NCJ Number
216217
Journal
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2006 Pages: 303-316
Date Published
July 2006
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This evaluation reports on outcomes for sex offenders treated with depo-Provera (trade name for medroxyprogesterone acetate), a medication used to reduce sexual drive in sex offenders, under an Oregon program mandated in 1999 State legislation that required selected sex offenders to be evaluated prior to their release to determine whether treatment with depo-Provera was required.
Abstract
The men who received depo-Provera committed no new sex offenses over the years 2000 through 2004. They also committed fewer nonsexual offenses and violations compared to those men recommended to receive depo-Provera but who did not actually receive it and the sex offenders deemed not to need the medication. Approximately one-third of the men judged to need the medication but who did not receive it committed a new offense, and nearly 60 percent of these offenses were sex offenses. The authors conclude that for selected sex offenders, medication that can reduce their sex drive can be a useful, albeit time-limited, component of a cognitive-behavioral treatment program. This study reviewed the first 275 men evaluated under the program. Data were collected on the following three groups of sex offenders evaluated prior to their release to determine whether treatment with depo-Provera was indicated to reduce their risk: men judged to need the medication and who actually received it; men recommended to receive the medication who did not receive it for a variety of reasons; and men deemed not to need the medication. Outcome measures included reoffending data and whether new offenses were sexual or nonsexual, parole violations, and reincarcerations. Data were also collected on employment and supervising officers' opinions on the men's performance. 5 tables, 45 references, and appended scale used to measure appropriateness for the use of depo-Provera