TREATMENT NEEDED TOO
Experts say punishment alone won't help sex offenders

Sex offenders in Illinois prisons can seek treatment. But only a handful volunteer, and the program isn't always successful.

Illinois is no stranger to sex offender laws. And last summer, Gov. Jim Edgar signed several crime bills to refine the way Illinois tracks and punishes sexual predators, including one controversial measure enabling authorities to confine them beyond their prison terms. But while such proposals have been politically popular, psychological experts are skeptical that they'll work.

"A lot of legislation doesn't have anything to do with the facts; it has to do with emotions," says Jerry Bergman of the Society for the Study of Male Psychology and Physiology in Ohio. Emotions, he believes, may overlook prevention or treatment.

In fact, experts argue tougher measures are appropriate only for a small percentage of those offenders. "You can't lump sex offenders into one category," says Donya Adkerson, director of the Alternative Counseling treatment facility in Edwardsville. The most gruesome cases, such as the 1994 rape and murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka in New Jersey, account for less than 1 percent of all sex crimes, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. And most are committed by someone familiar to the victim.

Those who study and treat sexual predators say causes aren't yet known. But the consensus is that the predilection is rooted in behavior, not biology. "We know it's not a mental illness. Mental illness is a brain disorder," says Adkerson. "They're quite sane."

A sex offender's actions can be traced to psychological impressions made early in life, often from sexual abuse, argues Bergman. The experience inhibits an offender's psychological development and prevents him from having customary social relationships.

Group counseling is considered the best treatment. Drugs can be used to curb drive, although they are usually used to alleviate anxiety. But in the final analysis, these efforts constitute treatment, not cures. The goal, Adkerson says, is "lifetime management" of an offender's behavior. "In the same way that you can be an alcoholic who is not drinking, you can be a sex offender who is not offending," she says.

Still, it is difficult to change lifetime patterns. And the high recidivism rate among sex offenders has made tougher laws politically popular. Last June, Gov. Edgar signed a measure that permits civil confinement of sex offenders to mental institutions after they've completed their prison terms.

Yet opponents of civil confinement question whether mental institutions are appropriate for sex offenders. And those who treat abusers say such laws unwittingly drive them underground. "It's no wonder these people are afraid to talk. They think if they're honest about it, they're going to end up in an insane asylum," argues Robert Freeman-Longo of Safer Society, a Vermont-based organization for treating sexual abusers.

Changing a sex offender's behavior, though difficult, is not impossible, says Freeman-Longo. But, he says, policy must emphasize prevention, not punishment. Treatment must be a part of punishment.

Sex offenders in Illinois prisons can seek treatment. For seven years, the Illinois Department of Corrections has run a sex offender treatment program involving counseling as well as activities that help offenders understand their behavior. "The activities take preventive action so they don't fall into the mode of a predator," says corrections spokesman Nic Howell. But only 10 percent of the estimated 4,000 sex offenders volunteer for the program. And of that handful, "not all of them are successful."

Lawmakers hope civil confinement will catch the unsuccessful ones. But Bergman warns against overlooking scientific study in the pursuit of what is politically popular. Much is not yet understood about human behavior, he says.

That might change. A measure was signed into law last summer that created the Sex Offender Management Board. The panel is charged with recommending to the General Assembly procedures and guidelines for counseling sex offenders.

Frank Vinluan

8 / September 1997 Illinois Issues

Confidentiality of genetic tests

Carolyn Dean's diagnosis of ovarian cancer made her the third generation in her family with the disease.

But the news got worse when the doctor advised Dean she could be tested for the gene that could predispose her two daughters and granddaughter to that cancer. The doctor warned against the test because the results wouldn't be confidential and insurance companies or employers might misuse the information.

The predicament sent Dean to Republican Rep. Donald L. Moffitt of Gilson, and led to what he says is his most significant achievement during his five years as a state representative: An Illinois law that bans insurers and employers from discrimination based on the results of genetic tests.

