The Clinton County Department of Probation/ATI has a dedicated, specialized unit to address the supervision of sexual offenders remaining in the community on a term of probation.  Two officers manage a total of approximately seventy offenders sentenced to probation for sexually offending behavior.  Of these seventy offenders, approximately thirty-five percent have committed felony-level crimes and approximately sixty-five percent are misdemeanor offenses.

Specialized probation terms have been structured to restrict contact with children in the community for those having offended against children. Mandatory offender counseling to address sexually offending behavior is required.  In Clinton County we have a variety of treatment/educational options for sexual offenders under supervision.  An alternative treatment program is available through the Clinton County Department of Probationt/ATI with assessment and treatment services provided by a counselor specializing in the treatment of offenders.  This is a relapse prevention program designed to restructure inappropriate sexual behavior.  Another program facilitated through the Clinton County Department of Probation/ATI offers education to young men ages 16 to 25 who have offended against underage females.  This is entitled the Responsible Men’s Group, dealing with the male role in society, healthy relationships, and men’s health issues.

Other aspects of intensive probation supervision for sexual offenders require the probationer to submit to quarterly polygraphs three times per year at their expense to validate their compliance with their terms and conditions of probation and continued lawful conduct in the community.  These polygraphs are arranged by the Probation Department, the results are monitored, and any failures are reported to the sentencing Court.

In addition to supervision of those individuals sentenced to a term of probation, the Probation Officers conducts investigations and prepares Court ordered reports required prior to the disposition of the case.  These investigations allow the probation officer to recommend specific specialized probation terms to the Court based on the offender’s behavior and conviction charge.  This option allows the Probation Department to provide more structured supervision of the offender within the community.  Random home visits and frequent collateral contacts are paramount with this population.  Another important aspect of this investigation process is determining the risk level and submitting the appropriate forms to the Court for those offenders who qualify to be registered with the New York State Sex Offender Registry.  This department is responsible for submitting the completed Sex Offender Registry forms to Albany for their computer database and to ensure that the offenders comply with the stipulations of the Sex Offender Registry.

Adolescents who have committed a sexual act with criminal intent and have been legally charged and convicted of a crime can be considered for inclusion in the Responsible Men’s Group as a term and condition of probation.  They will be supervised by a probation officer, who will oversee their probation terms, including education regarding inappropriate sexual activity.

This is a 10-week educational program which is facilitated by a Health Educator from Northern Adirondack Planned Parenthood and a Probation Officer from the Clinton County Department of Probation/ATI.  A satisfactory program completion will be based on attendance, participation in group discussion, and completion of any homework assignments.

When young men are aware of the laws regarding sexual consent, the likelihood of lawful behavior increases.  When faced with sexual opportunity, they think about the consequences and choose not to make sexual mistakes.  Other adolescents, who know the rules of sexual consent, may have the same desire as the acting-out adolescent, but change the way in which they think so that they can feel reasonably comfortable.  These thought processes, called "criminal thinking," can manipulate the facts so that offenders who use these thinking errors can justify their behaviors.

Through the Responsible Men’s Group, the hope is to correct these errors in thinking, thus preventing future acting-out and offending behavior.This program of education is directed at a population, generally ranging in age from 16 to 25.

The following is criteria for admission to the Responsible Men’s Group: