Remember I said I'd deal with Risk of Harm another day? Well, I can't sleep (it's too damn hot), and so I thought I'd talk about that next.
The Probation scoring system works with two different variables. The first is Risk of Re-offending. As of 26 May, Probation has agreed to re-rate me down to "low" risk of re-offending. What a coincidence that I put my thoughts into the public arena that day!!!
So maybe they'll listen to me on this point too?
The second risk is separate from offending - it's the Risk of causing serious harm. Now, serious harm has no legal definition. however, in the Children Act 1989, "significant harm" is defined. And this is then re-defined in Police Guidelines and meaning "Serious Harm" and thus we have a definition.
So, what is my risk of causing serious harm. Apparently, it was high, but is now only medium. This means that I am capable of causing such harm, but as long as my circumstances don't change significantly for the worst, I'm unlikely to do so. And that only applies to Children - I'm a low risk to all other groups in the community.
And apparently I'm only likely to cause harm to specific children. Like my victim...
Lets see - the victim I am most likely to cause harm to is a 19 year old University Student. Last time I looked the age of consent in this country was 16??? and a 19 year old is legally an adult. And she's the one contacting me!
So if I am a medium risk to only specified children, and the people they specify are no longer children...
Which planet are these people from?!
And it gets better - if I'm only likely to cause this harm if my circumstances change significantly, why are they (still) threatening to recall me for writing a blog? Surely the ongoing stress of that is a significant change for the worse?
Ah well, as of last night, I've instructed a Solicitor and Barrister to go up against Police and Probation for me. We will soon see whether the law applies to the authorities or not.
The guards are there to guard you from me, and me from you, but who guards the guards?
Sleep well.
Monday 28 June 2010
Saturday 29 May 2010
Meetings
So, meeting with my Offender Manager and my new Offender Manager on Thursday - that was fun!
And apparently my new Offender Manager has experience in working with "people like me" whatever that means. If it means he's going to treat me with contempt and as if I'm some sort of sub-human, then he can stuff his supervision where the sun don't shine, breach or no breach!
And then SOGP again in Friday. Session 12, Life Skills. Where we discuss communication skills ands the fact that we might not have understood what people were saying to us.
I wonder if they realise that the youngest guy on the course is 28 and a Law Student, the oldest is 67 and an ex-RN captain. Do they think you get to 67 without being able to communicate?
Anyway, more stupid role-plays, and surprise-surprise they didn't use my "don't understand" example: I don't understand why the people running the course use permissive language to describe what work they want us to do, then coercive and threatening language to force us to do it even if we see no point.
So much for Informed Consent!
In the meantime, I had an Interview this week, and hope to hear back next week that I have a job :-)
And apparently my new Offender Manager has experience in working with "people like me" whatever that means. If it means he's going to treat me with contempt and as if I'm some sort of sub-human, then he can stuff his supervision where the sun don't shine, breach or no breach!
And then SOGP again in Friday. Session 12, Life Skills. Where we discuss communication skills ands the fact that we might not have understood what people were saying to us.
I wonder if they realise that the youngest guy on the course is 28 and a Law Student, the oldest is 67 and an ex-RN captain. Do they think you get to 67 without being able to communicate?
Anyway, more stupid role-plays, and surprise-surprise they didn't use my "don't understand" example: I don't understand why the people running the course use permissive language to describe what work they want us to do, then coercive and threatening language to force us to do it even if we see no point.
So much for Informed Consent!
In the meantime, I had an Interview this week, and hope to hear back next week that I have a job :-)
Wednesday 26 May 2010
What constitutes Risk?
I'm A "High Risk offender" apparently. This means that, according to the best Probation Crystal Ball gazers, there is a high risk of my reoffending in the next five years.
But what does that really mean?
Well, firstly, it's the opinion of someone who, at the time, (back in 2007) had only spoken to me for some 75 minutes, and read through the court papers. It's an opinion based on inaccurate information, and a Research tool called the "Risk Matrix 2000" together with a computerised tool called the OASys (Offender Assessment System).
I have no problem with research tools being used to assess risk, as long as they have statistically relevant results, and are used correctly. And also, as long as the results are being interpreted in a meaningful way.
Now, the OASys first. OASys assesses many static and dynamic risk factors. These include Accommodation, Employment, Finances, Relationships, Drugs, Alcohol, Thinking, Attitudes, and health. Each item gets a score, and these scores are then weighted to give a final score between 0 and 168, though It's not possible to score any less than 12. According to OASys, you are a low risk offender if you score less than 44, a medium risk of you score between 44 and somewhere in the 60's. High risk is up to about 120, and very high risk is the final bracket up to a potential score of 168.
My OASys was 41! Which makes me a low risk, right? No - Apparently I'm likely to forget I was in prison, or even an offender, and repeat my behaviour in future. So as a result, the assessing Probation Officer made a judgement call that my risk of reconviction was therefore High!
Now to the RM2000. This does the same job as OASys, but is specifically targeted as Sexual Offences. Now, my RM2000 states I am a medium risk of reoffending. But that's because the assessor stated that my offences were against strangers, and non-contact offences; both increase my risk. And both are inaccurate, according to the person who designed the tool.