The new law could affect many like Carolyn Dean. Genetic tests can already predict whether women have increased chances of developing breast or ovarian cancer. By 2005, scientists will have finished mapping human DNA, allowing for development of tests to detect the likelihood of many more diseases. "The potential is there that we would create this pool of people that no one would want to employ and no one would want to insure," Moffitt says. "That's discrimination."

He and state Sen. Carl E. Hawkinson, a Galesburg Republican, say they want to encourage testing because people who learn they have a predisposition to disease can take preventive steps. They also can get frequent screenings to detect disease early, which can improve the chances for survival.

Insurance industry lobbyists fought the legislation. They said there have been no abuses and that people will buy lots of coverage if they learn their odds are high for getting sick. In response, the new law doesn't cover life insurance, though it does apply to health, nursing home and disability policies. Insurers can continue to use the same blood and urine tests that are common today.

Dean was present when Gov. Jim Edgar signed the bill into law at the Knox County Courthouse last June. She is now cancer free and had the test. It revealed she does not carry the gene. Due to her personal knowledge of the issue. Dean also was one of 28 people flown to Washington, D.C., by the National Institutes of Health to be on hand at a White House conference where President Bill Clinton said he favored national legislation similar to the new Illinois law.

Tony Man

New Illinois child care plan put in place

Illinois' new state-subsidized child care program took $100 million to accomplish. The new money, approved by lawmakers and Gov. Jim Edgar last spring, increased child care subsidies to $380 million. That should reduce the long list of parents — estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 statewide — who could be, but aren't, getting financial help for day care.

"In this plan, everybody who is eligible gets a subsidy," says Michele Piel, manager of child care and development:.. for Illinois' new Department of Human Services, which administers the program.

Day care is considered one of the keys to making "welfare-to-work" work. State officials expect to serve 150,000 children this fiscal year, compared to 99,000 the year before.

The only remaining problem for some parents, says Piel, may be a wait to get into a particular day care center — a problem all parents may face.

Unfortunately, the red tape surrounding the reorganization of the human services agency slowed delivery of the checks, leaving many families waiting throughout the summer for their subsidies. The staff of Quincy's Cheerful Home, Illinois' oldest day care center, reports that 15 of their families were still waiting as of mid-August.

Jennifer Davis

State sets first standards for the three R's : READING WRITING ARITHMETIC

Last summer the Illinois State Board of Education adopted statewide standards for reading, writing and arithmetic. "These standards are effective immediately," said the board's Ray Schaljo shortly after their adoption July 25.

"What that doesn't tell you is that it's going to take some time to implement them." Perhaps up to two years. "Some schools are close now. Others aren't. "Eventually, though, parents should have confidence their child can move to a different school and learn the same core skills and knowledge, though the way that curriculum is taught is under the district's control.

"Local schools are not losing autonomy," says Schaljo.

The state standards cover language arts, mathematics, science, social science, fine arts and physical development and health. (See Illinois Issues, April 1997, page 6.) For example, all students should be able to "read age appropriate material aloud with fluency and accuracy." And eighth graders should be able to "write compositions that contain complete sentences and effective paragraphs." As for arithmetic, seniors should be able to "perform addition, subtraction and multiplication of complex numbers."

As for knowing how well schools are teaching those standards, the state board will look to students' yearly state assessment tests. If schools are failing, the board can place them on an academic watch list, where they could face funding cuts.

Jennifer Davis

Illinois Issues September 1997 / 9

BRIEFLY

PATRONAGE LITE II

Some lawmakers boost pension payouts by serving on state boards and commissions

Mastering complicated formulas for calculating pension benefits is tough. But for some ex-legislators it's worthwhile. They're the ones who win appointment to high-paying slots on state boards and commissions, a patronage plum Gov. Jim Edgar has used to reward allies. Lawmakers who took office before 1995 — that's the majority now serving in the General Assembly — can use lucrative positions on those panels to increase their pension benefits.

