| In asking residents if treating the “whole” person would be beneficial, 71% percent agreed that treating the whole person was much more important than just focusing on the sexual offense(s) committed, as these men are human beings and would like to be treated as such. They also agree (54%) that focusing on one type of offense in a group setting is much more productive and vital for those in attendance, as they don’t have so many other issues to deal with. Residents also feel that the treatment modules are too repetitious (64%). Many of the modules, such as chemical dependency, are repeated various times throughout the treatment process, and residents get bored with the repetition, which then leads to non-compliance and, therefore, non-productivity. When asked if they believed community-based treatment would be more effective, 73% said “yes”. The reasons given were so they could be more independent by working regular jobs to support themselves and their families, to have their own home, and to use what they have learned in a “normal” life setting, rather than an artificial setting within a facility. One resident stated “A client must be exposed to the real world and all its temptations and problems. This is an artificial environment [we are in], not at all like the [real] world. We do not learn how to support ourselves or how to avoid high-risk areas. We need to practice and learn, not be stuffed in a prison isolated and protected from the world, unless the intention is to never let us out.” The current treatment offered at MSOP is found to be coercive and/or abusive to 77% of the residents. They state that treatment staff belittle them, get verbally abusive, and will use anything they can against residents to keep them from advancing in treatment. In fact, 30% of residents stated that they have had privileges taken away from them for speaking up for what they believe to be true in group. Another 39% stated that they have lost privileges or were put on restrictions for dropping out of treatment. A resident stated that “The treatment team says one thing and security staffs say the opposite. The treatment staff also belittle, put people down, and act as if they are more superior than you. If you don’t say what they want to hear, they threaten to put you on phase probation or give you consequences.” In order to advance in treatment, one must speak, act and think any way staffs tell them to or they will suffer consequences. Many, if not all, residents walk around in fear of retaliation by staff members. In fact, 41% of residents stated that facilitators do not treat them humanely. This clearly shows a lack of trust between those who are to administer treatment and the residents receiving the treatment. Also, 63% of residents stated that they do not feel they can confide in treatment staff or other staff members due to the lack of trust. Do staff members behave in a professional manner? Fifty-four percent of residents said “no”. They believe staff are only there to earn their paychecks and really don’t care about the residents’ well-being. One resident stated that “Some do care, but many of them don’t. Some believe that we should be locked up forever and the key thrown away. Then there are those who have had sex offenses against them and this is their way of getting even.” Another resident stated “One of my biggest resentments towards this place is the cold impersonal nature of it.” Still another stated that “They prefer punishment over treatment.” And yet another said “As a group, they’re demeaning, arrogant and patronizing.” Many stated that staff members aggravate, manipulate, coerce, degrade and disrespect them most of the time. Residents feel they are being treated like children rather than adults. Sixty-three percent of the residents also believe that staffs are not qualified to work in a sex offender program. Many of these staff members have no more than a high school diploma and a few hours of training within the facility to work as security counselors (guards), treatment facilitators, etc. There are also medical issues for many residents, especially the elderly and those who are handicapped. One resident stated “…it takes acts of congress to get reasonable accommodations for handicapped persons, fair treatment, etc. I believe sensitivity training should be mandatory for all staff.” Still another resident has complained of not receiving proper medications at appropriate times, he said “I have an array of mental health issues that hinder my ability to work the program. One specific issue is MSOP policy, whereby nursing staff refuse to help me with prescribed medicine to keep me from spiraling into depression and/or manic episodes. If I miss med window time, I have been repeatedly told that it would be a violation of state law to give me any meds until the next 24-hour med window time. I complained to our consulting psychiatrist about this and he said he would order some provisions for the nursing staff to give me meds, the same day, if I should miss my medication time. The nursing staff refuses to abide by Dr. Heath’s instructions to provide for backup meds to prevent me from being denied medicine when I need it.” Yet another resident said [there is] “poor medical service and no response to health care concerns. Personally, I have been in need of new armrests for my wheelchair and I requested them via the nursing service and through the social worker. It has been a month and I still do not have them and can’t get an honest straight answer as to where they are. There is also a breach of fiduciary trust – county is being billed for medications that are thrown away if you are late or miss med times.” There are many types of experimental treatments being used at the MSOP – one of them being used is an ammonia breathing technique. This treatment is utilized to curb offenders away from deviant thinking. Only 16% stated that they have used this technique, which has caused headaches, and sinus and throat pain. Ten percent of these residents stated that this experimental treatment was not helpful and 9% stated that they believed it to be harmful. Of course, common sense tells us (as well as scientific proof) that ammonia is very highly toxic and dangerous. It should not be breathed in even when using it for normal household use. It has been proven to be a cancer-causing chemical, and destroys crucial/beneficial brain cells for normal brain function. Another technique used is repetitive phrases, which one resident stated that “I’ve used the form of repeating a negative phrase or word for a 20-minute time period (at the therapist’s request) and found out that all it did was reinforce the phrase and/or word to the point that I began using the phrase or word in common conversation, which was really disheartening because I had not used those words or phrases for over 15 years.” |
| RESEARCH OF THE MSOP TREATMENT PROGRAM |
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