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In the field of Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PCSOT), polygraph examiners must adhere to a set of general principles that guide the ethical and professional administration of polygraph examinations. These principles are foundational to ensuring that PCSOT testing is conducted in a manner that respects the rights of individuals while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and integrity. The Model Policy for Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing (2021) outlines these principles, which are essential for protecting the dignity of examinees and supporting the collaborative efforts of supervision and treatment teams.
1. Rights and Dignity of All Persons
The first general principle emphasizes the respect for the rights and dignity of all persons undergoing polygraph examinations. Examiners are expected to conduct the testing process with sensitivity and awareness of diversity and individual differences. This includes being mindful of factors such as cultural, gender, and socioeconomic differences that may affect how individuals experience and respond to the polygraph examination.
Polygraph examiners must ensure that examinees are treated with fairness, respect, and professionalism throughout the process. This principle protects individuals from any potential biases or mistreatment and ensures that the examination process is conducted with a focus on ethical treatment.
2. Polygraph Examiner as Part of the Supervision and Treatment Team
PCSOT polygraph examiners are integral members of the supervision and treatment team responsible for the ongoing management of convicted sex offenders. Examiners are encouraged to maintain regular contact with other professionals involved in the case, including probation officers, therapists, and medical professionals. However, the examiner does not maintain routine contact with the examinee between polygraph sessions.
The collaborative nature of this principle ensures that polygraph results are integrated into broader decision-making processes about risk assessment, treatment planning, and supervision. The goal is to use polygraph examinations as a tool for enhancing the offender’s compliance with treatment and supervision conditions.
3. Non-Interference with Ongoing Investigations
PCSOT polygraph examiners must take care not to interfere with or undermine any ongoing investigations related to new criminal allegations. Examiners should focus on the specific behavioral issues under review in the polygraph exam and avoid overstepping their role by becoming involved in broader investigative efforts conducted by law enforcement or legal authorities.
This principle reinforces the importance of maintaining professional boundaries and ensuring that the polygraph examination remains a distinct and complementary process to ongoing investigations.
4. Known and Unknown Allegations
Polygraph examiners are required to focus on resolving known allegations or incidents involving the examinee before addressing any behavioral concerns related to unknown allegations. The intent of this principle is to prioritize the resolution of existing concerns while ensuring that any unknown or speculative issues are only addressed if requested by the treatment or supervision team.
This ensures that the polygraph examination remains targeted and relevant to the key issues under investigation, promoting a more structured and effective process.
5. Confirmatory Testing
PCSOT polygraph examinations should be limited to the Psychophysiological Detection of Deception (PDD), meaning that confirmatory testing to verify the truthfulness of partial or complete statements related to the issue of concern should not be conducted. Examiners should not seek to use the polygraph to confirm an examinee’s statements, but rather to assess deception or truthfulness regarding specific behavioral issues.
The inference of truthfulness may be made when the polygraph results indicate, with reasonable probability, that the examinee is not attempting to engage in deception regarding the investigation targets.
6. Ethical and Professional Roles
Polygraph examiners who hold multiple professional roles, such as those who are also therapists, probation officers, or law enforcement personnel, must limit themselves to one professional role when working with an examinee. This principle ensures that examiners do not administer polygraph exams to individuals they directly or indirectly treat or supervise in other professional capacities.
Maintaining this separation of roles is essential to avoid conflicts of interest and to uphold the objectivity and ethical integrity of the polygraph examination process.
7. Number and Length of Examinations
To prevent fatigue and ensure the quality of each examination, polygraph examiners should not conduct more than five examinations in a single day, and each examination should be scheduled for a minimum of 90 minutes from the start of the pre-test interview to the completion of the post-test review. Furthermore, examiners should not conduct more than four consecutive polygraph examinations per year with the same examinee unless re-testing is necessary due to unresolved issues from an earlier examination.
These guidelines help ensure that polygraph exams are thorough, well-prepared, and that examinees are given sufficient time and attention during the testing process.
8. Examination Techniques
The final principle emphasizes the use of recognized examination techniques that are supported by evidence of validity and reliability. Examiners are advised to use comparison question techniques that have been validated through peer-reviewed scientific research and published in professional journals. Additionally, no more than four relevant questions should be included per test series.
This principle ensures that PCSOT examinations are conducted according to best practices, relying on validated methods to achieve accurate and reliable results.
Conclusion
The general principles of PCSOT polygraph examinations provide a framework for ethical and professional practice, ensuring that polygraph examiners conduct their work with respect, integrity, and attention to the rights of examinees. These principles help safeguard the accuracy and reliability of polygraph results while ensuring that they are integrated into a broader multidisciplinary approach to offender supervision and treatment.
By adhering to these guidelines, polygraph examiners play a crucial role in enhancing public safety and supporting the successful reintegration of offenders into the community.
Sources:
- Model Policy for Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing (2021).
