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Overview
It is estimated that in the United States today
there are over 265,000 convicted sex offenders under the jurisdiction of corrections
agencies, with more than one half under some form of community supervision. Given these
numbers, the individuals and agencies responsible for managing these offenders must have
ready access to the most current knowledge and effective practices in the field of sex
offender supervision. Courts, corrections agencies, and treatment providers around the
country have demonstrated that with careful supervision and control, combined with
effective treatment interventions, they can manage sex offenders and increase public
safety. Others can draw upon these experiences, and create similar results in their own
communities, if provided the opportunity to learn about and observe effective supervision
strategies for these difficult offenders.
Recognizing these needs, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the
National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and the
State Justice Institute (SJI) have established the Center
for Sex Offender Management (CSOM) a national project to support local jurisdictions
in the effective management of sex offenders under community supervision. NIC and SJI have
joined OJP in the management of the project and are devoting additional resources to
support corrections professionals and the judiciary as they address this critical issue
within their specific arenas. The project is being administered through an interagency
agreement among OJP, NIC and SJI, and a cooperative agreement between OJP and the Center
for Effective Public Policy, in collaboration with the American Probation and Parole
Association (APPA).
The CSOM project includes four primary activity areas. These are:
Information Exchange Component
The Information Exchange represents CSOM's effort to provide useful, current, and
accessible information to the field. The information Exchange develops and distributes policy and practice briefs on pressing
issues; operates a website; and compiles and makes available information collected from
local and state agencies around the country. Please complete the mailing list application.
Intensive Training Component
CSOM designs and delivers training programs for probation and parole agencies and
officers, and for cross-system teams, from jurisdictions throughout the country. CSOM
provides intensive training workshops and tailored seminars at national and state
professional conferences. CSOM is also developing a comprehensive training curriculum that
will be made available on a state, regional, and local basis.
Technical Assistance Component
CSOM is providing technical assistance in a variety of forms to support jurisdictions who
have demonstrated their commitment to establishing effective supervision strategies and
who now want to explore innovations in the delivery of those strategies. This component of
the project creates a constant stream of new information and learning -- about the
challenges the field is facing and new efforts to address those challenges. Agencies
requesting technical assistance must complete a brief application form. Applications are
evaluated on a case-by-case basis and responses are made within sixty days.
The Resource Sites Component
CSOM has identified ten jurisdictional, cross-disciplinary teams who have developed
innovative sex offender management and supervision techniques. The project is assisting
those sites to build their capacity to serve as resources for other jurisdictions who are
interested in instituting successful, collaborative supervision programs.
For more information about CSOM, its primary activity areas, and searchable document
database visit us at www.csom.org or contact:
Leilah Gilligan
Center for Sex Offender Management
8403 Colesville Road, Suite 720
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (301) 589-9383
Fax: (301) 589-3505
Email: gilligan@cepp.com
To receive bulletins and updates from the Center for Sex Offender Management, please
complete a mailing list application. |