A stranger is a person you did not know 24 hours before the offences - that doesn't apply in my case. And non-contact does not count for internet-based offences. So, as a result, my "medium" score drops to "low" again. But, yet again, the opinion of the Probation Officer is that the RM2000 score is wrong, and my risk of reoffending is high.
Now, lets define what a High Risk of reoffending is.
If you are at low risk of reoffending, then there is less than a 5% chance that they will reoffend in the following 5 years. Medium means 5 to 13%, high means 13 to 26% and very high means 26 to 50% that a further offence will be committed in the five hears following release.
So there is a better than 74% likelihood that a High Risk offender will not re-offend in the five years following his release from custody!
Now, remembering what I said - the RM2000 said I was Medium risk - there's an 85% chance that I won't re-offend in the next 5 years, even when they did it wrongly.
And Low risk means that there is less than a 1 in 20 chance of my re-offending at all (any offence) in the next 5 years!
I have a feeling that Probation's Crystal Ball is faulty. Or, perhaps, by listing me as High Risk, they get more money for harassing... oops, I mean Managing me?
It's even better when they come to risk of harm. But I'll save that for another day!
But what does that really mean?
Well, firstly, it's the opinion of someone who, at the time, (back in 2007) had only spoken to me for some 75 minutes, and read through the court papers. It's an opinion based on inaccurate information, and a Research tool called the "Risk Matrix 2000" together with a computerised tool called the OASys (Offender Assessment System).
I have no problem with research tools being used to assess risk, as long as they have statistically relevant results, and are used correctly. And also, as long as the results are being interpreted in a meaningful way.
Now, the OASys first. OASys assesses many static and dynamic risk factors. These include Accommodation, Employment, Finances, Relationships, Drugs, Alcohol, Thinking, Attitudes, and health. Each item gets a score, and these scores are then weighted to give a final score between 0 and 168, though It's not possible to score any less than 12. According to OASys, you are a low risk offender if you score less than 44, a medium risk of you score between 44 and somewhere in the 60's. High risk is up to about 120, and very high risk is the final bracket up to a potential score of 168.
My OASys was 41! Which makes me a low risk, right? No - Apparently I'm likely to forget I was in prison, or even an offender, and repeat my behaviour in future. So as a result, the assessing Probation Officer made a judgement call that my risk of reconviction was therefore High!
Now to the RM2000. This does the same job as OASys, but is specifically targeted as Sexual Offences. Now, my RM2000 states I am a medium risk of reoffending. But that's because the assessor stated that my offences were against strangers, and non-contact offences; both increase my risk. And both are inaccurate, according to the person who designed the tool.
A stranger is a person you did not know 24 hours before the offences - that doesn't apply in my case. And non-contact does not count for internet-based offences. So, as a result, my "medium" score drops to "low" again. But, yet again, the opinion of the Probation Officer is that the RM2000 score is wrong, and my risk of reoffending is high.
Now, lets define what a High Risk of reoffending is.
If you are at low risk of reoffending, then there is less than a 5% chance that they will reoffend in the following 5 years. Medium means 5 to 13%, high means 13 to 26% and very high means 26 to 50% that a further offence will be committed in the five hears following release.
So there is a better than 74% likelihood that a High Risk offender will not re-offend in the five years following his release from custody!
Now, remembering what I said - the RM2000 said I was Medium risk - there's an 85% chance that I won't re-offend in the next 5 years, even when they did it wrongly.
And Low risk means that there is less than a 1 in 20 chance of my re-offending at all (any offence) in the next 5 years!
I have a feeling that Probation's Crystal Ball is faulty. Or, perhaps, by listing me as High Risk, they get more money for harassing... oops, I mean Managing me?
It's even better when they come to risk of harm. But I'll save that for another day!
Sunday 23 May 2010
Ads Ads Ads
I hate adverts
But, as I'm sure you can imagine, my Internet Access, and ability to blog on the road are not free. Even if Blogspot.com is.
So I've had to cash in a little, just to help with the costs.
And, as some will know, my ad placing was not ideal.
I think I've sorted that now, so if there are any issues, please comment and let me know.
Wish me luck for Thursday - I'm seeing my current Offender Manager for the last time, as he's about to transfer, and I'm not :-( so I gain a new person who only has his reports to know me by. Reports like "Met first partner when she was 10" - even though we never actually got together as a couple for 12 more years, until we'd both returned to the UK. Yes, it's strictly accurate, but the implication is libellous.
I'll report back as soon as...
But, as I'm sure you can imagine, my Internet Access, and ability to blog on the road are not free. Even if Blogspot.com is.
So I've had to cash in a little, just to help with the costs.
And, as some will know, my ad placing was not ideal.
I think I've sorted that now, so if there are any issues, please comment and let me know.
Wish me luck for Thursday - I'm seeing my current Offender Manager for the last time, as he's about to transfer, and I'm not :-( so I gain a new person who only has his reports to know me by. Reports like "Met first partner when she was 10" - even though we never actually got together as a couple for 12 more years, until we'd both returned to the UK. Yes, it's strictly accurate, but the implication is libellous.
I'll report back as soon as...
Friday 7 May 2010
Minority Report
It's Friday 7 May, and there's a Hung Parliament. Here in Northants, the Tories increased their share by 6.2%, and Hollobone goes to Westminster. But no-one knows yet which side he'll sit.
