Adult Sex Offenders on Community Supervision

Abstract

Sex offenders present challenges to treatment providers and probation officers. This article reviews recent developments in assessing risk and gauging their treatment progress. Probation departments in many jurisdictions have recently created specialized sex offender programs that provide intensive supervision and treatment. This article also reviews studies that have carefully evaluated these new probation strategies. In addition, it surveys the literature on treatment effectiveness and the predictors of treatment failure. Finally, the current article discusses directions for future research and implications for professional practice.

Pretrial Diversion for Intrafamilial Child Sexual Offending

“…Analyses found no significant differences between father offender subgroups on offender time to recidivate, nor with regard to sexual and nonsexual reoffending behavior. Although some research has identified different treatment effects and recidivism rates for offenders delineated as low or high risk generally predicted by level of sexual deviance (Hanson and Bussiere, 1998; Stalans, 2004, p. 576), in the case of intrafamilial offending, a recurrent deviant sexual pattern is not readily apparent or established. Thus, it is more challenging to predict intrafamilial reoffending.…”

“…Two issues follow from this discussion. First, policy makers are urged not to ignore the specificity and prevalence of all kinds of sexual offending behavior, particularly child sexual abuse within the home (Gelb, 2007; Stalans, 2004). Second, researchers are implored to more accurately define child sexual abuse, within the family context and otherwise, for application to intervention programs (Blanchard et al, 2006; Janus & Prentky, 2008; Soothill, Francis, Sanderson, & Ackerley, 2000; Stalans, 2004).…”

“…First, policy makers are urged not to ignore the specificity and prevalence of all kinds of sexual offending behavior, particularly child sexual abuse within the home (Gelb, 2007; Stalans, 2004). Second, researchers are implored to more accurately define child sexual abuse, within the family context and otherwise, for application to intervention programs (Blanchard et al, 2006; Janus & Prentky, 2008; Soothill, Francis, Sanderson, & Ackerley, 2000; Stalans, 2004). Motivated by classification findings by Greenberg, Firestone, Nunes, Bradford, and Curry (2005), we addressed this latter issue by querying legal distinctions traditionally drawn between biological and nonbiological father offenders.…”

Sex Offender Supervision: Communication, Training, and Mutual Respect Are Necessary for Effective Collaboration Between Probation Officers and Therapists

“…There are good reasons, however, for making these relationships as strong as possible. Some research has suggested that the combination of intensive/enhanced supervision and therapeutic treatment is more effective in reducing sexual offender recidivism and enhanced functioning than a surveillance-only approach (McGrath et al, 1998; Stalans, 2004; Turner, Bingham, & Andrasik, 2000; R. J. Wilson, Stewart, Stirpe, Barrett, & Cripps, 2000), although the case is not yet closed on the increased effectiveness of supervision over treatment-only (Morrissey, Fagan, & Cocozza, 2009).…”

Ethical issues encountered by mental health professionals providing sex offender treatment in criminal justice settings

“…In spite of increasingly harsh sentencing practices related to crime in general, a majority of sexual offenders will receive probation as a sentence-or eventually be paroled from prison-and supervised in the community (Meloy, 2005;Stalans, 2004). Community supervision of sex offenders is different from supervision of other offender groups due to the fact that sex offenders often are perceived as "extremely dangerous individuals, most often portrayed as offenders who rape and kill children and will inevitably reoffend" (Bailey & Sample, 2017, p. 177).…”