Sex Offender Treatment In Colorado, Part 1
What Is The Colorado Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB)?
The Colorado Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB) is a 25-member board that was established by the Colorado government (C.R.S. 16-11.7-103) under the Department of Public Safety. They set the standards for identification, evaluation, and risk assessments, of Sex Offenders in Colorado. The SOMB makes the rules that apply to the treatment of Sex Offenders in Colorado.
What Is The Goal Of Sex Offender Treatment In Adams County And Other Counties?
Sex offender treatment in Arapahoe, Denver, or Adams County is a therapeutic environment where every aspect of the offender’s life is scrutinized and controlled. The official goal of Sex Offender Treatment is the same in Douglas, Broomfield or anywhere in Colorado: that the offender never offend again.
If I Am Placed In Sex Offender Treatment In Colorado, Do I Still Have My Civil Rights?
If you are permitted to be on probation or parole in Jefferson County, you must agree with forfeiting many rights that most people have, or go to prison. Your SOMB Treatment Provider will require you to adhere to the rules of the program, or you will be terminated. If you are terminated from the program, you will most likely serve your sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC). If you are in DOC, Sex Offenders are required to take SOMB treatment as a condition of parole. Release from DOC is difficult to achieve.
What Kinds Of Therapy Should I Expect If I Am Placed In A Sex Offender Treatment Program?
SOMB Therapy requires the offender participate in group sessions with other Sex Offenders. Group Therapy consists of reading written homework and talking about assignments. It is run by an SOMB Therapist who is trained to teach the group of Sex Offenders to point out “wrong thinking” in others. Therapists that observe the interactions are able to see which of the Sex Offenders are engaged and challenging other group members. There is an underlying belief that offenders receive challenging comments best from other offenders. They are pitted against one another, and rewarded for in-fighting. In addition to group therapy, treatment programs in Adams, Denver, or any County in Colorado will also require individual counseling sessions with the SOMB Therapist.
Can I Prepare Myself Mentally Before Entering Sex Offender Treatment In Douglas County?
Yes, but it isn’t easy. I have often told our clients that they need to have a very compliant attitude. But telling a person to be compliant is not usually enough if they are not normally compliant people. As Americans, we insist on our rights and the ability to have freedom of thought. Sex offender treatment opposes this “free-thinking”, and insists on controlling what offenders think and what they do. The people that get through Sex Offender Treatment with the least amount of trouble tend to accept their need for treatment and are submissive to the treatment process. If, as an offender, you believe you are a “victim” of your criminal offense, your prosecution, or in treatment, you will not succeed in Denver, Arapahoe or any County with treatment in Colorado.
Is Sex Offender Treatment Different In Jefferson County Verses Arapahoe County?
No. Sex Offender Treatment programs are standardized and regulated through the Colorado Sex Offender Management Board (SOMB). While different probation departments have varying reputations for how tough they are, the Treatment Programs are more known by the individual provider, and some programs are more strictly run (some are not possible to pass). You should also know that the Probation Department has a tremendous amount of influence over the SOMB Treatment Providers that take Offenders. They often use monetary coercion, and the subtle threat of cutting off referrals, to keep SOMB Treatment Providers from disagreeing with whatever they say. Probation officers start to believe they are all powerful and believe they are little “gods”.
See Sex Offender Treatment in Colorado, Part 2, for more questions and answers.
