The Polygraph is Superstition

By Registered Citizen564 …

If anyone does not know, the California Sex Offender Management Board (aka CASOMB) has phone call conferencing open to the public. Well since I’m not only a registrant but a member of the public I thought I’d conference in on their call today about the polygraph and all its wonderness and goodness fantasticness.
What I heard today was a lot of 100% USDA Ground Choice B.S. unfortunately. A lot of Orwellian Doublespeak (1984 book) also present. There were CASOMB people on the call, a few PO’s, and, you guessed it, a few people who make their living off the polygraph. I was the only registrant on the call and I was proud to be there for you. There were a lot of “hum’s” and “you knows”, and a few “pretty much sure of’s” and when I asked the hard questions, the answers were vague and wobbly, “ well you know, “we’re working on making the polygraph better and it’s a work-in-process.” In the mean time, this fallacy of fear and “community safety” they have wreaked havoc on my life, and yours too I’m sure.
Now that I can’t work because of the registry and my record on Google, can’t find a place to live in the city and now I’m in the high desert (cheap and lonely), I have lots of time to be “in search of..” the truth. At this point if my mess of 12 years ago, I now fully understand that they are living in the land of: make this stuff up so we can have jobs and make people feel safe and we can feel important and have a cause to fight for and since before this I was lost and didn’t know what I wanted to do with my psychology degree that I paid for. (a dose of sarcasm)
Some of the hard questions that I posed to them, with sincerity and polite moments of pause of course (don’t wanna come off disrespectful, right?), was one like, “So if the poly is so valid and reliable, why is it that I was told that I was “deceptive” because of my breathing? How is that that not only did I evidently “failed” this question of instance, but then now I fail the whole damn test? Or this question, if the poly is so scientifically valid, where is the evidence of such validity, and then why did the SCOTUS rule it’s not so? More hemming and hawing on that one. I was respectful, but also respectfully asking for a solid answer – more of well it’s a work in process. Really I say?
Not to downplay anyone’s source of comfort in all of life’s stuff that gets thrown at us, death, prison, dumb mistakes, cancer, lost jobs/relationships, you name it, given the long list of things like tarot cards, crystal balls, tea leaves, goat entrails, palm readings, find a penny have good luck, Friday the 13th, we need to be clear that some (I won’t choose here) but are only superstitions, and the polygraph is another. We cannot believe that it works just because some group makes up ‘science’ or some other hocus-pocus. If we don’t come to see what is real and what is not, then they (THEY) can use their magic to manipulate us into believing that their magic box works. Should I know wonder if my breathing is a concern? Do I need more “treatment” or “supervision” or or or… was it done on Friday the 13th?
Even if the poly is say, and it is so not more like only 50/50 chance, 98% valid, would you go to a dentist who is only 98% correct is his or her work? Would you fly a plane with only a 98% chance of landing safely, how about feeding your family with food that is 98% free of pesticides? If they are rating us on their crazy box, and then making decisions about me with 98% validity, I think it’s a joke then and I would fire my doctor. Also poly proponents have a big huge conflict of interest and they don’t advocate for us, they only do for the government.
We must, seriously everyone, we must be clear on what is true and not true if we are going to make it though this mess and keep our sanity. Otherwise, we’ll be like fish taking their fictitious bate with a sharp hook that well not let us go.
If anyone has good sources to point to on this topic, please respond in kind.

9 thoughts on “The Polygraph is Superstition

  1. I took only two during my five years on probation and both were in the first year. I, like many others, failed the first “history” exam though I told the truth. A few months later my treatment provider told me in group therapy that if I passed the “deviant thoughts” polygraph that I would only have to do a few wrap-up activities and then I could be done with group therapy (background: I was not convicted of a sex crime and was not put on the registry–given probation only, no jail time).

    I passed that poly exam (to the treatment providers surprise) and was given my wrap-up activities in our book and handout. I finished those and handed them in a couple weeks later. He proceeds to tell me I need to present them to the whole group. He gave a total of 20 minutes in over TWO YEARS. That’s right–week after week I handed him a check knowing full well he was not going to live up to his end of the bargain. It was extremely frustrating. Only after he was replaced and the new treatment provider confirmed my agreement was valid with him that I was able to present for 15 minutes and be finished with group therapy.

  2. The registry is a sham. Resist it. Fight it. And when it finally falls remember the lessons it taught you. Remember that your hands were part of both its rise and fall. Many people silently agreed to the registry not knowing what they were being fed. Politicians built THEIR success on it, and secured THEIR jobs with it.

    Remember how easily manipulated people became and how much the government was able to get away with…when given such powers by the people.

  3. I got out on parole in 2015 and had to take a polygraph while I was in treatment what amazed me was i only failed the Crucial questions “had I been honest with my P.O. , had a viewed any porn, but the other questions that had nothing to do with anything were not even mentioned. that is what got me looking into this wonderful garbage science device took me 10 minutes to come upon Antipolygraph.org and the book “the lie behind the lie detector” after reading that book I could passe them with flying colors lying through my teeth or not. I highly recommend reading this book to anyone who is stuck having to do these they really are just a scam and a way for people to profit off of other people who don’t know the dirty little secret of these.

