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Florida Polygraph Association |
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I. MISSION
To establish guidelines for polygraph testing in the comprehensive management and treatment of post conviction sex offenders for the purpose of complying with Florida State Statutes 948.03 and to enhance public safety.
II. OBJECTIVES
A. Improve qualifications of polygraph examiners
using advanced polygraph techniques through advanced training and
education; and adhering to high standards of professional ethics
and conduct.
B. Serve as a professional polygraph contact for other
professionals involved with post conviction sex offender
testing.
C. Cooperate with other professional organizations in matters of
mutual interest.
D. Encourage, develop ideas for and conduct research in the
areas of Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PCSOT) polygraph
testing.
E. Recognition through certification by the Florida Polygraph
Association (FPA) of those examiners who have met the training
requirements established by the FPA for post conviction sex
offender testing.
III. DEFINITIONS
A. POLYGRAPH: An instrument/computer program
that is capable of recording visually, permanently and
simultaneously, indicators of a person's cardiovascular pattern
and changes therein, a person's respiration patterns and changes
therein, and a person's electrodermal response and changes
therein. Indications of other psychophysiological changes or
bodily responses may be recorded in addition but may not serve as
a substitute of those defined herein.
B. POLYGRAPHIST: Any individual polygraph examiner who is
a graduate of a polygraph school, active in administering
polygraph examinations, and who meets the requirements of a
polygraph organization, i.e. American Polygraph Association
(APA), American Association of Police Polygraphist (AAPP) and
State Polygraph Associations.
C. APPROVED POLYGRAPH SCHOOL: One designated by the FPA
Board of Directors (Board). Approval will be based on the school
being accredited by the APA, AAPP and/or the FPA at the time of
completion.
D. POST CONVICTION SEX OFFENDER TESTING (PCSOT) POLYGRAPH
EXAMINATION: The employment of polygraph equipment used for
the purpose of detection of deception or verifying truth of
statements of any person under supervision and/or treatment for
the commission of any sex offense. This polygraph examination is
specifically intended to assist in treatment and supervision of
post conviction sex offenders.
E. POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION: The examination will include
any or all of the sections referred to as a pre-test, collection
of charts, test data analysis, and when appropriate, post test
interview. Collection of biographical data, instrument
explanation, discussion of the issues, chart collection
evaluation and posttest cannot be scheduled for less than 90
minutes.
F. POST CONVICTION SEXUAL OFFENDER TRAINING: Specialized
training, approved by the Board, for the purpose of specific
polygraph testing of post convicted sex offenders. Hereinafter,
referred to specialized training.
IV. CERTIFICATION
The FPA will certify those examiners who have successfully completed the requirements as set forth in these guidelines. Therefore, those examiners are considered to possess the requisite knowledge to conduct polygraph testing in conjunction with sex offender treatment and monitoring programs. The FPA does not certify the competency of the individual examiner nor does it guarantee that any person who engages in Post Conviction Sex Offender polygraph testing is following currently approved FPA guidelines.
V. POLYGRAPH EXAMINER QUALIFICATIONS
A. A graduate of a polygraph school approved by a
major polygraph association, i.e. APA, AAPP and recognized by the
Board.
B. A member in good standing with the FPA.
C. Members who apply for certification after January 1, 2002,
must have a minimum of a Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited
college or university.
D. A member shall have a minimum of three (3) years of verified
polygraph experience and a minimum of 200 specific polygraph
examinations completed.
E. Examiners shall successfully complete a minimum of forty (40)
hours of specialized sex offender polygraph examination training
approved by the FPA. This training shall focus on sex offender
assessment, evaluation, and monitoring as approved by the
Board.
F. After the initial forty (40) hours of specialized training
has been attained, all members shall successfully complete a
minimum of twenty (20) hours of continuing education of
specialized training, approved by the FPA, every two (2)
years.
G. Who remains active in the polygraph profession by conducting
a minimum of fifty (50) polygraph examinations per year to
include at least five (5) Post Conviction Sex Offender Tests.
VI. INTERNSHIP
A. INTERN: A member who does not meet the
experience requirement as listed in Section D. Polygraph examiner
qualifications will be eligible to intern under a certified sex
offender examiner until such time as they meet the experience
requirement.
1. Each intern must complete an Intern Application indicating
the name of the intern supervisor.
2. Each intern must comply with all of the provisions of these
guidelines and submit all test data, test materials and
audio/visual recordings, to their intern supervisor, as
requested.
B. INTERN SUPERVISOR: A member who has been certified by
the FPA to do sex offender testing under these guidelines may
serve as an intern supervisor, provided that they conduct a
minimum of 25 Post Conviction Sex Offender examinations per
year.
1. The intern supervisor must actively supervise the intern and
periodically review and critique the intern's Post Conviction Sex
Offender examinations. The intern supervisor shall maintain
documentation of the intern's progress.
2. In the event an intern is unable to obtain an intern
supervisor, the Board shall appoint one.
3. The intern supervisor shall attest to the successful
completion of the internship on the intern's application for
certification.
