U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Treatment Behind Bars: The Effectiveness of Prison-Based Therapy for Sex Offenders

NCJ Number
241973
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Dated: November 2012 Pages: 435-450
Author(s)
Deanna N. Perez; Wesley G. Jennings
Date Published
November 2012
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The purpose of this evaluation was to examine the effectiveness of prison-based treatment for sex offenders to reduce recidivism.
Abstract
The purpose of this evaluation was to examine the effectiveness of prison-based treatment for sex offenders to reduce recidivism. The study compared a group of 95 inmates who received sex offender treatment, with 67 treatment completers and 28 non-completers, to a comparison group of 64 inmates who did not receive treatment. The results demonstrated that offenders who completed sex offender treatment had the lowest prevalence of post-release sex re-arrests followed by treatment non-completers and control group subjects. Furthermore, survival analysis results showed that average time to first re-arrest after release from incarceration was longest for treatment completers in comparison to the treatment non-completers and the control group but this difference was not statistically significant. Study limitations and directions for future research are also discussed. Abstract published by arrangement with Taylor and Francis.