Excerpt from the article:
FOCUS [software] uses complex predictive analytics to ana1yze more than 100 different risk factors on more than 1,000 variables found in a sex offender’s record, as well as other state, federal, and commercial data sources.
The analysis then assigns a 1 to 10 score to each registered offender, with 10 signaling a higher likelihood to reoffend. For example, offenders who move multiple times a year are typically at a higher risk to offend again. FOCUS takes factors on an offender’s record, such as transportation ownership, employment status, household characteristics such as marital status, criminal history, home ownership, minors living at the home address, and connections to the community, and uses the analytical model to determine the FOCUS score.
“We’re not a huge agency, but being the third-largest city in Indiana, we have a population of about 400 sex offenders and violators,” Det. Robinson says. “I thought we could make better use of our resources by assigning more experienced deputies to investigate and Verify registrants who were on the higher end of the FOCUS score, or dial it back a bit on the lower end.”
After launching the FOCUS scoring system in November 2017, Det. Robinson immediately ran a report of his previous month’s caseload.1he six: offenders for whom he had applied for warrants or gone to court all scored between 8 and 10 on the FOCUS scale. “This is working, and these violations directly correlate to the findings,” Det. Robinson says.
For many sheriff’s offices, the new tool will be a welcome option for managing hundreds and thousands of sex offenders-and hopefully prevent new crimes before they happen.
To read the full scary article, click on this link, then scroll down and click on the link “OffenderWatch Sheriff & Deputy Magazine May 2018” to download a PDF of the magazine.
Law enforcement and the government believe in this Hocus Pocus!! Where are my genies to take me away from this place that doesn’t make any sense and rooted in fantasy, not reality? Can’t wait till Artificial Intelligence gets involved in this debacle? Tim in Wisconsin has been right all this time!!
Ah, Janice now you are getting to the nuts and bolts of things and I like that but what is software. Is it some brain tissue turned to much by this lady of enchantment, getting caught with yur pants down, the women thats buring bra’s today or a numbering system of who prefers what in this offender ordeal. Or could it just be what to say in this type of situation of provoking another. Nothing wrong with reconciling.
Who puts enmity between you and the judge or the ability to speak up when questioned. Who plays tricks on the mind with either this internet inducement or the real deal. Is that kid or woman worth going to prison for with a touch, a wink, or a smile.One wonders who has wisdom today. Yes wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of the time. Who is shattering that wisdom in many of these internet con’s. What seems to be the foolishness of God is wiser than man but remember God has choosen the foolish things of the world to compound the wise.
So is this software the foolishness of man. Is the one behind the computer playing one or or devising plans in this seduction when that was the plan to start with. Who is the judge, jury and executioner today or who is the one judging today in many of these internet encounters. This ruse of doing this to keep traffickers off the internet were who is the rrafficker and who is waiting at the red light with the penhouse or stag mag today. Who is on the adult site the kiddy site or teen site, who is masquarading with a lonely plea of come down to my house. Talk about a plea deal before a plea is made in this entrappment measure. Remember foxes have holes and birds have nest so who wants you to rad the henhouse. Thats basically what it comes down to in much of this internet tug of war.
How would society exist without tools like “offender watch”, “Raptor”, “Homefacts”
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
@Janice:
Couldn’t this “tool” be used against the government in a lawsuit? Couldn’t the State’s use of and reliance on the rating system of this Magic 8-ball be helpful in an as-applied challenge? One would need to wrest the data away from them via FOIA or subpoena, but it seems any reasonable judge would have to wonder how the government can claim a person is a risk and needs to be subjected to ML junk if at the same time they are internally saying the person is not a risk.
Brandon your right and your right on the money. I’m so glad that IQ’s today are found in computers and yes Tim n WI was right. So one can honestly tell us were we all came from or are we all some Artifical Star War’s dungon’s and dragon warlords and what does that have to do with true values and principals or who is taking who today down the road.
If science is what its all about than Who’s creating this Frankenstein monstor. Or were you too IQ lto even get caught up in this offender ordeal yourself. We all deal with guilt and shame in many ways or do authorities do a rate a record today on this top 10 hit list. Or who says men are behaving badly in this software pandemic of who’s more apt.
While we can understand about software we all seem to “Think” to much or where is the software of the human brain or should one go back to bible preaching and understanding.
Sheriff’s and Deputy’s with their marshmellow software give me a break.
1 good article exposing a truth described by Mr. Asimov, To assist law enforcement was the alternate & “civil” issue justification for law rendering human subservient to machine database.
So moving multiple times a year is indicative of re-offense? Even when the moves are prompted by changing residency restrictions, harassing neighbors and vigilantes, or the residence becoming uninhabitable? How about loss of employment due to complaining coworkers? Is that another red flag?
