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Rebuilding the lives of young offenders Probation officer proud of rehabilitation rate By SARAH LEMON In his nearly 30 years with Jackson County Juvenile Services Division, probation officer Ken Chapman has seen up to 900 kids a year come and go from the 90-square-foot cells of juvenile hall. The rooms are dimly lit with cracked concrete floors, wash basins, toilets and metal beds. Lodging juvenile criminal offenders as young as 10, this detention center is "the safest place in the county for a kid to be," Chapman said. Sex crimes: Behind the numbers Reports of juvenile sex crimes in Jackson County have fallen dramatically since the early '90s - from 104 in 1994 to 69 in 1999. For approximately every 10 young male sex offenders, Juvenile Services Division probation officer Ken Chapman said he sees one young female offender. While young men's search for excitement may lead them to commit sex crimes, Chapman said young women justify their offenses in the same way as young men. But it's more common for young women not to re-offend. The psychology of sex offenders isn't something Chapman said he has nailed down, but statistics show 40 percent of young male offenders were themselves victims of sex abuse. About 75 percent of young females were victims of some kind of sex abuse, Chapman said. Juvenile sex offenders' own abuse is addressed in treatment, Chapman said. The offenders also statistically come from more middle-class backgrounds and tend to have intact families, said Chapman. Juveniles spend an average of one and a half to two and a half years on probation, said Chapman. Most juvenile criminal offenders are 14 or 15 years old, and the county receives about 4,000 juvenile criminal referrals each year, he said. A 54-year-old Applegate resident, Chapman handles the county's juvenile sex offender cases. Recently named Jackson County deputy probation officer of the Year, he is also an instrumental part in one of the country's 12 model sex-offender programs, said Carl Erickson, Juvenile Services Division deputy director. Chapman is proud of the county's "cutting-edge" program for sex offenders but joked that community members may not know much about it. "You're never going to go by a marquee saying 'best darn sex-offender program in the state,' " he said. Even if it may not get much notice, the program has a high success rate. Only 1.5 to 3 percent of juvenile sex offenders who complete the program commit a second offense, according to county statistics. But that success only comes after sex offenders complete a rigorous treatment program with the same basic requirements of the adult program. Unlike adults, juveniles are much less likely to have fixed behavior patterns if they're caught early, said Chapman. After the county's Juvenile Services Division prosecutes young sex offenders in court, convicted offenders take a polygraph test while revealing their complete sexual history. Chapman said the juveniles, most of whom molest other children, have to disclose things that people should never have to disclose unless they are sex offenders. Honesty is continuously monitored throughout treatment as juvenile sex offenders report via polygraph things like sexual activity, contact with minors and how they deal with their anger. Offenders must pass at least one final polygraph test before they can be released from probation. As part of the program, juveniles must identify their criminal cycle, said Chapman. They learn to relate their build-up to a sex offense, how they commit an offense, the period when they feel terrible after they commit it and the next build-up stage. Through this process, the kids identify the triggers that lead them to commit sex offenses. And there are no apologies. Instead, juvenile offenders learn to develop "victim empathy." With the help of a therapist, they each must write a narrative in the voice of the victim. Chapman said they sometimes have to rewrite it six, seven, or eight times before it's right and the offenders truly empathize with the victim. Sex offenders also must write a letter detailing their offense. If the victim or the victim's parents request it, the offender must outline all this in person. Although some in the public may think otherwise, the county's program is a far cry from a slap on the wrist, he said. For example, kids who don't do their homework while serving detention time may be assigned a day of labor. Some probation violations may warrant a court-ordered detention sentence. The juvenile center staff always reserves two of their 20 cells for detention sentences of up to eight days, Chapman said. The sex offenders, about 90 percent of whom are young men, aren't allowed to swear or disrespect women. Both Ann Wright, the group treatment provider, and probation officer Bridget Hill provide good female role models who demand respect, said Chapman. The juvenile center aims to help kids build "real" self-esteem by going through a tough program, he said. Chapman said he has respect for kids who complete the program and is "cautiously hopeful" for the future. "When kids have problems, it's easy to say they're going to hell in a hand basket," he said. But he keeps things in perspective by having realistic expectations of juveniles completing the program. "We would like kids to be sensitive, polite, thoughtful - the whole Boy Scout oath - but it's enough if they don't offend again." Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.