What is SVP Community Treatment (CONREP)?

1. What is SVP community treatment (CONREP)?
2. How is the housing placement decided?
3. Who supervises SVPs in phase V community-based treatment?
4. How is supervision accomplished?
5. What happens if an SVP violates his terms and conditions of release?

1. What is SVP community treatment (CONREP)?
The Conditional Release Program (CONREP) is under the authority of the California Department of Mental Health (DMH) and provides community-based supervision to patients in Phase V of the Sex Offender Commitment Program. Phases I-IV treatment is conducted in the state hospital. After a court hearing to determine if a patient can be safely supervised and treated in the community, a patient is ordered into Phase V of the Sex Offender Treatment Program by a Judge.

2. How is the housing placement decided?
State law dictates the process by which community housing placement is determined under Welfare & Institutions Code section 6609.1. In brief, the Department of Mental Health reviews all possible housing locations within the county and recommends a specific placement to the court. Any placement recommended will be more than 2000 feet from schools or parks as required by Jessica's Law. When the recommendation is announced, the public is permitted to make comments about that proposed placement. Following another court hearing and considering the public comment, a Judge rules the placement will or will not be accepted. If accepted, the patient is moved to the housing site and community supervision begins.

3. Who supervises SVPs in phase V community-based treatment?
Since 2003, Liberty Healthcare Corporation has been the CONREP supervision program for SVPs in California. To date, 13 SVPs have been released and supervised statewide. As of October 2008, nine continue to be supervised in California communities. None of the 13 supervised SVPs released under community supervision has committed another sexual offense. 

4. How is supervision accomplished?
Liberty establishes a Community Safety Team for each Phase V SVP patient. That team includes a regional coordinator, treatment providers, polygraph specialists, victim advocates and law enforcement. Individual and group therapy is provided weekly. The regional coordinator is in daily contact with the SVP. Polygraph exams occur every 90 days. The Community Safety Team works together on a regular basis to insure that the individual's supervision and treatment plan is providing the level of community safety required. SVPs are on a GPS (Global Positioning System) bracelet. They are not permitted to drive and their movement in the community is severely limited. Some supervision tools include unannounced visits, covert surveillance, random searches of the home and daily approval for all activities in which the patient plans to participate. All SVPs under community supervision sign Terms and Conditions for release. Any violation of those terms can be a basis for revocation.

5. What happens if an SVP violates his terms and conditions of release?
During the entire community supervision program, Liberty provides quarterly progress reports to the Court, District Attorney and the SVP's attorney. The Community Safety Team meets formally once a month to discuss issues related to the SVPs progress in the community. At any time, Liberty or the District Attorney's Office may request that an outpatient SVP be revoked and returned to the hospital if high risk behaviors are observed. A patient can petition to be re-released into outpatient treatment after he has been revoked.