The recent surge in accusations of sexual harassment and assault has prompted some admitted offenders to seek professional help for the emotional or personality distortions that underlie their behavior.
“My journey now will be to learn about myself and conquer my demons,” the producer Harvey Weinstein said in a statement in October. The actor Kevin Spacey announced that he would be “taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment.”
Whatever mix of damage control and contrition they represent, pledges like these suggest that there are standard treatments for perpetrators of sexual offenses. In fact, no such standard treatments exist, experts say. Even the notion of “sexual addiction” as a stand-alone diagnosis is in dispute.
“There are no evidence-based programs I know of for the sort of men who have been in the news recently,” said Vaile Wright, director of research and special projects at the American Psychological Association.
IF this article is true, then why has Tom Tobin (and his “treatment” scheme) gained so much clout in our government? In 290.5(3), 290.5(b)(2), and 290.5(b)(3) of the new tiered law, a judge must consider whether a registrant has “successfully completed a Sex Offender Management Board-certified sex offender treatment program.” Seeing as these programs may not have an effect on recidivism, why does the state continue to pay for Tobin’s Sharper Future contracts? And most importantly, why is the CEO of Sharper Future, Tom Tobin, also CASOMB vice chair? It’s a clear conflict of interest because Tobin will always put his business interests before other interests.
Here is SB 384. Note 290.5(3), 290.5(b)(2), and 290.5(b)(3): https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB384
If a person has been offense-free in the community for many years, will a person be made to “successfully complete” a “CASOMB-certified sex offender treatment program?” If so, how much is that going to cost??