NCJ Number
190301
Date Published
2000
Length
32 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the custody and safe reintegration of violent, sex, and repeat offenders in Canada.
Abstract
The research literature suggests that impulsivity and risk-taking are important distinguishing characteristics of violent, sex, and repeat offenders. The impulsivity exhibited by these offenders is likely to limit the deterrent value of criminal penalties such as incarceration. On the other hand, Gendreau and Goggin (1996) have found that prison programs with a great deal of therapeutic integrity can produce recidivism reductions in the range of 20 percent to 35 percent. Consequently, criminal justice and mental health systems are being challenged to offer more specialized programming and improved case management services for violent, sex, and repeat offenders. There is solid evidence to support the premise that the gradual and structured release of offenders is the safest strategy for the protection of society against new offenses by released offenders. For criminal justice and mental health service providers, the application of risk management principles to reducing the chance of criminal recidivism is all that is required to develop an effective risk management program. These risk management principles include the assessment of risk; the sharing of information; the monitoring of activities; and if deemed appropriate, an intervention (incapacitation and programming). Barring major new developments in assessment technology, it is unlikely that any one tool or risk dimension could provide sufficient predictive accuracy on its own to guarantee safe decisions about which offenders should be released and which should be detained for indefinite periods because of their dangerousness. With a comprehensive and accessible base of information on the reintegration potential of a particular case at the time of admission and thereafter, it should be possible to use the available range of correctional interventions more effectively. 78 references