DALLAS — Can treatment condition sex offenders not to hurt anyone again?
Texas — the state with the tough-on-crime image and the highest number of executions — says yes.
Armed with studies that show sex offenders reoffend far less often than criminals in general, it has pioneered treatment for more than 20 years.
"Texas is one of the few states that actually has a board dedicated to the treatment of sex offenders," said Allison Taylor, executive director of the Council on Sex Offender Treatment, which serves under the Department of State Health Services.
The legislature created the council in 1983. Today, it has four functions:
● Administering a program where sexually violent predators are committed.
● Setting standards for treatment.
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● Maintaining a database of licensed treatment providers.
● Educating the public and lawmakers.
"I would say Texas is very much breaking ground in many of these areas … as far as influencing legislation, policy and so on," said Stephanie Thurston, a licensed provider.
Becoming a licensed treatment provider is no picnic. In addition to the 3,000 hours of training to become a licensed counselor or social worker, it takes 2,000 hours of specialized training.
"It's very rigorous," Thurston said.
The training is needed to spot, confront and treat a variety of offenders who have become expert at hiding parts of their lives.
"The name of the game is secrecy and denial, that double life," Thurston said. "They don't want to give that up."
