Josh Duggar's Sentencing: Inside the Sex Offender Program in Prison

Duggar family followers continue to watch after Josh Duggar’s sentencing. Duggar was found guilty on two charges related to downloading child sexual abuse material. Now, he will complete his sentence in prison, and one of the prisons he’s likely to stay at has an extensive sex offender program. Here’s what the program entails.

Josh Duggar’s sentencing is complete

Josh Duggar’s sentencing happened on May 25, 2022. Judge Timothy L. Brooks sentenced him to 12.5 years in prison, or 151 months. The maximum sentence possible was 20 years, and the defense requested an abbreviated sentence of five years. Ultimately, the judge erred on the side of a harsher sentence given the evidence against Duggar in court.

In addition to a lengthy prison sentence, Duggar owes over $50,000 in fines. WREG Memphis reports he must pay the fines immediately, though there are payment plans available.

Additionally, Duggar must forfeit the work computer that he downloaded the illegal material on, according to the judge. “Nobody wants the computer back, so to speak,” said Defense attorney Justin Gelfand. “Just preserved.” Gelfand then noted that the defense wanted to “make darn sure” that the computer stay preserved for the defense’s future appeal.

Here’s the sex offender program he could potentially enroll in while in prison

With Josh Duggar’s sentencing finished, his next step is heading to prison. Duggar is likely to head to the Federal Correctional Institute (FCI) Seagoville, according to KNWA Fox24. The facility comes with a “high-end treatment program” for sex offenders and is the judge’s first choice.

“The Bureau recognizes sex offenders as a vulnerable population within a prison setting,” a document online regarding the prison’s sex offender program reads. “Institutional assignment, unit management, Psychology Treatment Programs, and re-entry planning promote the well-being of sex offenders while incarcerated and help both the offenders and society by reducing the likelihood of re-offense after release.”

The news outlet notes the “moderate-intensity program” allows inmates to “learn basic skills and concepts to help them understand their past offenses and to reduce risk of future offending.” It takes between nine and 12 months to complete, and it includes groups meeting two to three times per week for several hours.

The program has a number of “expected results.” The first is that the programs will “provide sexual offenders in Bureau institutions the opportunity to change behaviors.” The next is that the program will “address behavior” that could result in “increased risk for sexual offenses upon release.” The program also includes “evaluation services” that help the inmate reintegrate after prison. Finally, the program offers “transition services” for the same reason.

Is Josh Duggar eligible for parole?

Josh Duggar’s sentencing means he’ll spend 12.5 years in prison and 20 years of supervised release. But what about parole?

According to TV Shows Ace, federal prisoners must serve at least 85% of their sentence before there’s any eligibility for early release. A maximum of 15% is set aside for the potential for good behavior. Duggar is a federal inmate, which means he will still have to spend at least 10.5 years behind bars even if he attains parole later. However, parole seems unlikely.

Upon release, Duggar has to follow a number of rules. He cannot have any unsupervised visits with children, which may make it difficult to see any young Duggar family members. With children under 18 at home, this may make visits with his kids challenging.

How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.

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