Take, for example, John Hallock Jr. A former state representative, Hallock chairs the Illinois Industrial Commission. Six months after the Rockford Republican lost his 1990 bid for Congress, Edgar appointed him to the commission, which administers the state's workers compensation system. Today, Hallock makes $89,357 a year — $47,112 more than he was making during his last year in the legislature.

The salary increase will pay off long after Hallock retires. That's because his legislative pension will be based on the salary he earns at the commission. If Hallock retired today, the state would pay him $75,953.45 a year — 85 percent of his current salary. The payout will likely be higher because Hallock isn't eligible to retire for another four years. If his pension were based solely on his legislative service and salary, however, Hallock would get just over $17,000 a year.

In fact, only lawmakers and judges are eligible to earn up to 85 percent of their final salary. State workers are not. The average state worker — a 65- year-old earning $32,305 a year who retires after 23 years of service — will earn $12,408 a year in pension benefits.

State employees also may transfer service years between state systems, but legislators who took office before January 1995 stand to gain the most from the reciprocity. The benefit was ended for lawmakers sworn in later.

According to documents obtained from the pension systems by Illinois Issues through the Freedom of Information Act, Hallock isn't the only former legislator who is eligible to boost pension benefits by serving on boards or commissions.

• Former Republican state Sen. Jack R. Schaffer now earns $92,636 as commissioner for the Office of Banks and Real Estate, which regulates more than 1,000 licensed mortgage brokers and bankers. He could retire now and get an annual state pension of $78,740 — $28,244 more than his final salary as a state senator.

• Former Republican state Rep. Manny Hoffman now earns $68,189 as chairman of the State and Local Labor Relations boards, which handle labor relations for public employers (excluding education) and their employees. He could retire now and get $57,960 a year in pension benefits from the state — higher than it would be if it were calculated on his final legislative salary of $44,496.

• Former Republican state Sen. Roger Sommer now earns $46,317 as chief justice of the Court of Claims. If he retires next month when he's age- eligible, Sommer could be paid $39,369 a year by the state in pension benefits. As a legislator, the most he earned was $28,000 a year.

• Former Republican state Sen. Max E. Coffey currently earns $46,168 by serving on the Property Tax Appeals Board. If he retired now, the state would pay him a yearly pension of $39,242. The most he ever made as a legislator was $28,000 a year.

• Former Republican state Sen. David Barkhausen now earns $67,019 a year as a member of the State Labor Relations Board. That's about $17,000 more than his final legislative salary. Another three years at his current salary and this 47-year-old could end up earning at least $57,000 in state pension benefits.

Jennifer Davis

10 /September 1997 Illinois Issues

QUOTABLE:

"Jim Burns and the U.S. attorney's office are sending all of us to jail so fast that pretty soon if you want to hold a City Council meeting, you're going to have to go to Wisconsin to get a quorum"

Chicago Aid. Ed Smith, as reported by Mike Robinson of The Associated Press, referring to the federal prison in Oxford, Wis., during city council hearings on that city's new ethics ordinance.

WEB SITE OF THE MONTH

Head to school, but don't leave home

It's back-to-school time, but that doesn't mean you have to get all new school clothes. In fact, you can sit in your favorite chair and wear your bathrobe if you wish.

Distance learning — schools, colleges, training programs on the World Wide Web — is as close as your computer and modem.

One of the best places to start is a comprehensive site called Distance Learning on the Net, operated by Glenn Hoyle of Libertyville, a guru in the field, at http://homepage.interaccess.com/~ghoyle/.

Hoyle's site has a wealth of links and categorizes them conveniently —colleges and universities, including schools of engineering, private institutions and religious-affiliated schools; K-12 resources; and training and development sites.

Working through the links, you can discover online courses, resources in a variety of educational fields and opportunities for continuing education. There are sites for adults interested in coursework for credits, for educators seeking assistance for online or traditional classrooms and for kids looking for information or an edifying and fun cyber journey.

