Sex offenders in jail: a mini review of treatment programs and outcomes

Abstract

The debate in the scientific literature about sex offender treatment and its effectiveness remains divided and controversial. Several studies have uncovered that psychological treatment reduces the risk of recidivism in such subjects (Gallagher, et al., 1999; Hall, 1995; Hanson, et al., 2009; Hanson et al., 2002; Lösel & Schmucker, 2005; Reitzel & Carbonell, 2006; Schmucker & Lösel, 2008, 2015), whilst other studies have shown that there is insufficient evidence for this conclusion (Furby, Weinrott, & Blackshaw, 1989; Harris, Rice, & Quinsey, 1998; Kenworthy, et al., 2004; Rice & Harris, 2003). In order to clarify which treatments are ap-plied to the sex offender population in jail, together with the associations between these treatments and reduced risk of recidivism, the present study comprised a review of the literature to determine the current state of research in this area.