The Sex Offender Management Board of Colorado was formed in 1992, under effect of a legislation that was passed by the state’s General Assembly. It is a constituent of the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice and is overseen by the Office of Domestic Violence and Sex Offender Management. SOMB influences and controls the treatment of Coloradans convicted of sex crimes and has a say in important life decisions of the convict including where she or he can live, work and visit.
Roles and responsibilities of the SOMB
The board works with the primary aim of protecting Coloradans and increasing safety-levels of individual communities in the state. At the time of inception, SOMB was made in-charge of developing specific guidelines and benchmarks for the evaluation, behavioral monitoring and treatment of sex offenders. Four years later, in 1996 the board presented its first set of standards and guidelines.
In 1999, SOMB expanded the policies to include the criteria of Lifetime Supervision of citizens convicted of sex crimes. The same year, it added a new set of standards for some specific community establishments. This included establishments that treat and supervise adult sex offenders with certain developmental disabilities.
Another set of revisions were made in 2002, when the board added benchmarks and guidelines for evaluating, assessing, treating and supervising juveniles who have been convicted of sex crimes. Most of the guidelines were based around the idea of rehabilitating the juveniles. The latest set of revisions came in 2008, when the SOMB modified standards and guidelines to align them with the modern practices of sex offender management and treatment.
Members of the board
SOMB has 25 members on its board including representatives from law enforcement, judicial department, the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services and the Department of Public Safety. The board is structured in a manner that allows both rural and urban communities around Aurora, Highlands Ranch, Arvada, Englewood, Littleton and the Denver Metropolitan area to be represented well.
A team of experts including mental health professionals who are specialists in treating sex offenders, polygraph examiners, and others are included as well as members from community corrections and victim services community. Private criminal defense and Public defender attorneys and district attorneys are also a part of the board.
How SOMB can affect your life
Today, SOMB is responsible for monitoring and regulating the state’s Sex Offender Treatment Program in seven regions including Denver, Adams, Jefferson, Larimer, Arapahoe, Douglas and Weld County. The board manages how adult and juvenile sex offenders are identified and then managed. It sets notification protocols, which are followed closely when notifying community members of a sexual predator in their neighborhood.
The SOMB also influences the fate of a convict charged with sex crimes by determining how the person in question is progressing in the rehabilitation stage. An offender can be put up for parole, kept on probation or be rehabilitated back to society, based on the reports of the SOMB.
Treatment providers for sex offenders must meet SOMB guidelines and are monitored by the SOMB. Treatment providers are versed with the requirements and kept in check by the probation departments around the state. The sex offender treatment providers correspond with probation officers and follow strict guidelines for treatment, placement in the community, interaction with family and interaction with the public. Finishing treatment can take years.
Richard Huttner is well-versed with the SOMB requirements and has experience in cases dealing with the strict rules and regulations placed by the board. He can help you navigate the complex process with success and ensure your probation officer and other members of the board don’t treat you unfairly.