originally posted 10/31/2010
Just a simple wife who has been with my husband from the beginning of his incarceration. I went with my husband to the sex offender treatment program (SOTP) once he was out of prison. He completed it in the program once while he was in prison!!! Seems ridiculous to have to complete the program two times, but that is my state for you. It is ridiculous, all the BS one has to go through for the so called safety of our children. Not only is the offender under the microscope but so are his family members. I didn’t make a good impression at the first SOTP meeting we had to attend and they contacted his probation officer and then basically chewed his ass because of it!!! My husband did his time day for day, completed the SOTP in prison and when he was released, it was a conditional release (three years probation) and had to complete the program again out on the street!!! But in order for him to be released, he had to sign papers saying he agreed to all this, even though he didn’t. What could he do? Stay in prison until he signed was the only option. One thing that is really ridiculous is that he was sentenced to eight years at 20%. But instead of being released after 20%, he found that he would not be released until he completed the SOTP?!?!?!? He was not informed of this when he was finally sentenced. They don’t tell you anything once they have you behind bars. We live outside a small community with little problems for the neighbors. We are very lucky and grateful for that. The probation officer is very good to us as well. No harassment from her or the local sheriffs. But we will do all we can to help the injustices that are heaped upon all the rest of the sex offenders. We have little to no funds but our hearts are willing. I, as a wife of a sex offender, see the idiotic way some people look at my husband. People see sex offenders as sexual predators. That is like comparing apples and peas. They are not in the same category, yet people still believe they are one in the same. They have been misinformed. I would like to help change that in any way I can.