The Quality of Community Reintegration Planning for Child Molesters

Abstract

Research on the causal factors underlying sex offender recidivism has not considered the success or failure of the reintegration process by which the offender rejoins the community after prison. The authors developed a coding protocol to measure the quality and comprehensiveness of reintegration planning for sex offenders. The protocol was retrospectively applied to groups of recidivists and nonrecidivists who were matched on static risk level and follow-up time. The protocol demonstrated adequate reliability. Compared to nonrecidivists, recidivists had significantly lower scores relating to accommodation, employment, and the Good Lives Model secondary goods, as well as lower total reintegration plan scores. ANCOVAs showed that when IQ and level of sexual deviance were controlled for, accommodation (a place to live) was significantly related to sexual recidivism and the Good Lives Model-secondary goods was significantly related to any recidivism. These results suggest that poor reintegration planning may be a risk factor for recidivism.

Collateral Damage: Family Members of Registered Sex Offenders

“…Such neighborhoods may be more affordable to criminals, but they are often characterized by community neglect, low social capital, and a paucity of resources with which to protect and serve citizens (Burchfield and Mingus 2008;. Since unstable employment and housing are associated with increased sexual and criminal recidivism (Kruttschnitt et al 2000;Laub and Sampson 2001;Schulenberg 2007;Willis and Grace 2008), laws which disrupt stability are unlikely to facilitate public protection.…”

Striving for a good life: The good lives model applied to released child molesters

“…Accordingly, the present study addresses this gap in the literature. In the remainder of this section we will (i) describe the GLM in more detail, (ii) compare it to the predominant risk, needs, responsivity general recidivism) for released sex offenders (Willis & Grace, 2008). In our view, the GLM offers several advantages over the RNR model in sex offender treatment, which we will elaborate upon in the following section.…”

Current re-entry practices in sex offender treatment programmes: desistance facilitating or hindering?

“…in relation to housing, social support, employment, etc.) was associated with increases in sex offender recidivism after controlling for reoffence risk and follow-up time (Scoones, Willis, & Grace, 2012;Willis & Grace, 2008. Researchers have identified a number of factors that are thought to either facilitate or hinder the re-entry process.…”

“…Careful re-entry planning (Scoones, et al, 2012;Willis & Grace, 2008) . Positive social capital (Farrall, 2004;Farrall & Calverley, 2006) .…”