VII. POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION RECORDING GUIDELINES
A. All polygraph examinations will be maintained as
permanent visual tracings of the polygraph data for diagnostic
and documentation purposes.
B. Recording channels/components required for Post Conviction
Sex Offender Polygraph Examinations will be:
1. Respiration patterns made by two (2) separate pneumograph
components. One respiration component will record the thoracic
(upper chest) respiration and other component will record the
abdominal (lower stomach) respiration pattern.
2. A channel tracing will record the Electrodermal pattern (also
commonly referred to as the Galvanic Skin tracings), which
reflects relative changes and the conductivity/resistance of very
small amounts of electrical current by the epidermal tissue.
3. A cardiograph channel will be utilized to record changes in
the pulse rate, pulse amplitude and changes in the relative blood
pressure.
C. To effectively evaluate the polygraph tracings during any
polygraph examination, it is understood by all professional
examiners that easily readable trace recordings must be obtained.
Tracings that are either too large, too small, or that leave
extraneous responses to outside stimuli are difficult, if not
impossible to evaluate. In order to allow the examiner to render
a valid and reliable opinion based on the recorded information
contained within the polygraph charts, it is recommended that all
pneumograph and cardiograph tracings recorded during the
polygraph examination be of sufficient amplitude to be easily
read and evaluated by the initial examiner and by a reviewing
examiner for any quality control review purpose.
D. All pneumograph and cardiograph tracings should be not less
than one half inch in amplitude. Chart tracings consistently less
than one half inch in amplitude in the pneumograph and/or the
cardiograph tracings, without sufficient documented explanation
of physiological cause will be considered insufficient for
analysis purposes. Every effort should be made by the examiner to
increase the baseline amplitude of recordings that are less than
recommended minimums. Charts that are evaluated and determined to
be inadequate, may require additional testing of the
examinee.
VIII. POLYGRAPH INSTRUMENT CALIBRATION
A. All polygraphs, computerized or analog, utilized
for the recording of changes in physiological responses produced
by the human body during a polygraph examination, at a minimum,
will be calibrated according to the manufacturer's guidelines as
provided in the instruction and operation manuals.
B. Examiners should insure their instrument(s) are calibrated as
required or when the instrument has been moved from one location
to another.
IX. SPECIALIZED TESTING TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURES
A. Examination techniques will be limited to the
Zone Comparison or comparative question techniques taught at any
of the FPA recognized schools within the last two years.
B. NO TECHNIQUE shall be used that has been modified
without the support of sufficient published validity and
reliability studies for that particular modification.
C. All specialized testing procedures will be in compliance with
the FPA Standards and Principles of Practice, which include
pretest, in-test and post test procedures.
D. In order to allow sufficient time for the pretest, in test
and post test procedures, a polygraph examination will be
scheduled for a minimum of ninety (90) minutes.
E. No more than four (4) Post Conviction Sex Offender polygraph
examinations may be scheduled during any ten (10) hour work day
by a FPA certified Post Conviction Sex Offender Test examiner,
which shall consist of:
X. QUALITY CONTROL ASSURANCE
A. Each member involved in Post Conviction Sex
Offender polygraph examinations must follow the quality control
process as listed below, which allows for independent review of
polygraph charts and reports.
B. For quality control assurance, examiners must:
1. Produce polygrams of the examinations in their entirety.
2. Numerically hand score all relevant test examination charts
(Computerized scoring algorithms may be used, in addition to hand
scoring). The scoring procedure must be appropriate for the
technique employed.
3. Provide their work product, including all recordings, upon
request of the Board, or it's designee.
4. All polygraph examinations of sexual offenders submitted for
quality control shall recorded in their entirety. Though video
recording is preferred medium, audio recording is sufficient to
meet this standard.
XI. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
A. Any member certified by the FPA in Post
Conviction Sex Offender Testing whose conduct is deemed to be in
violation of the FPA Constitution, By-Laws, Code of Ethics,
Standards and Principles of Practice and/or these guidelines will
be subject to disciplinary action as established in the FPA
By-Laws.
B. Any individual expelled for cause from APA, AAPP, FPA or any
other professionally recognized national or state polygraph
association, or anyone convicted of a felony or anyone discharged
from related employment for an unethical, amoral or dishonest
cause is not eligible to be certified as a Post Conviction Sex
Offender polygraph examiner by the FPA. Similarly, individuals in
a polygraph licensing state who have had their polygraph license
suspended or revoked for cause is not an eligible candidate.
XII. TRAINING CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES
A. Those members who wish to obtain certification,
in accordance with these guidelines, must submit the appropriate
application, with proper documentation, to the Director of the
Randall Jones School of Continuing Studies.
B. To maintain certification, the member must comply with the
required continuing studies of specialized training, as set forth
in these guidelines.
X. Reference:
APA Post Sex Offender Testing Guidelines
The Joint Polygraph Committee on Offender Testing (JPCOT)
Peer Review: Mr. Robert Lundell Chairman, APA Sub-Committee; Post
Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PCSOT) and Mr. Eric Holden
Revised 3rd- 4-07-01
Adopted by Membership on June 17, 2001