Federal probation seeks polygraph examiner for Anchorage sex offense supervision

The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the District of Alaska is seeking a polygraph examiner to help supervise people convicted of sex offenses in the Anchorage area. Proposals are due by 3 pm Nov. 5.

The examiner would test people who live in Anchorage, Eagle River, Girdwood and Glen Alps. The exams would take place once a month at the probation office in the federal building in downtown Anchorage, and the vendor would cover its own travel and lodging.

The office wants two kinds of exams. Clinical exams probe a person's lifetime sexual history, including sexual offenses that were never reported, or unreported behavior tied to the crime that put them under supervision. Maintenance exams check whether a person is following the conditions of supervision and being honest with probation officers and treatment providers.

Maintenance exams can also be given to people on pretrial release, but only to check whether they're following their conditions of supervision. Examiners can't ask those defendants about their pending charges or ask questions that compel incriminating statements. If anyone refuses a test on Fifth Amendment grounds, testing stops and the examiner checks with the probation officer. Federal judiciary guidance says that if someone refuses to answer a question because it's incriminating, a probation officer may not compel an answer, such as by threatening revocation.

The judiciary's guidance says the exams are used to learn about a person's past behavior and to increase disclosure, which it says may deter reoffending. Results can be used to increase supervision, change treatment plans or start a separate investigation, but not as the sole basis to revoke someone's supervision. A model questionnaire from the American Polygraph Association, attached to the solicitation, says sexual history testing "should not be interpreted as deterministic or infallible."

Examiners must have graduated from a polygraph school accredited by the American Polygraph Association, have at least two years of polygraph experience in criminal cases, and be certified in at least 40 hours of training on testing people convicted of sex offenses. Every exam must be recorded on audio or video.

The office plans to sign a blanket purchase agreement, a standing arrangement that lets it order exams as needed, with the qualifying vendor that offers the lowest price. A contract forms only when the office refers a case and the vendor accepts it. The office estimates about three exams of each type a month but guarantees none.

The agreement would run through Sept. 30, 2027, and could be extended one year at a time for up to four more years.