Spring 2018 Issue

The January 2018 Annual Seminar is now a part of the National Polygraph Association history. There were a total of 97 members who came to the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for their continuing educational requirements and professional standards. With our annual seminar came new names that filled the various positions of the National Polygraph Association Board. Before we discuss the new names, I would like to first thank all of the present and past board members/volunteers who have tirelessly worked to make this association a respected and professional organization for us all. Below are the changes that have occurred: In 2017 the following members held a board position: Chairman of the Board: Chip Morgan President: Gary Davis Vice President: John Odum Secretary: Theodore "Ted" Parker, Sr. Director: Rick Jordan Director: Erik Abel Treasurer: Bryant Crosby For 2018 the Board Member positions are the following: Chairman of the Board: Gary Davis President: John Odum Vice President: Erik Abel Secretary: Spencer Brown (New to the Board) Director: Rick Jordan Director: Shon Thurman (New to the Board) Treasurer: Bryant Crosby Both Shon Thurman and Spencer Brown have provided a short Curriculum Vitae (CV) of themselves for our readers included in the 2018 Spring Newsletter. Also a special thank you to the conference speakers who provided valuable training and information for our continued educational requirements and professional standards. Pillow Case Rapist: Case Study John Odum Karen Thorp W. Bruce Voss Tricia Busby, Ph.D Managing Countermeasures Walt Goodson Pharmacology & Chemical Countermeasures Patty Odum Mind Maps Chip Morgan Presentation information is located at http://www.nationalpolygraph.org/2018-seminar-info-presented

Hello Members. I continue to be honored to serve as your Treasurer. The National Polygraph Association is so wonderful and rewarding in both professional enlightenment and membership interaction. It’s often a difficult choice to select which other conferences to attend, but the steadfast event for me is the NPA Seminar/Conference. Since financial actions occur throughout the entire year, it actually has evolved to second job role, however, I gladly serve at your pleasure. As provided during the 2018 Board Meeting and General Membership meeting for the 2018 Annual Seminar, the NPA is financially sound and maintains steadfast growth in both membership and financial stability. I am happy to report the 2018 Annual Seminar/Conference, resulted in yet another year of near record attendance. From the financial perspective, the organization has reached a nearly balanced match between the expenses and generated income for the seminar. This is assisted in part by the cooperation provided by the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino to work with the Seminar Committee and provide their excellent services and accommodations at a price that benefits the entrepreneurial professionals. The main contributing factor is your attendance. We endeavor to continue acquiring the top professionals in various disciplines to provide and present information of key relevance to enhance your professional knowledge and capabilities. On that note, the dates contracted for the 2019 Annual Seminar/Conference are: January 21-23rd, with the Board meeting scheduled for Sunday, January 20th. That also partially overlaps the SHOT show. Golden Nugget room rates for the Sunday through Wednesday period are only $61.00 per night plus a $17.50 Resort fee and applicable taxes. As you may have guessed, this is the same amount as the 2018 & 2017 room rates, which is further evidence the hotel greatly desires to continue hosting our seminar. The Seminar Committee is diligently working to secure the highest caliber professionals to deliver outstanding and beneficial information. If you have suggestions for a Seminar Speaker/Presenter, please provide that recommendation to any of the Seminar Committee Members (Shon Thurman and Rick Jordan). Stay tuned for 2019 Seminar information later this year. As a reminder, annual Membership Dues are submitted by email invoice each October and due not later than December 31st of the year. Please ensure you notify the treasurer in any changes in email or the desired mailing address. You can pay your annual dues online at the organization website at: https://www.nationalpolygraph.org/membership/pay-membership-dues . If you choose to mail your annual Membership Dues by USPS, please include a copy of the invoice with your check so the payment is attributed to the correct person. Lastly, if you no longer desire membership, please inform the treasurer so your account can be placed in the inactive files. The organization website has been modified to provide a feature to receive payments for non-statutory amounts (NPA merchandise, back dues, etc). At a point in the near future, I will change from use of my business email account for NPA electronic correspondence to a newly established email account. You…

Hi all, My name is Shon Thurman and I’m very humbled and honored to have been elected to one of the director spots for National Polygraph Association. A little about myself, I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from San Diego State University in Criminal Justice Administration. I also hold an Advanced California Police Officer Training Certificate, POST which I earned while serving in the Chula Vista Police Department. I medically retired from the Chula Vista Police Department after a serious motorcycle crash. I then went to work for the Customs and Boarder Patrol, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Defense as a contract investigator and I’m currently a credentialed investigator with them. I completed polygraph school in Southern California at the Marston Polygraph Academy. I’m a Certified Forensic Law Enforcement Polygraph Examiner through, the American Association of Police Polygraphists (AAPP). I’m also a Certified Polygraph Examiner and Certified Post Conviction Sex Offender Testing (PCSOT) examiner through the California Association of Polygraph Examiners (CAPE). I now serve on the American Polygraph Association (APA), Post-Conviction Sex Offender Testing committee. I have a private polygraph practice in San Diego, CA which focuses on pre-employment and defense attorney testing. I currently contract with 12 law enforcement and fire agencies in San Diego County and Imperial County, so I stay very busy. I’m a former airline pilot and recently purchased an airplane to reduce the travel time when conducting out-of-town exams. I’m married and have wonderful boys. When I’m not working I enjoy flying airplanes and spending time with my family.

CONTRIBUTED BY: JOHN E. ODUM The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) has been an important organization for disseminating and promoting research, providing practice guidelines, and reducing risk through public policy. PCSOT Examiners should be aware of ATSA’s recently published Practice Guidelines for Assessment, Treatment, and Intervention with Adolescents Who Have Engaged in Sexually Abusive Behavior 2017 (Short Title: ATSA Adolescent Practice Guidelines). The ATSA Board of Directors appointed a committee in 2010 to develop ATSA’s first ever guidelines specific to adolescents. These guidelines were several years in coming. Here are some key points to come from these guidelines: Regarding Registration: It is ATSA’s position that youth should not be subjected to registration. Specifically, civil commitment, sex offender registration, public notification, and collateral consequences triggered by these policies (residence, education and employment restrictions) should not apply to youth adjudicated delinquent as minors. According to ATSA, “These systems were designed with adult offenders in mind, not juveniles. The body of evidence fails to support any community safety effect of adult-based juvenile sex crime policies.” Regarding Polygraph: ATSA recommends against using polygraph with adolescents under age 18 without a clearly identified benefit. The ATSA guidelines state regarding polygraph, “Use was extended to adolescents without establishing the measure’s scientific validity and without full consideration of potential for harm.” It is important to remember that these are Practice Guidelines and not considered standards of care. These guidelines pose a dilemma for individual states whose sex offender management boards and penal codes mandate the containment of adolescent sexual offenders to include polygraph. PCSOT Examiners involved in adolescent testing may be asked about the ATSA Adolescent Practice Guidelines. It is important for examiners to be aware of these guidelines and be able to discuss them as a professional part of the containment team. Those of us testing adolescent sexual offenders should be actively engaged with our state’s sex offender management boards to stay informed and give input about the role of polygraph. Our input will be necessary and invaluable as state policy makers address ATSA’s new guidelines. Stay informed, get involved!