I can't say I'm surprised that an approach more tailored to individuals isn't adopted, as that would remove their economies of scale. I must say I am surprised that you're clinging to the hierarchy of offending, though. It's good that you say the offences weren't normalised, but it's not so good that you think you're somehow better than other offenders. Maybe you can ask Unlock to set up a separate section of the forum that isn't open to rapists, murderers, etc. so you don't have to be bunched together with them. Sorry for the sarcasm, but if you asked people who haven't been convicted of sexual offences, they wouldn't see the difference. Divide and rule, and all that.... 

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)

I think the whole 'treatment' thing needs an overhaul. I attended the ISOTP course which is for internet only based offences, luckily they don't bunch you together with rapists, murderers etc.

The thing that shocked me the most and which i think is one of the most serious issues is that i waited nearly 2 years from arrest to end up on the course. In that time i had the foresight to seek out my own help, therapy with a  specialist therapist which i paid for privately and 12 step program for my drug use. I think if i had not done those things of my own free will then i can't be sure that the course would have been much benefit.

Personally i found the ISOTP course to be OK. it certainly wasn't as 'intense' as the SOTP program mentioned in the article you posted. I also never got a sense of the ofences we committed (downloading indecent images) to be made 'normalised' and i feel that the vast majority of the group i was placed in realised they had caused harm and wanted to 'move on' so to speak.

I can tell you from my experience that we all had other psychological problems, anxiety, isolation, past trauma that was coped with poorly, drug abuse. yet these issues were kind of lightly touched on when i feel that to be honest one has to look at the whole picture and the pieces that make it up which means for many of us, 121 counseling and robust future planning and coping strategies. These things were covered but i do think essentially a more 'tailored for the individual' approach would actually be more beneficial.

Despite every single one of us having compulsive and addictive behaviour towards online pornography and all but one of us having had issues with it since we were way younger than the age of consent, it was never properly addressed. I mean seriously there's a room full of people who have spent hours and hours daily viewing online pornography, some since we were young teenagers yet there didn't seem to be any acknowledgement that this overexposure along with desensitisation and  escalation and lack of real world intimate contact might be something that needs to be addressed in depth?

I could go on for ages about this but i worry about some of the other people who were in my group who might not have got more comprehensive treatment and advice

Well, none us can know how things will be in a few years' time, but maybe the tabloid editors won't rule the country by then.  Seriously, though, Unlock has some information here that might be of interest. Not so good if you're under a force with a lower approval rating, as you can't exactly shop around without moving away for a few years. Still interesting, though.

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)

I am not sure if others have been following the media on this topic but have a view on the following link:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49973318
A snippet I will quote

****two forensic psychiatrists, Penny Brown and Callum Ross, have been so alarmed by the failings in the SOTP programme they are calling for greater oversight of new forms of treatment.

This week, the Lancet Psychiatry medical journal published a paper they have written.

"We want to get reassurance that government-funded policy research is subjected to the same requirements and high academic standards that are placed on everybody else and all other scientists," says Dr Brown.

"The need to show that you're doing something shouldn't override the risk of actually causing harm."*****

To repeat what I have said previously, my pre-sentence report was changed from a 30 mth supervisory to a 4 year term so I could do this course; which followers will know I never did because every report said I was unsuitable for it and would cause me harm if I did participate in a course.

I should of been off the SOR now but because of the above I am on for life as who knows if 15 year stage appeals will be approved in this society we live in.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

Hi,

Thank you for the reply.
As far as a sentence appeal, good if I can get new evidence which is not possible as i am not allowed to contact the female indirectly or directly. Also bear in mind I pleaded guilty for many reasons: I didn't want to put the female through a trial (didn't matter as her other clients arrested took her to trial and lost); note all the authorities agreed this was not a gang situation as she was known to be working the streets, solicitor advised me to; yes I did pay, I had evidence I was being blackmailed and much more mitigation, but in the end I should not of been paying for sex. To be brief I need new evidence to appeal.