The election was unlawful in any case. The Labour Government failed to implement a ruling made 6 years ago by the European Court to give sentenced prisoners in the United Kingdom the vote. And as a result, every disenfranchised prisoner has the right to ask the courts to re-run the vote in their constituency to allow them to vote.
The ironic thing is, most prisoners that I met in my three years inside were Tory voters. Probably because the Labour Party caused so many problems with their Criminal Justice Act and various changes to the Prison Rules that most cons hate Gordon Brown more than David Cameron does.
So now we wait, to see who can get an agreement with whom. And I predict another election before December, with a court declaration that yesterday's one wasn't lawful in any case.
And God help the country, because neither Labour or Tory will be forgiven for that.
The election was unlawful in any case. The Labour Government failed to implement a ruling made 6 years ago by the European Court to give sentenced prisoners in the United Kingdom the vote. And as a result, every disenfranchised prisoner has the right to ask the courts to re-run the vote in their constituency to allow them to vote.
The ironic thing is, most prisoners that I met in my three years inside were Tory voters. Probably because the Labour Party caused so many problems with their Criminal Justice Act and various changes to the Prison Rules that most cons hate Gordon Brown more than David Cameron does.
So now we wait, to see who can get an agreement with whom. And I predict another election before December, with a court declaration that yesterday's one wasn't lawful in any case.
And God help the country, because neither Labour or Tory will be forgiven for that.
Tuesday 4 May 2010
London again
Going to London is often fun. I cheat - since I'm only a short distance from the M1 here, I hitch-hike down to London Gateway services, then walk out to Apex Corner and catch a bus/train/tube onwards to my destinations.
I keep my Oyster card topped up with at least a Travelcard worth of PAYG credit.
Anyway, every time I go to London, I feel followed. I'm sure I'm not being, but I do often get odd, silent phone calls to my "official" numbers. And today, whilst in London, I popped in to see my Telephony provider to have a look at their logs.
It turns out that the people calling me have been Northants police and Northants Probation! In total, since my release, Northants Mappa office has called my mobile over 100 times, and on some occasions has dropped the call after less than a second. Probation has called me 38 times in less than 38 weeks too.
One assumes this is to try to log where I am, using network plotting etc. Unfortunately, the numbers I have given them route via VoIP to the US, then onwards using Skype or similar (mostly similar) onto my mobile phone, which is not registered either to my name or my address.
Also, something else interesting. As my followers may be aware, I'm not allowed to use Internet Chat services. Now, since release, I've had over 150 "spam" approaches by people asking me to join their Facebook group, or MSN, Yahoo, ICQ etc messenger. Once I found out that the authorities were silent-calling me, I decided to check my logs and run the IP addresses of those approaches. And guess what. 90% of them are from Police or Probation computers. Quelle Surprise...!
I think that Section 1(1) of the Protection from Harassment Act would apply. I'm instructing my solicitor to sue. Lets see how they squirm next.
Talking of followers; Don't be shy - say hello.
Vote Early on 6 May - for the person you believe will represent you, no matter what their politics. Lets hope that the 2003 Act gets revoked by the new government.
I keep my Oyster card topped up with at least a Travelcard worth of PAYG credit.
Anyway, every time I go to London, I feel followed. I'm sure I'm not being, but I do often get odd, silent phone calls to my "official" numbers. And today, whilst in London, I popped in to see my Telephony provider to have a look at their logs.
It turns out that the people calling me have been Northants police and Northants Probation! In total, since my release, Northants Mappa office has called my mobile over 100 times, and on some occasions has dropped the call after less than a second. Probation has called me 38 times in less than 38 weeks too.
One assumes this is to try to log where I am, using network plotting etc. Unfortunately, the numbers I have given them route via VoIP to the US, then onwards using Skype or similar (mostly similar) onto my mobile phone, which is not registered either to my name or my address.
Also, something else interesting. As my followers may be aware, I'm not allowed to use Internet Chat services. Now, since release, I've had over 150 "spam" approaches by people asking me to join their Facebook group, or MSN, Yahoo, ICQ etc messenger. Once I found out that the authorities were silent-calling me, I decided to check my logs and run the IP addresses of those approaches. And guess what. 90% of them are from Police or Probation computers. Quelle Surprise...!
I think that Section 1(1) of the Protection from Harassment Act would apply. I'm instructing my solicitor to sue. Lets see how they squirm next.
Talking of followers; Don't be shy - say hello.
Vote Early on 6 May - for the person you believe will represent you, no matter what their politics. Lets hope that the 2003 Act gets revoked by the new government.
Sunday 25 April 2010
At least I know Probation are reading...
I went to see my Offender Manager on Friday. We discussed my course, my work (or lack of it) and my home life, my girlfriend - usual bullshit.
Mid-conversation, she produced a print-out of part of this blog, and asked me whether it was me or not! I, of course, told her that even if it was, it was none of her business, as my Licence did not prevent me from publishing a blog.
She then called her manager in, and they both told me that if I continued to publish, or even didn't take the blog down from their computers in the office, I would be put back in prison that day. At that stage, I pulled out my mobile phone and speed-dialled my solicitor in Southport, then put him on loudspeaker and invited Probation to repeat their threats. Strangely enough, they weren't happy to do so.
However, they did try to suggest that I've breached my licence by permitting my "victim" to contact me. So I asked them exactly how I'm supposed to stop an adult (19 year old university student) from calling me.
