victims and offenders

The Role of Preparatory Programming in Increasing the Effectiveness of a Sex Offender Treatment Intervention

Published: | Author: Tanya Renn, Christopher Veeh, Melissa D. Grady, David Edwards, Carrie Pettus-Davis, Katherine Kelton

Increasing the effectiveness of programs designed to treat individuals who have sexually offended is a critical step in reducing the rates of sexual violence in our communities. Yet, the research on such programs have yielded inconsistent results with regards to their effectiveness in reducing sexual recidivism among participants. Some researchers have explored whether the dose of treatment impacts recidivism, but there remains limited knowledge around the dose-response relationship for individuals who have sexually offended.

Category: Sex Offenders
A Longitudinal Outcome Evaluation of a Prison-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program

A Longitudinal Outcome Evaluation of a Prison-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program

Published: | Author: Melissa D. Grady, Daniel Edwards, Carrie Pettus-Davis

Sex offender outcome studies continue to produce mixed results. A common critique of these studies is their lack of methodological rigor. This study attempts to address this critique by adhering to the standards established by the Collaborative Outcome Data Committee (CODC) aimed at increasing the quality and confidence in outcome studies. We examined recidivism outcomes for a sample of formerly incarcerated sex offenders who participated in a state prison-based cognitive-behavioral-skills-based treatment program.

Category: Reentry, Sex Offenders, Recidivism
Sex offender recidivism: Does volunteering for treatment matter? An assessment using propensity score analysis

Sex offender recidivism: Does volunteering for treatment matter? An assessment using propensity score analysis

Published: | Author: Melissa D. Grady, Daniel Edwards, Carrie Pettus-Davis, Jennifer Abramson

A common critique of program evaluations of prison-based sex offender treatment holds that the samples inherently show selection bias because the participants typically volunteer for treatment. To address this critique, we used propensity score analysis to assess the influence of volunteerism on treatment effects.

Category: Sex Offenders, Recidivism
Parole Officers’ Experiences of the Symptoms of Secondary Trauma in the Supervision of Sex Offenders

Parole Officers’ Experiences of the Symptoms of Secondary Trauma in the Supervision of Sex Offenders

Published: | Author: Margaret Severson, Carrie Pettus-Davis

The work of parole officers who supervise sex offenders rarely comes to the public’s attention unless something goes wrong. Research suggests that those providing postrelease supervision of convicted sex offenders likely experience trauma as a result of their work and that little support is available to respond to their emotional needs. This manuscript explores parole officers’ and parole officer supervisors’ experiences of the symptoms of secondary trauma, defined as the emotional and cognitive experiences of hearing stories that recount one or more traumatic events.

Category: Reentry, Sex Offenders, Trauma, Probation and Parole