You know, the parole board in Georgia uses similar “predictive” analytics and harps about how reliable and accurate it is. Yet, when I was eligible for parole and my score was assessed (2.6 out of 10; very low risk), they decided to ignore it due to the “circumstances of my offense.” Further still, I haven’t committed any crimes or probation violations since release, save my one revocation for being too broke to afford a polygraph (beast that I am).
They may as well invest in tarot cards, tea leaves, and crystal balls. They’re every bit as accurate and much cheaper than whatever mathmatical/statistical Ph.D. clown came up with said analytics. Either way, the powers that be will throw it all out the window when it suits them.
FOCUS stands for: Fairly Oppressive Corrupt Useless Ship
Sounds right to me except change the p in ship to a t.
I’m not going to say this is scary. This the same hysteria wrapped up in new clothes. At the end of the day, it’s an intrusive program designed to create a model offender. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy.
You can take address, employment, family contact, and other mitigating factors to show how stable/unstable a person is. So in effect, this system proves what one already knows regarding rehabilitation.
The more stable a person, the less likely they are to reoffend. The fact that so much data is scrounged from a person, shows in effect how naive the Price Club metaphor truly is. If this was any other person, one could theoretically not find this information or retract it.
Wonder if the government likes having their 8 ball in a corner pocket? Hopefully soon the government’s abuse of power and corruption comes to an end. You can only poke a bear so much!!
“Predictive analytics to ana1yze more than 100 different risk factors on more than 1,000 variables”
My snake oil/BS detector just went off the charts. This is clearly pseudo science software wish-fulfillment
Where is the much needed software that will tell the public which cop is most likely to kill a civilian?
Talk about stiring up divisions with this offense ordeal. Sure everyone is mad & upset over much of this registry ordeal. Will Allen’s ready to step up to the plate, Ready to fight is also mad at this wasp’s nest and yes many more are uptight also. Some want to go with science or some man made software magic 8-ball. Was it science that the Egyptian ruler decreed to want to kill the Hebrew boys and save only the women. Was it a software program that predicted the parting of the red sea or save those three boys from the furnance in the book of Daniel. If that makes any since to many on here. Maybe I don’t even make any since at all.
One wonders who has protection today or the rights of Conscience in American Law today, or does one have the right to exercise the right of conscience even the exercise of reglious belief. Does all this ordeal undermind the basis of what the intent was in the first place or is this offender ordeal a form of coveting by authorities ordained by God. The orginal ordeal was to prevent traffickers from talking to teenagers or inducing dirty pictures via the computer wasn’t it or was it to get a person down to their level.
Was the intent for the controller to play the harlot in this stumbling block of conscience. Are law enforcements coercing in this devilish way by intimidation, harassment and coercion One wonders who is delegating God’s authority to play covetness ordeal in this stumblng block. Remember Rulers are for good first and formost. Now if one was using sexual overtones in a real life contact situation one would be guilty of harassment. Take the example of Derek Logue when Janice posted an article with this Lauren Book lady. If we all sin daily in thought and deed than we are all guilty so where is this two wrongs don’t make a right.
So what, the press isn’t interested in sheriffs getting awards from OffenderWatch for buying their software anymore?
From the given criteria, I think I’d score pretty well on that little matrix they got going. Factor in my FICO score of Excellent and I should show as extremely low risk. Indeed, I like this better that that tiered BS that pegs me at level 3 for life.
Talk about intrusive. Now they’re literally picking apart EVERYTHING about you in order to come up with a score. What’s makes it crazier is this is for one conviction, yet other crimes are known to have a ton of repeats and their immune to said things……
“Factor in my FICO score of Excellent and I should show as extremely low risk.”
Yeah but how-a-about your Ebay feedback score?
Oh! sorry, wrong thread…..haha
In the wake of Floyd’s death I believe I heard that some politicians are wanting to create a registry for LE who were found to be unethical, corrupt police? If this happens (a big “IF”) I wonder who will be monitoring and assigning a number rating to LE on that registry?
This is INSANITY! The amount of resources, tax dollars and staff hours spent on those who have already been convicted and pose such an incredibly low recidivism risk is absolutely absurd. Exactly what in the Hell are they doing to PREVENT sex offenses BEFORE they occur?? What are they doing to reach out to those who may be at risk of offending, providing prevention counseling, etc. Of course the answer is “Nothing. They’re doing nothing.” They’re just waiting to try to catch someone AFTER an offense occurs and then they’ll bask in media attention, regale themselves in glory for having caught a perpetrator ….. rather than having prevented an offense before it ever occurred.
Yes, this is indeed insanity.