Sex offenders are seen as a serious threat by the public, which is taken seriously by governments around the world (Bartels et al., 2019). A series of preventive measures emerged, including registries, community notification, and preventive detention; however, all of them have had a limited effect on recidivism among sex offenders (Bartels et al., 2019). One of the most innovative ways to reintroduce low-risk sex offenders into the community is the chaperone program. The program targets family members, close friends, or significant others instead of targeting the offenders themselves. The selected person serves as a mentor to the offender and takes part of the responsibility in case of recidivism. These mentors or chaperones are trained to notice the signs of relapse or exposure to risk factors and report these matters to the officers. In case such cases go unnoticed, or the chaperone intentionally conceals problems, they are to be punished by law due to the inability to perform their duties.
The chaperones need to be 21 years or older, have the ability to go through training, and have no history of convictions. The mentors should not have any problems with substance abuse. They need to live with the offender or very close to the house and visit the offender at least three times a week. The offender needs to understand that chaperone is not an optional measure and treat the person with due respect. It is preferred that the offender and the chaperone have close relationships so that the offenders can share their emotions and worries. However, the chaperones should not be intimidated to conceal the signs of recidivism due to the close relationships. Polygraph tests may be introduced to ensure the honesty. Introduction of the chaperone programs had a positive effect on recidivism in several states in the US (Bartels et al., 2019). However, further research is required to confirm the effectiveness of the strategy.
References
Bartels, L., Walvisch, J., & Richards, K. (2019). More, longer, tougher… or is it finally time for a different approach to the post-sentence management of sex offenders in Australia? Criminal Law Journal, 43(1), 41-57. Web.