Use of IO Examinations

[contessa]

Good Afternoon,

I would like to hear from others, Poly examiners, SO clinicians, and supervising officers how they utilize Instant Offense polygraphs into their treatment/policies.
For example, if a client is denying he/she committed the sex crime (irregardless of their plea or findings in Court) and comes to treatment and undergoes polygraph examinations; how would you proceed should the client's exams result in a NDI result with regard to the IO. Would the clinician continue to treat as if the result was DI? Would the clinician refer the client to a lesser form of treatment (lesser meaning intensity not quality of course)? Do most SO programs not even request IO examinations? Thanks in advance!

[kensinger]

We've excluded a few people juvenile and adult who showed NDI on instant offense polys. Makes no sense to continue to treat if they've been claiming innocence and passed the poly.

Maybe a polished liar may get by but why make the truly innocent endure treatment that is not needed and take up valuable space?

[PMH]

We typically modify the treatment, and go through a lot of the psychoeducational material with them.

We keep them in treatment, however, because even though the are not deceptive on the polygraph, they did plead guilty, and they have been court-ordered into treatment (our folk are on probation), and we feel obligated to assist the "offenders" to comply with their court orders by providing an appropriate treatment. We've not had a problem with compliance in these (rare) circumstances.

Completion of treatment tends to come quicker for these folks.

-PMH

[kensinger]

Let me add one more thing....
Since these folks are all on probation or parole (does anyone get truly voluntary offenders in their groups), the recommendation to the PO is that they don't need sex offense-specific treatment. The other conditions or restrictions imposed are the province of the PO to impose. All we are saying is that they don't need SO-specific treatment.

It also sends a good message to the others that we will go to bat for them. Haven't had any whining about "how come soandso got out and I still have to be here?"