Can the use of Polygraph testing reduce the rate of recidivism on sex offenders who are on community supervision?

Running head : POLYGRAPH TESTING FOR MONITORING SEX OFFENDERS

Evaluation of Polygraph Testing of Sex Offenders to Check for Recidivism

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Abstract

Predicting recidivism rates is a very hard task to be performed due to the lack of uniformity on the characteristics of sex offenders . Sex offenders range from the statutory rapist to homicidal rapists , sadists and pedophiles . These distinctions do not exist on the sex offender registry programs . It is important to know that violent sex offenders are more likely to re-offend than non-violent ones . Therefore , reliable

br methods are necessary to keep track and monitor these people for recidivism . There has been an effort to improve lie detection monitoring registered sex offenders , particularly violent ones , to check for recidivism . In general , a polygraph test is conducted . However polygraph testing is still in the middle of a debate between polygraphists and scientists as to how reliable the method is to detect deception . Essentially , one method to monitor and investigate sex offenders is not enough . Rather , an ensemble of methods is needed to reduce errors and biases . Thus , the recommended methods are databases of psychometric tests based on the input of mental health professionals law enforcement , prison personnel , and the families of sex offenders databases of phallometric tests for violent offenders such as homicidal rapists and pedophiles , and polygraph testing . Nevertheless , newer technologies should also be implemented MRI has been used as a medical diagnostic tool by brain imaging . It can be used for the detection of deception as well and has already started

Evaluation of Polygraph Testing of Sex Offenders to Check Recidivism

Certain sex offenders or pedophiles are a common threat to children and adolescents . Sex offenders may get access to children through a school because they are teachers . Children are also at risk from religious figures such as priests and ministers . Pedophiles can be going through neighborhood watching kids to kidnap one of them at a good opportunity In addition , pedophiles use the internet as ways to communicate with children and teenagers . They can pretend to be someone they are not in to meet the child or the teenager , in person . A general trend is luring and kidnapping with molestation , assault and rape , child pornography , and often ends with the murder of the victim . These scenarios unfortunately are not fiction they are too often seen in the news .A key case that outraged the public and promoted the emergence of public access to databases on sex offenders is Megan 's law . The law is named after a 7 year-old New Jersey little girl called Megan . On July 29 1994 , Megan was lured into the neighbor 's home . The man promised her a puppy . Megan followed the man into the house and got brutally raped , strangled and murdered by a two-time convicted sex offender . This man had been convicted in 1981 for the attack of a 5 year-old child and subsequently , a 7 year-old . In the same year , the governor of New Jersey , Christine Todd Whitman...