Abstract
Aims and methodTo illustrate the clinical benefit of polygraph testing for mentally disordered sex offenders at a high secure psychiatric hospital. It is a retrospective review of two patients' case notes and of interviews with clinicians. Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PSCOT) was used to assist these patients in making disclosures regarding their sexual history and to aid their treatment.ResultsPost Conviction Sex Offender Testing was responsible for bringing about new disclosures relating to the patients' sexual histories and aiding their treatment progression to lower secure settings. New information was incorporated into the patients' treatment programmes and risk management plans. Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing also encouraged a more honest and effective participation in sex offender treatment programmes and allowed the evaluation of antilibidinal medication.Clinical implicationsPost Conviction Sex Offender Testing should be more widely considered among mentally disordered sex offenders who have been challenging to treat, as it has the potential to aid their management and progression to lower-security settings.
Highlights
We report on two cases where polygraph testing was used
A polygraph examination was conducted when the patient was being considered for transfer to a medium secure hospital
The receiving medium secure unit felt more confident managing these known risks and the patient has since been referred to them. This is the first report on the use of post-conviction sex offender testing (PCSOT) within high secure psychiatric services
Summary
Patient A has a 20-year history of care in secure psychiatric hospitals, including 10 years in a high secure setting He has a diagnosis of dissocial personality disorder and has been convicted for repetitive sexual assaults on children. Further significant disclosures pertaining to his risk profile were obtained These include past practices of ‘cruising’ - looking for children in vulnerable areas such as schools, masturbation in children’s play parks, and voyeurism in the community. The information disclosed during the polygraph test allowed for a more focused individual psychological therapy and overall clinical assessment of change in his negative attitudes It was incorporated into his HCR-20 risk assessment, which enabled the receiving medium secure unit to appropriately manage his risk. The receiving medium secure unit felt more confident managing these known risks and the patient has since been referred to them
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