    1. I second that book! I took a poly as a twenty-something and accidentally did what this book talks about and then before my conviction I read the book and confidently destroyed the examiner! He literally tried every trick mentioned in this book. EVERYBODY should read it! It’s free!

  4. The polygraph is a work in progress? Are you kidding me? That machine hasn’t improved since it was invented in 1921. Oh they hook you up to a computer now, but that’s only for appearances sake. It’s still the same old machine as the one that came in a wooden box in 1921.

  5. Registered Citizen564

    It sure is. It is not even permissible in court. But consider yourself lucky that you could do that at all. They have SOs killed off by the numbers.

    To everyone: I hope that my previous replies make sense and aren’t too all over the place.

  6. In my nearly 4 years on probation I failed or got inconclusive on the majority of polys I took. In NONE of these was I being untruthful. In each case I had to keep retaking the polys until I passed (at $240 each) but I was punished by both the “treatment” team and my PO. For the record, the admitted reliability of polygraphs is 93%not 98%. I have talked to many polygraphers and treatment providers who say it it really much lower. Colorado finally made the decision to not have polygraphers on the state sex offender treatment board since they had a financial interest in requiring polygraphs.

  7. In the 11 years I was in the system, I have many stories about polygraphs. I took 34 of them, times $250 = $8500
    First do you have the “history” test which almost everybody fails, because of course you haven’t even started treatment.
    Then they use it as a fear device in order to gain “privileges” you have to pass a test.
    We weren’t allowed to do anything in the community until we passed either two or three parts of the “history”
    I had one polygrapher in the early stages tell me that “there are people out there that want to shoot people like you” not paraphrasing this is a “right before I was to take my test. During the “protest” he had asked me if I had seen any women in a bikini, and went on to tell me that a woman in a bikini is considered “pornography” needless to say I started freaking out at that point because I don’t think I disclosed every time I saw a woman in a bikini. Then, while I was in the middle of the exam, his phone rang, and an old-school answering machine went off with somebody asking questions!
    Needless to say I failed that test miserably, I wasn’t lying, I wasn’t trying to be deceitful, but I got in major trouble with my PO and therapist, they had threatened to revoke me at that point. even after I told my PO what happened and what this guy said, and it was on video, she said I still had to go back to him to retake the test. Which I did, and had a inconclusive, which they still considered as a “failure” it wasn’t until I went to a different person that I passed and got out of the doghouse.
    Flash forward a few years, things were going well, until my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and two weeks later my dog was also diagnosed with terminal cancer. I was due to take a polygraph two days after I heard this news. My therapist at the time said “it’s just a poly” even though I was an emotional wreck, but I felt such incredible pressure by my PO and therapist that I went into take the test, which of course I completely failed it. and because of that, and because I was emotionally “distressed” even though I use my support system, the supervising PO placed me on house arrest until I pass the next test. Which three months later with no new disclosures I did. From that point forward I learned on my weekly reports that I put on every question I had ever been asked by a polygrapher, and disclosed any information that would be relevant. I then brought that report and I gave it to the polygrapher. I didn’t fail another one after that. What’s interesting is the person that gave me the test when I was emotionally distressed, in another court case said he ” from that point forward I learned on my weekly reports that I put on every question I had ever been asked by a polygrapher, and disclosed any information that would be relevant. I then brought that report and I gave it to the polygrapher. I didn’t fail another one after that. What’s interesting is the person that gave me the test when I was emotionally distressed, in another court case said he “Would never test anybody that was emotionally distressed” but when I took the test from him he said that emotions had nothing to do with the test which was complete BS. I was quite active while I was in the system, and I had a PO that said “you do too many things in the community and I don’t have time to keep track of you” so she made me do a polygraph every three months not because I had done anything wrong, but because I was working hard improving myself in the community yet she couldn’t do her job and made me spend an extra $500 a year to take the stupid test.
    I’ll total I think I only failed five polygraphs, but the ramifications and the punishment I received from some of those was insane, being threatened of revocation, being placed on house arrest, taking privileges away, or not be granted privileges until these test were passed. From what I understand Colorado has backed off on that a little bit and said it must be “evidenced-based” but after reading the story All total I think I only failed five polygraphs, but the ramifications and the punishment I received from some of those words insane, being threatened of revocation, being placed on house arrest, taking privileges away, or not be granted privileges until these test were passed. From what I understand Colorado has backed off on that a little bit and said it must be “evidenced-based” but after reading the story, There are lots of other states that still abuse the hell out of this an ethical, unreliable test that PO’s and other therapist or to lazy to do their job. during the majority of my time in the “system” a polygraph was used as punishment, but as I had moved out into a different agency, they used it as a tool to help people and not punish. The system is designed to threaten, punish, humiliate and more and more importantly and ultimately they want you to fail, I stood up to that, which they hated but ultimately was what got me out of the system. The supervising PO said I was the first person out of the 16 years she had been doing this that she released. That was almost 8 years ago when I was finally released from the system, but of course I continue to be harassed and burden by the lifetime registry. that still won’t drag me down, and I make the choice to live my life and not let anyone control or choose my destiny.

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