They suggested I should change my phone number (that I've had for over 11 years) as this would solve the problem and "keep me safe". OK, but who will pay for the new business cards, headed paper, contract, etc? They won't.
And in any case, do we not have freedom of expression. My "Victim" is entirely permitted to call me, my licence only stops me from calling her. And, since she has initiated the contact with me, I'd suggest that I can now call her without it being a breach of my licence in any case.
My solicitor pointed this out to my OM, and also pointed out that Probation and the Prison Service were notified that my "victim" was calling me and trying to visit me, by him, while I was still in an Open Prison. So they are being inconsistent if they want it to stop now, nearly a year down the line.
As it happens, my "Victim" reads this blog, and has said that if I want to name her. I'm welcome to do so. She's at University only a few miles down the road now, but we haven't met - that would cross the line.
Nonetheless, the system is trying to be silly now. But then we all knew that already.
Mid-conversation, she produced a print-out of part of this blog, and asked me whether it was me or not! I, of course, told her that even if it was, it was none of her business, as my Licence did not prevent me from publishing a blog.
She then called her manager in, and they both told me that if I continued to publish, or even didn't take the blog down from their computers in the office, I would be put back in prison that day. At that stage, I pulled out my mobile phone and speed-dialled my solicitor in Southport, then put him on loudspeaker and invited Probation to repeat their threats. Strangely enough, they weren't happy to do so.
However, they did try to suggest that I've breached my licence by permitting my "victim" to contact me. So I asked them exactly how I'm supposed to stop an adult (19 year old university student) from calling me.
They suggested I should change my phone number (that I've had for over 11 years) as this would solve the problem and "keep me safe". OK, but who will pay for the new business cards, headed paper, contract, etc? They won't.
And in any case, do we not have freedom of expression. My "Victim" is entirely permitted to call me, my licence only stops me from calling her. And, since she has initiated the contact with me, I'd suggest that I can now call her without it being a breach of my licence in any case.
My solicitor pointed this out to my OM, and also pointed out that Probation and the Prison Service were notified that my "victim" was calling me and trying to visit me, by him, while I was still in an Open Prison. So they are being inconsistent if they want it to stop now, nearly a year down the line.
As it happens, my "Victim" reads this blog, and has said that if I want to name her. I'm welcome to do so. She's at University only a few miles down the road now, but we haven't met - that would cross the line.
Nonetheless, the system is trying to be silly now. But then we all knew that already.
Wednesday 14 April 2010
It's been a while
But I'm now on the next element of SOGP.
In the interim, I've been through "Victim Empathy". This included the woolly concept that a Victim is not necessarily the person who suffered as a result of your action. Indeed, in the case of one of our members, the facilitators suggested that the victim was the uninvolved person who reported him to police!
What claptrap.
A victim is a victim only if they have suffered harm by the improper actions of another person towards them. In other words, a 16 year old boy who sleeps with his 25 year old teacher, by consent, is no more a victim than the chairman of RBS when he picks up his unfeasibly large salary.
For anyone to suggest that someone uninvolved, unaffected and unrelated to the event could be a victim is ludicrous.
And then we had to role-play as our victim! I was expected to accept the victim suffered harm. The harm that was so severe and traumatising that she refused to give evidence, co-operate with police or make any victim impact statement, and so severe and traumatising that since release she has written to me three times, telephones me weekly and wants to meet me the day my licence expires.
This is purely a box-ticking exercise. I may well decline to continue the course.
In the interim, I've been through "Victim Empathy". This included the woolly concept that a Victim is not necessarily the person who suffered as a result of your action. Indeed, in the case of one of our members, the facilitators suggested that the victim was the uninvolved person who reported him to police!
What claptrap.
A victim is a victim only if they have suffered harm by the improper actions of another person towards them. In other words, a 16 year old boy who sleeps with his 25 year old teacher, by consent, is no more a victim than the chairman of RBS when he picks up his unfeasibly large salary.
For anyone to suggest that someone uninvolved, unaffected and unrelated to the event could be a victim is ludicrous.
And then we had to role-play as our victim! I was expected to accept the victim suffered harm. The harm that was so severe and traumatising that she refused to give evidence, co-operate with police or make any victim impact statement, and so severe and traumatising that since release she has written to me three times, telephones me weekly and wants to meet me the day my licence expires.
This is purely a box-ticking exercise. I may well decline to continue the course.
Sunday 14 February 2010
The torture continues
A week into the first block of SOGP, it have become obvious that the whole process is just a box-ticking exercise.
During our "Steps to Offending" we were analysing how we got from "that's wrong" to "that's ok to do" and how we changed our own environment to allow the "offending behaviour".
We then had to examine "routes to offending" which meant analysing patterns in our own life.
Finally, we completed "decision chains". This is supposed to show you the points at which you made "inappropriate" decision which led to your offending.
Only problem with all three of those - since I can't remember my offending, how in the name of all that is holy am I supposed to identify the steps I took, the decisions I made, the patterns that existed? Indeed, since this was my first ever offence, and my first ever visit to either Court or Prison, how relevant will any patterns be.