In regard to my SOPO, I previously lived in a different "Police" constabulary and I was successful in removing all but 3 of the requirements very easily because of things you mention.
I am now in a different area and in their words "I am considered a very low risk hence very rare visits". I have had numerous discussions with my OM who agrees that one of them could be removed easily but it is up to the Force Solicitor in regard to the others.

I applied for an "amendment" via a solicitor. I was informed that the Solicitors case was very week but would not explain further.
I was told to personally write to the Force Solicitor (via my OM) to gain agreement. The Force solicitor actually chased my OM for my letter.

The issue I have is that after 6 months and numerous requests to the Force Solicitor; via my OM, I am getting no feedback. Now even my OM is not replying to my emails and still not visiting me.
At one stage I was told to get a solicitor to hasten a reply but (a) with zero chance of gaining employment finances are short, (b) surely getting a solicitor involved now sends the wrong type of message to the Force Solicitor as I am trying to work with them not make demands. 

I raised this discussion as the irony is that now the Government say it is a harmful course but my Probation Pre-sentence recommendation report stated that even though "I was considered a low risk of reoffending I needed to go to prison as that would give me time to undertake the course" . Bear in mind that prior and post the report everyone has agreed I am unsuited for course attendance.

Just to let you know, a solicitor has informed me I cannot use that argument as the Judge's sentencing remarks did not quote the Probation report.
I always ask "How is it that I have to accept my mistakes, continually prove I will not make them again but they just say we have improved our processes"



Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.

On the subject of getting your SOPO amended, you can go back to court to ask a judge to amend the conditions. That becomes a formality if the police support your application, so step one should probably be to discuss it with them. If nobody can say why you have those conditions, they would probably have a hard time trying to hold on to them. The case law on SOPOs changed after a case in 2010, so it might well be that your SOPO is not compliant, which would also make it easier to get certain changes made. If your application is contested by the police, you would probably need professional legal advice and even representation.

Regarding your time on the SOR, that is set by law. The only way to get it changed would be to appeal against your sentence, which might be difficult after all this time. Other than that, you have the right to ask to be removed from the SOR fifteen years after your first registration after you were released from prison.

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)

Hi

This is good news to all of us that stated the Sex Offenders courses where not fit for purpose and could do more harm than good if put on them and suffered the consequences.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48998136

In 2010 I was arrested for paying for sex, unfortunately a year earlier I had paid; but unknowingly, to a female under 18yrs. Please do not divert the conversation into a discussion on "you can tell" as another client of hers was given a non-custodial sentence as his Judge (female) believed you could not tell she was; and he was convicted of more charges than me.

It took 2 years to get to sentencing me even though I admitted paying at interview. 
The Probation Service pre-sentence report recommended a "supervisory sentence" so I could undertake one of these courses.
I undertook an independent psychology assessment which stated I had no underage tendencies etc and supported a non-custodial sentence.
After receiving this report the Probation officer rewrote his report saying I should have a custodial sentence - 5yrs - so I could complete a course. I was told his manager had told him to rewrite it.
Upon my being incarcerated I requested to be assessed for suitability for a course. I was assessed 14 months later as unsuitable, in fact a recommendation to undertake a "wellbeing" course after my release was given. I also received documentation that if I had had sufficient time left I would of been made Cat D.

After my release and having done no courses; the same Probation Officer had me reassessed as he wanted me to undertake one of these courses. Again the Psychologists stated I was unsuitable but recommended a "wellbeing" course to help me "forgive" myself for my quilt.

For some years I have been and am still trying to remove my SOPO conditions (as no one can say why I have them) and now seeking advice to see if I can be removed from the SOR as my sentence length was based on the time it would take for me to complete a course: that I was constantly found unsuitable for and which the Courts have agreed is a discredited course now.

Any advice??


Years on I am still trying to get someone to listen that besides the "media /political / public outcry" being discussed at the time because of other sex offences (not linked to mine)






Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope is for tomorrow else what is left if you remove a mans hope.