the appropriate information, resources, and support to explore this option. • Explain the probation or parole rules and regulations by which the offender must abide and what will happen if the offender violates these requirements. • Explain community notification procedures and plans and the implications of sex offender registration for the victim. • Give the victim realistic information about what s/he can expect after the offender's release. Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

15. Interviewing Parents of Victims • When interviewing parents or guardians of sexual abuse victims, be mindful that they may experience the sexual assault or abuse as secondary victims, including: • Anger (e.g., at the perpetrator, at the system, and perhaps at the victim, especially in intra-familial cases); • Guilt (e.g., for having trusted the perpetrator, for not seeing sooner what was taking place); and • Feelings of mistrust (doubting one's ability to care for one's child, not knowing who to trust). Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

16. Interviewing Non-Offending Parents of Incest Survivors When interviewing non-offending parents: • Explain what the supervision priorities are. • Explain the limits of the supervision officer’s role. • Provide contact information for problems or issues that are not specific to supervision (such as treatment). • Provide referrals for other support services as necessary. • Explain how you will oversee restitution payments and the offender’s other financial obligations. • Explain the conditions under which family reunification can and cannot occur. Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

17. What to do with Information Received from the Victim • Be open with victims about how the information they provide is going to be used. • Be clear about the information we can and cannot ignore and how we will respond. • If the victim reports a violation by the offender to the supervision officer in confidence, the officer must be creative to independently verify the information so the victim is not implicated. • Promises made to victims giving information on the condition of confidentiality must be honored to preserve the integrity of your relationship with the victim and the integrity of the system. Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management

18. Conclusion • Questions Coming up next: • Strategies for Applying the Victim-Centered Approach Section 4: Enhancing Victim Involvement in Sex Offender Management