I'm also very concerned with the negativity in the language being used by your supposedly neutral facilitators. They keep discussing "inappropriate sexual thoughts" and "sexual abuse" when referring to the offences and the lead-up to them. I have tried to challenge this more than once, but keep being "shouted" down by the group. However, not all sexual offending is sexual abuse, and conversely, not all sexual abuse is sexual offending.
I'm also extrememly concerned with the fact that it has been admitted that this is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a form of Psychological treatment, but no-one wants to tell us what we are being treated for - what condition we have, either in DSM V or ICD 10 that this is the approved treatment for. Which is something very relevant.
When I was in a Mental Institution, many years ago as a child, I was told by the Doctors that they could only treat "disgnosable" conditions. These were specified, at the time, in ICD 6, and later in ICD 9. I was diagnosed at age 11 as having "sub-threshold Multiple Personality Disorder" - what is now called Dissociative Identity Disorder, and since it was sub-threshold they couldn't treat it but could help me, with counselling, to manage it.
This management worked really well, I know that I have three distinct personalities, but there is congruence between them and I have memory of all three. In other words, my "personalities" can change to reflect my state of mind, but the underlying "me" is always in control. And yes, the underlying "me" is Fenrir, and all of the personalities identify themselves externally as Fenrir, even if we argue like cat and dog in my head!
So, as a result, I have a really good understanding of both "inappropriate" thoughts, and psychological treatment. In fact, once of my Identities wanted to study psychology when I was younger! The other always wanted to be a lawyer, but that's a different story.
And now, despite knowing that there is an emergent fourth identity - the one which I can't remember, I'm being denied the opportunity to try to reconcile this identity into myself, because I'm being forced to undergo this pointless programme. I think it's doing more harm than good, but if I say that I risk a return to prison, and no Psychology input for at least another 2 years.
I wonder if I should go and see my doctor, and get a psychiatric referral preventing me from continuing SOGP due to the mental damage it is doing me? That won't look good on Probation's part!
During our "Steps to Offending" we were analysing how we got from "that's wrong" to "that's ok to do" and how we changed our own environment to allow the "offending behaviour".
We then had to examine "routes to offending" which meant analysing patterns in our own life.
Finally, we completed "decision chains". This is supposed to show you the points at which you made "inappropriate" decision which led to your offending.
Only problem with all three of those - since I can't remember my offending, how in the name of all that is holy am I supposed to identify the steps I took, the decisions I made, the patterns that existed? Indeed, since this was my first ever offence, and my first ever visit to either Court or Prison, how relevant will any patterns be.
I'm also very concerned with the negativity in the language being used by your supposedly neutral facilitators. They keep discussing "inappropriate sexual thoughts" and "sexual abuse" when referring to the offences and the lead-up to them. I have tried to challenge this more than once, but keep being "shouted" down by the group. However, not all sexual offending is sexual abuse, and conversely, not all sexual abuse is sexual offending.
I'm also extrememly concerned with the fact that it has been admitted that this is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a form of Psychological treatment, but no-one wants to tell us what we are being treated for - what condition we have, either in DSM V or ICD 10 that this is the approved treatment for. Which is something very relevant.
When I was in a Mental Institution, many years ago as a child, I was told by the Doctors that they could only treat "disgnosable" conditions. These were specified, at the time, in ICD 6, and later in ICD 9. I was diagnosed at age 11 as having "sub-threshold Multiple Personality Disorder" - what is now called Dissociative Identity Disorder, and since it was sub-threshold they couldn't treat it but could help me, with counselling, to manage it.
This management worked really well, I know that I have three distinct personalities, but there is congruence between them and I have memory of all three. In other words, my "personalities" can change to reflect my state of mind, but the underlying "me" is always in control. And yes, the underlying "me" is Fenrir, and all of the personalities identify themselves externally as Fenrir, even if we argue like cat and dog in my head!
So, as a result, I have a really good understanding of both "inappropriate" thoughts, and psychological treatment. In fact, once of my Identities wanted to study psychology when I was younger! The other always wanted to be a lawyer, but that's a different story.
And now, despite knowing that there is an emergent fourth identity - the one which I can't remember, I'm being denied the opportunity to try to reconcile this identity into myself, because I'm being forced to undergo this pointless programme. I think it's doing more harm than good, but if I say that I risk a return to prison, and no Psychology input for at least another 2 years.
I wonder if I should go and see my doctor, and get a psychiatric referral preventing me from continuing SOGP due to the mental damage it is doing me? That won't look good on Probation's part!
Monday 8 February 2010
And so it begins
Last Friday, I started my SOGP course.
There are 9 guys who range from "sexual activity with a relative" to "distributing indecent images", all of whom come from around the county. The youngest is in his twenties, the oldest in his sixties.
And we have 2 female facilitators...
This is something that never ceases to amaze me - why are all the facilitators female? In prison they were female, on Probation they are female. Do they think that women taking an interest in my sexual behaviour will make it more difficult for me to justify it?
Anyway, we were introduced to concepts like "inappropriate sexual thinking" - who defines what is inappropriate for me to think about? And the Finkelhor model is used to show how how the offender has Cognitive Distortions. But there's no consideration for the fact that the facilitators also have Cognitive Distortions. Yes, that's the same "Finklehor" model that's been discredited by Bruce Rind et al. I suppose that explains why this programme is no longer accredited.