Sit back, prop your feet up and put your thinking cap on. About the only thing distance learning on the net fails to offer is a virtual Saturday afternoon football game.

Donald Sevener

11 / September 1997 Illinois Issues

Abe slept there

If you've ever stayed in the Nachusa House Hotel in Dixon, you've stayed in fine company.

When it's finished next spring, the historic hotel will look much as it did when Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas occupied adjoining rooms and stood together on the balcony during the 1858 debates.

Built in the 1840s, the Nachusa House is on the National Register of Historic Places. And it's had an impressive guest list. In addition to Lincoln, the hotel's register includes the names of four other presidents:
Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and Jefferson Davis of the Confederacy.

Other notables: Illinois governors John Palmer and Richard Oglesby, William Jennings Bryan, John A. Logan and Medill McCormick.

The Nachusa House had been the oldest continually operating hotel in Illinois and one of the oldest in the country, but lately it had become an empty eyesore with an uncertain future.

The Nachusa House as it appeared around 1910 shows a 60-room limestone addition built in 1867 and the mansard roof and cupola added in 1868.

The Nachusa House is being refurbished and turned into apartments for people 55 and older.

Now it has a new mission, it s being refurbished and turned into apartments for people 55 and older. There is already a waiting list for the 35 units.

Developer Hank Zuba, who specializes in restoring historic structures in downtown areas, says he encounters many local officials who would like to keep downtown historic buildings but feel they have few options. But, Zuba says, "The funds are there, and projects like the Nachusa House show political officials how they can integrate their historic buildings into revitalized downtowns."

The city of Dixon, through a TIF district, and several state agencies collaborated on funding for the restoration.

Beverley Scobell

Vacation donation: Schools profit while Illinoisans play

Summer means vacation for most Illinoisans. And that's good news for some of the state's schools; They benefit from donated newspaper subscriptions subsidized by vacation-goers. Participants include the Alton Telegraph and the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, subscriber participation is going up. At The State Journal-Register in Springfield, 350 subscriptions were donated to schools by folks who were going out of town. The number was 25 three years ago when the program was launched.

Participants agree to forfeit their newspaper subscriptions for the length of their vacations. That donation then goes into a newspaper's fund to pay teachers' classroom subscriptions for the school year.

The teachers are free to decide how they'll use the newspapers in class, though many newspapers publish teachers' guides.

The program has blossomed, according to Edie Weaver, president of the Illinois Newspaper and Education Association. "It's kind of spread by word of mouth. The more people that hear about it, the more that donate subscriptions."

Frank Vinluan

Amtrak subsidies i pay dividends, prof says

Earlier this year, Gov. Jim Edgar announced a deal to continue state subsidies to keep Amtrak trains rolling in Illinois.

A transportation finance expert at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign says research confirms the wisdom of keeping the trains chugging,

John F. Due, professor emeritus of economics, says that curtailing public support for Amtrak and regional railtransit systems under the guise of saving taxpayer dollars is a short-sighted policy that ends up raising the cost of moving people from one place to another.

Due notes that rail and rapidrail transit are the only modes of mass transportation to have shown increases in ridership since 1980. Between 1980 and 1990, car pooling dropped 20 percent and urban bus ridership fell 12 percent, he says.

Moreover, Due contends that subsidizing rail service is far cheaper than building highways. In Illinois, he points out, one mile of urban expressway averages $140 million, while all state funding for Amtrak amounts to less than $10 million.

The state's deal will pay Amtrak between $7 million and $8 million each year for the next three years to keep trains running in Carbondale, Chicago, Springfield and Quincy (see Illinois Issues, February 1997, page 11).

Due attributes highway congestion to "underpricing road use — particularly the failure to charge road users adequately for use during peak periods."

Donald Sevener

12 / September 1997 Illinois Issues