Polygraph Exams of Sexual Offenders

Although the polygraph instrument has been in use for over 80 years, the first documented evidence of sex offender testing did not occur until the mid-1960s. A judge in the Chicago area decided to assess individuals who were placed on probation for various types of criminal behavior, including child molestation.

Although it appeared that the polygraph could play an integral part in diminishing criminal behavior, the program did not continue. It is unclear why the experiment did not continue when significant information was obtained regarding the behavior of individuals that were being examined.

Beginning in 1969, Judge Tuttle of Walla Walla, Washington developed a similar plan that required probationers to be periodically tested by polygraph in an attempt to determine whether they were in compliance with the terms and conditions of their supervision (Abrams and Abrams, 1993).

Based on the success of the program in Walla Walla, other jurisdictions in the Washington and Oregon area also began incorporating the use of the polygraph and have continued to do so since the early 1970s.

Therapists also quickly learned that the polygraph was another tool that they could incorporate into their overall assessment and treatment package. Probation officers followed this lead as well, stating that they believed the polygraph assisted them in gaining insight into the sex offender's overall behavior.