Not only that, we were shown that the programme is a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Yes, that's the same CBT that should be an approved, accredited programme run by or under the direct supervision of a qualified psychologist. Which neither of your facilitators are - I asked them. And there isn't a Chartered Psychologist supervising the county programmes either. Hmmm...
Today, having been shown the Finklehor model, we were asked to fit our offending into it. And I can't. The reason I can't is because I don't recall my offending. This is, apparently, a Cognitive Distortion that is well known to practitioners in Forensic Psychology. But it doesn't change that I can't explain what I can't remember! But, apparently, lack of memory is grounds to breach someone, and recall them to prison.
Hmmm, not according to my solicitor, it isn't! And since this loss of memory is precipitated by the prescription drugs I was on at the time, as supported by a Forensic Psychiatrist, I fail to see how the unqualified facilitators can press the point.
The best thing is, they seem to think that, because I was caught offending once, I have been offending continuously since I was 13, and probably a lot more seriously than what I was tried for. But what I did only became offences in 2003, so I couldn't have been offending before then, no matter how much they might not like what I was doing!
So I might well decide to pull out of this discredited, and, frankly, worthless course. Because I know what I need to do to ensure I don't re-offend, and I've been doing it for the last 5 months since release, without any support or distraction from Northants MAPPA or Probation, who are currently a chocolate fire-guard!
In fact, the most useful thing the Authorities could do is let me get a job, one of the main 7 pathways to resettlement. But no, they won't even let me pull pints in the Earl of Dalkeith - how many under 16 girls am I likely to meet working behind a bar, I ask you?
Dosvadanya
There are 9 guys who range from "sexual activity with a relative" to "distributing indecent images", all of whom come from around the county. The youngest is in his twenties, the oldest in his sixties.
And we have 2 female facilitators...
This is something that never ceases to amaze me - why are all the facilitators female? In prison they were female, on Probation they are female. Do they think that women taking an interest in my sexual behaviour will make it more difficult for me to justify it?
Anyway, we were introduced to concepts like "inappropriate sexual thinking" - who defines what is inappropriate for me to think about? And the Finkelhor model is used to show how how the offender has Cognitive Distortions. But there's no consideration for the fact that the facilitators also have Cognitive Distortions. Yes, that's the same "Finklehor" model that's been discredited by Bruce Rind et al. I suppose that explains why this programme is no longer accredited.
Not only that, we were shown that the programme is a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Yes, that's the same CBT that should be an approved, accredited programme run by or under the direct supervision of a qualified psychologist. Which neither of your facilitators are - I asked them. And there isn't a Chartered Psychologist supervising the county programmes either. Hmmm...
Today, having been shown the Finklehor model, we were asked to fit our offending into it. And I can't. The reason I can't is because I don't recall my offending. This is, apparently, a Cognitive Distortion that is well known to practitioners in Forensic Psychology. But it doesn't change that I can't explain what I can't remember! But, apparently, lack of memory is grounds to breach someone, and recall them to prison.
Hmmm, not according to my solicitor, it isn't! And since this loss of memory is precipitated by the prescription drugs I was on at the time, as supported by a Forensic Psychiatrist, I fail to see how the unqualified facilitators can press the point.
The best thing is, they seem to think that, because I was caught offending once, I have been offending continuously since I was 13, and probably a lot more seriously than what I was tried for. But what I did only became offences in 2003, so I couldn't have been offending before then, no matter how much they might not like what I was doing!
So I might well decide to pull out of this discredited, and, frankly, worthless course. Because I know what I need to do to ensure I don't re-offend, and I've been doing it for the last 5 months since release, without any support or distraction from Northants MAPPA or Probation, who are currently a chocolate fire-guard!
In fact, the most useful thing the Authorities could do is let me get a job, one of the main 7 pathways to resettlement. But no, they won't even let me pull pints in the Earl of Dalkeith - how many under 16 girls am I likely to meet working behind a bar, I ask you?
Dosvadanya
Saturday 30 January 2010
"Treatment"
How do you treat a Sex offender? No, I don't mean "Lock him up and throw away the key" or, worse "Hang him". What I mean is, should you try to use Psychology or Psychiatry to treat his "illness" that causes his offending?
Here in England, the Criminal Justice System has courses called "Sex Offender Treatment Programmes." These are psychology programmes that try to reduce the risk of re-offending.
They claim to be accredited - though none have been for over a year now - and they claim to be, as the name suggests, "Treatment"
But what is the illness that a Sex Offender has? And, given that Sexual offenders range from the man who twangs his secretary's bra-strap to people like the Yorkshire Ripper, how can there be a "one Size Fits All" course of treatment.
I've been looking into this at some length. And no-one in authority has been able to answer these questions. These are important - if you are treating someone, surely you need to know what is wrong with them, and they need to give consent to the treatment?
It's not enough to take an otherwise perfectly healthy person who has committed an offence and say "We think you're ill, so you must be treated and if you don't agree we'll put you back in prison, but still not treat you because we can't actually force you to agree. Then we'll let you out without restrictions and there'll be no funding for the treatment you didn't agree to. But we'd still try to make you do it and have the Police harass you if you refuse."
So, as I go into my SOTP course in the community in a few weeks (nominally voluntarily, but actually to stay out of prison), I think I'll blog what's going on, and the answers they give me to my questions and others, just for the record. I won't breach the confidentiality of other group members though, so please don't ask me to.
