Remorse: A gnawing distress arising from a sense of guilt for past wrongs, according to Merriam-Webster.
In a recent interview TV star Bill Cosby stated he was “not remorseful and did nothing wrong”, maintaining his innocence in the sexual assault crimes that were leveled against him in a well- known TV news media circus court case.
So what happens to those accused of sex offenses who maintain their innocence throughout their trials, prison sentences and even after they are set free? Where is the line in the sand drawn between those who staunchly maintain their innocence and those” sex offender treatment providers” who insist offenders show remorse as a means of successfully progressing thru treatment?
From all that’s been written about Bill Cosby’s case, his version and his accusers version, all we know for sure is that he has always maintained his interactions with his accusers were consensual and they have always insisted otherwise and that Mr. Cosby ended up on the losing end of the court battle.
Is a guilty verdict all that’s required for “sex offender treatment counselors” to insist that Mr. Cosby, or anyone else for that matter, express guilt and remorse for their actions? And, if one doesn’t accept and acknowledge those feelings in treatment, do counselors have the right to report that treatment hasn’t been successful or that the offender has failed to be rehabilitated? Does the fact the Mr. Cosby has always maintained his innocence and therefore sees no reason to express guilt or remorse even matter to his counselors?
Prison and parole “sex offender treatment programs” stress accountability for one’s actions, individual acceptance of the wrongs one has perpetrated on their victims. Offenders are urged to express feelings of empathy for those they have harmed, guilt and remorse for their actions. There are however inherent problems with these kinds of clinical expectations.
Granted, while some offenders may truly have feelings of guilt and remorse, some offenders, for a variety of mental health reasons, may never be capable of feeling those feelings. Some offenders are charged with not exhibiting sufficient remorse to satisfy their treatment counselors, while some will just learn to parrot exactly what their counselors want to hear in order to make progress and be done with treatment. Still, there are those like Bill Cosby whose belief in their innocence is so strong that they simply refuse, on principle, to express feelings they don’t feel are theirs to own. While clinically this refusal to show remorse shouldn’t be held against a person who proclaims their innocence, it doesn’t fly very well in the “sex offender treatment system” and will almost certainly delay a registrant’s completing treatment in a timely manner.
Expecting a pat, standard set of feelings and emotions to be expressed by “sex offenders” as a means to gauge their success or failure in treatment is ridiculous. This is another example of treating all offenders labeled “sex offender” exactly the same. In “sex offender group therapy” providers often mistakenly treat the label, not the individual, and assume all “sex offenders” are equally guilty of crimes that require expressions of “guilt and remorse” as a kind of emotional payment for their sins.
It seems there is no “client maintains he is innocent” box to check off on generic treatment plan forms.
Is remorse a rehabilitation requirement for any other offense?
The question is asked… “Does the fact the Mr. Cosby has always maintained his innocence and therefore sees no reason to express guilt or remorse even matter to his counselors?”
Yes, it “does matter.” As a person who was recently represented by an attorney (you see him sometimes on CNN), after multiple mistrials; I accepted a “deal,” that was “to my liking,” that required (temporary) registration and counseling while on probation.
Essentially, your probation officer and counselor get hard copies of all the pretrial “information.” They have no knowledge of court transcripts, evidence or testimony. You in-effect, have the opportunity to shape how they treat you, as if you were given another chance at a bench trial. If you make a compelling case; they will not try to hinder your progress in any manner.
If a person is innocent it would be immoral for them to say otherwise and they should obviously have no remorse.
Do people actually complete treatment? I thought the point was that the providers drag “clients” along for as long as they are able to get away with it. If profits were removed from therapy, it might have some legitimacy. As it is, it doesn’t.
It is outrageous that “therapy” is only ordered for $EX crimes. That makes it theft.
Regardless if a person felt remorse at one time, the Registries will end it.
Is remorse a rehabilitation requirement for any other offense?
Not that I know of, nor should it be. Requiring remorse is a kind of thought control. Even terrible criminals who have served their sentences ought to be left alone to think and feel however they want.
My lawyer always said no one can make you say anything and that any legal requirement to make you say something is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment.
Prisoners are commonly denied parole if they do not show remorse when before a parole board. And, as in the Cosby situation, this is a real issue for those who have professed innocence of the charge against them.
Truth, logic Nad. Understanding have nothing to do with rehabilitation. You must comply. You must be assimilated. –
Welcome to re-education camps in the USA
There can be no crime more egregious act upon humanity than to make man subservient to machine by law. We were founded as a RE:PUBLICA.
TODAY WE ARE RE:MACHINA (DATABASE) for (an ever expanding) some, according to some by “Law” type ratified incongruous to staying whole.
Filling out a compelled registration form is speech. How else can agents get your internet IDs?
Federal Surveillance Saints, perhaps?
Who would, and has, benefited most from the “unfettered use of the people’s databases”?
The people whole, or Some of the people?
Am I sorry for finding some bad things on the Internet and looking, sure I’m so so sorry. Does that make society and politicians feel better? Now that I’m sorry, may I move on with my life, get a decent job, find a decent place to live, carry on being the same good person I was and have been?
No!
It actually doesn’t matter. No amount of contrition will change our oppressors’ minds. I don’t need societies’ forgiveness, understanding or acceptance, much less their approval or validation.
Love will not change their minds, much less win them over.
I think all you need to do is to search for all the cases that people are violated for being discharged from their treatment program. There are alot of cases that people refuse to admit guilt and are kicked out. Pleading the fifth apparently didnt help, since they were already convicted of didnt apply.
I have always wondered why treatment was allowed to create restrictions harsher that what people are sentance to.
Why for certain offenders a certificate of completion is not available.
Why, if treatment is so effective, that no one is release from it before their supervision itself is up.
Or, how questions on the polygraph are directly related to conditions of release and not treatment…
Not many (any?) advocates for those on supervision.
My PO and the treatment people didn’t even read my presentence report where the judge and prosecutor agreed that the female was lying but due to my age vs her actual age I was still guilty by the law even though I had not known I was breaking the law since she had said she was older, so they offered me a plea to something completely different.