Few offences are as repulsive and as newsworthy as sexual assault. Sexual offences are often violent and in many cases the perpetrator is known to the victim. Of course, the issue is made even more emotional because the majority of offences are committed against women and children. The laws governing these types of offences make provision for strict sentences but in most cases the courts require an official sex offender risk assessment before they make any decisions.
The evaluation that is performed can help the authorities and courts to decide on the best course of action. It must be kept in mind that many delinquents are adolescents and they must be treated differently from adults. There are also many cases where the crime is perpetrated by individuals that have limited mental abilities and that are not deemed able to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.
The evaluations are used in determining the sentences of the delinquents and the manner of treatment that will be required. The results also play an important role when parole is considered. When parole is considered favorably, the evaluation results will help the authorities to decide about the level of supervision that will be needed in relation to the paroled person as well as the conditions under which parole will be granted.
The most important consideration of the authorities when dealing with this type of criminal is the safety of the public. In some cases the safety of the convicted person may also be in danger. Decisions must therefore be made about whether the public must be informed about the fact that the delinquents will be released and whether the personal details of the person must be recorded in a register.
Evaluations of suspects of sexual offences are not only assessed when they are arrested or brought to trial. Follow up evaluations are performed after sentence has been passed and even if the convicted person is on parole he must still report of periodic evaluations. In this way a reliable picture is formed regarding the stability of the convict, the progress he makes towards rehabilitation and his compliance with the conditions set by the authorities.
Evaluations are performed by collecting a wide variety of data from different sources. In most cases the prime concern is to predict whether the convict is likely to repeat his offence. The likely success of rehabilitation programs are also taken into account and in some cases decisions must be made on issues such as therapy or psychological treatment.
Conducting this type of evaluation is a complicated and sometime lengthy business. A number of experts are involved. The team may include a social worker, representatives from the correctional services, psychiatrists and behavioral scientists, to name just a few. Discrepancies between the findings of different experts may lead to further, more thorough evaluations. It has been proven, however, that the recommendations contained in these evaluations are generally reliable.
It is only natural that sexual assault cases cause such an emotional reaction from the public. It is an outrage and the victims often suffer the consequences for decades afterwards. The justice system must nevertheless approach these cases soberly and objectively. They cannot allow emotions to cloud their decisions.
The evaluation that is performed can help the authorities and courts to decide on the best course of action. It must be kept in mind that many delinquents are adolescents and they must be treated differently from adults. There are also many cases where the crime is perpetrated by individuals that have limited mental abilities and that are not deemed able to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong.
The evaluations are used in determining the sentences of the delinquents and the manner of treatment that will be required. The results also play an important role when parole is considered. When parole is considered favorably, the evaluation results will help the authorities to decide about the level of supervision that will be needed in relation to the paroled person as well as the conditions under which parole will be granted.
The most important consideration of the authorities when dealing with this type of criminal is the safety of the public. In some cases the safety of the convicted person may also be in danger. Decisions must therefore be made about whether the public must be informed about the fact that the delinquents will be released and whether the personal details of the person must be recorded in a register.
Evaluations of suspects of sexual offences are not only assessed when they are arrested or brought to trial. Follow up evaluations are performed after sentence has been passed and even if the convicted person is on parole he must still report of periodic evaluations. In this way a reliable picture is formed regarding the stability of the convict, the progress he makes towards rehabilitation and his compliance with the conditions set by the authorities.
Evaluations are performed by collecting a wide variety of data from different sources. In most cases the prime concern is to predict whether the convict is likely to repeat his offence. The likely success of rehabilitation programs are also taken into account and in some cases decisions must be made on issues such as therapy or psychological treatment.
Conducting this type of evaluation is a complicated and sometime lengthy business. A number of experts are involved. The team may include a social worker, representatives from the correctional services, psychiatrists and behavioral scientists, to name just a few. Discrepancies between the findings of different experts may lead to further, more thorough evaluations. It has been proven, however, that the recommendations contained in these evaluations are generally reliable.
It is only natural that sexual assault cases cause such an emotional reaction from the public. It is an outrage and the victims often suffer the consequences for decades afterwards. The justice system must nevertheless approach these cases soberly and objectively. They cannot allow emotions to cloud their decisions.
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