And, get this. My course starts on a Friday!?!!? Then runs for 10 working days before an initial re-assessment. How peculiar. What are Northants probation playing at?
Ah well, a year of fun and games then. How do they expect you to get a job (a pathway to rehabilitation) if you're doing stuff like this though?
Here in England, the Criminal Justice System has courses called "Sex Offender Treatment Programmes." These are psychology programmes that try to reduce the risk of re-offending.
They claim to be accredited - though none have been for over a year now - and they claim to be, as the name suggests, "Treatment"
But what is the illness that a Sex Offender has? And, given that Sexual offenders range from the man who twangs his secretary's bra-strap to people like the Yorkshire Ripper, how can there be a "one Size Fits All" course of treatment.
I've been looking into this at some length. And no-one in authority has been able to answer these questions. These are important - if you are treating someone, surely you need to know what is wrong with them, and they need to give consent to the treatment?
It's not enough to take an otherwise perfectly healthy person who has committed an offence and say "We think you're ill, so you must be treated and if you don't agree we'll put you back in prison, but still not treat you because we can't actually force you to agree. Then we'll let you out without restrictions and there'll be no funding for the treatment you didn't agree to. But we'd still try to make you do it and have the Police harass you if you refuse."
So, as I go into my SOTP course in the community in a few weeks (nominally voluntarily, but actually to stay out of prison), I think I'll blog what's going on, and the answers they give me to my questions and others, just for the record. I won't breach the confidentiality of other group members though, so please don't ask me to.
And, get this. My course starts on a Friday!?!!? Then runs for 10 working days before an initial re-assessment. How peculiar. What are Northants probation playing at?
Ah well, a year of fun and games then. How do they expect you to get a job (a pathway to rehabilitation) if you're doing stuff like this though?
Saturday 23 January 2010
Awayday
I spent the day down in London yesterday.
Niahm is a "Ripperologist" and wanted some photographs of the sites. And we were able to find all but Millers Court, which is now a Car Park! Hopefully, the photos I took will help her with her book.
I also found out that several "Monopoly" streets in London have been renamed, such as Vine Street (now Vine Way), and also Shepherds Bush H&C tube is now Shepherds Bush Market.
In the meantime I picked up a few computer bits from cheap sources in London - Tottenham Court Road is great for electrical and electronic bits - and linked up with a couple of old friends. Then I headed up to St Pancras to have a look at the rebuild to allow Eurostar and SouthEastern Highspeed into the station. The Bronze statue at the front of the station is astonishing, such detail and perspective cast into the metal itself.
A short walk brought me back to Euston for the train home. I got back to the station at Midnight, and started the long walk home. As I was winding my way through the alleyways and underpasses of this new town, I realised how much I still have to learn about the place where I live.
I also realised that the "Sex Offender" provisions, requiring you to give your permanent address, and tell the police at any other address where you spend more than seven "nights" are utterly pointless.
What is the definition of "spend the night"? Imagine I lived in London, but worked in Edinburgh, and caught the sleeper up on a Sunday night, and home on the Friday, to spend a full weekend at home. Clearly I need to register the Guesthouse in Edinburgh where I spend Monday thru Thursday night, but where have I spent those two nights on the Sleeper? If I don't get home till after midnight, or 1am, or 2am, and I go out to a friend at 6am, and stay there till midnight, 1am, 2am, surely their address is more accurate as to where I spend the night, because I only go home in the morning.
Alternatively, if I work nights, and sleep in the daytime, do I register my work address as the place where I spend the night? Or even as my home address?
What about long distance trunking drivers, who drive 5 nights out of seven?
The release licence conditions are even more ludicrous - I must not spend one night away from my home address without consent of my Supervising Officer. So I can't go on holiday, or even go shopping at night. Again, there's no definition of this.
In fact the whole "Home Address" concept is flawed, for various reasons. However, I will allow the reader to consider why, and look forward to any comments.
Niahm is a "Ripperologist" and wanted some photographs of the sites. And we were able to find all but Millers Court, which is now a Car Park! Hopefully, the photos I took will help her with her book.
I also found out that several "Monopoly" streets in London have been renamed, such as Vine Street (now Vine Way), and also Shepherds Bush H&C tube is now Shepherds Bush Market.
In the meantime I picked up a few computer bits from cheap sources in London - Tottenham Court Road is great for electrical and electronic bits - and linked up with a couple of old friends. Then I headed up to St Pancras to have a look at the rebuild to allow Eurostar and SouthEastern Highspeed into the station. The Bronze statue at the front of the station is astonishing, such detail and perspective cast into the metal itself.
A short walk brought me back to Euston for the train home. I got back to the station at Midnight, and started the long walk home. As I was winding my way through the alleyways and underpasses of this new town, I realised how much I still have to learn about the place where I live.
I also realised that the "Sex Offender" provisions, requiring you to give your permanent address, and tell the police at any other address where you spend more than seven "nights" are utterly pointless.
What is the definition of "spend the night"? Imagine I lived in London, but worked in Edinburgh, and caught the sleeper up on a Sunday night, and home on the Friday, to spend a full weekend at home. Clearly I need to register the Guesthouse in Edinburgh where I spend Monday thru Thursday night, but where have I spent those two nights on the Sleeper? If I don't get home till after midnight, or 1am, or 2am, and I go out to a friend at 6am, and stay there till midnight, 1am, 2am, surely their address is more accurate as to where I spend the night, because I only go home in the morning.
Alternatively, if I work nights, and sleep in the daytime, do I register my work address as the place where I spend the night? Or even as my home address?
What about long distance trunking drivers, who drive 5 nights out of seven?
The release licence conditions are even more ludicrous - I must not spend one night away from my home address without consent of my Supervising Officer. So I can't go on holiday, or even go shopping at night. Again, there's no definition of this.
In fact the whole "Home Address" concept is flawed, for various reasons. However, I will allow the reader to consider why, and look forward to any comments.
Thursday 21 January 2010
Life, the Universe and Everything
Well, today has been fun.
Once you are a "Sex Offender", you are expected to engage with Offending Behaviour Programmes to reduce your risk. And I'm due to start one in a few weeks. They will try to wash my brain of the patterns of behaviour that led to the offences, and therefore prevent further victims.
So, as a result, I've had a rather attractive blond Probation Officer asking me all sorts of questions about my sex life. Not fun, frankly. Especially since I prefer brunettes.
However, I have the support of my family and a few good friends - thank Ghod for that.
It's only when your life hits rock bottom that you realise how precious those friend are - so here's Thanks to Daniel, Niamh, Louise, Little Becky and my Mum and Stepdad for their support and help throughout my sentence and after my release.
Once you are a "Sex Offender", you are expected to engage with Offending Behaviour Programmes to reduce your risk. And I'm due to start one in a few weeks. They will try to wash my brain of the patterns of behaviour that led to the offences, and therefore prevent further victims.
So, as a result, I've had a rather attractive blond Probation Officer asking me all sorts of questions about my sex life. Not fun, frankly. Especially since I prefer brunettes.
However, I have the support of my family and a few good friends - thank Ghod for that.
It's only when your life hits rock bottom that you realise how precious those friend are - so here's Thanks to Daniel, Niamh, Louise, Little Becky and my Mum and Stepdad for their support and help throughout my sentence and after my release.
Welcome to my world
A first blog post is always hard. But here goes.
I'm Fenrir - obviously I'm not really, but Fenrir Lukoi will be the only name I use on here, and even if someone thinks they know me, they don't. I'm a convicted Child Sex Offender, and I served a prison term of a few days less than 1/2 of the sentence I received. Born outside the UK, I am a British Citizen, and live outside London, but not so far that it's not an easy journey south from here.
I was released on licence in October 2009, and that licence continues until mid 2012. During my time in prison, I was in HMP's Blakenhurst (as was), and Usk before being moved to an open prison about 3 months before my release. I'm on the register for life
Just so anyone reading is aware, my offences did not involve any physical sexual contact with any individual, and my victims are now both adults. I was arrested some 2 months after the offences, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, and accepted my surprisingly short sentence with as much good grace as is possible. That doesn't make what I did right. And if I could go back and change my past, I would.
So, down to business.
This blog is NOT about how bad sex offenders are, or how they should be punished. Nor is it about how innocent they are, or how misunderstood.
This blog IS about how a normal person, who made a mistake and accepted his guilt, is trying to get on with his life, and I'll use it to a certain extent to talk about my feelings about various things. So it will cover my attempts at gaining normality back.
Comments, abuse and vilification is welcome - I won't always answer, but I will try to address reasoned questions, even if they seem to be from unreasonable people.
Just in case anyone wonders why I was released in October, but only just started blogging - three months in a Probation Hostel in Cornwall!
Finally, please remember that a blog is entertainment, so although I will blog regularly, some of what I post might be fictionalized, or could be a concatenation of events.
So, as they say at "home"
Добро пожаловать к моему миру
I'm Fenrir - obviously I'm not really, but Fenrir Lukoi will be the only name I use on here, and even if someone thinks they know me, they don't. I'm a convicted Child Sex Offender, and I served a prison term of a few days less than 1/2 of the sentence I received. Born outside the UK, I am a British Citizen, and live outside London, but not so far that it's not an easy journey south from here.
I was released on licence in October 2009, and that licence continues until mid 2012. During my time in prison, I was in HMP's Blakenhurst (as was), and Usk before being moved to an open prison about 3 months before my release. I'm on the register for life
Just so anyone reading is aware, my offences did not involve any physical sexual contact with any individual, and my victims are now both adults. I was arrested some 2 months after the offences, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, and accepted my surprisingly short sentence with as much good grace as is possible. That doesn't make what I did right. And if I could go back and change my past, I would.
So, down to business.
This blog is NOT about how bad sex offenders are, or how they should be punished. Nor is it about how innocent they are, or how misunderstood.
This blog IS about how a normal person, who made a mistake and accepted his guilt, is trying to get on with his life, and I'll use it to a certain extent to talk about my feelings about various things. So it will cover my attempts at gaining normality back.
Comments, abuse and vilification is welcome - I won't always answer, but I will try to address reasoned questions, even if they seem to be from unreasonable people.
Just in case anyone wonders why I was released in October, but only just started blogging - three months in a Probation Hostel in Cornwall!
Finally, please remember that a blog is entertainment, so although I will blog regularly, some of what I post might be fictionalized, or could be a concatenation of events.
So, as they say at "home"
Добро пожаловать к моему миру
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