NCJ Number
137192
Journal
Federal Prisons Journal Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1992) Pages: 29- 31
Date Published
1992
Length
3 pages
Annotation
In August 1990, the Federal Bureau of Prisons initiated a Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, N. Car., admitting participants with documented histories of sex offenses on a voluntary basis during the last 12-24 months of their incarceration.
Abstract
Participants must not have committed psychotic or sadistic crimes or be mentally retarded. The program rests on the consensus in the correctional treatment community that intensive sex offender treatment should take place just before parole. Research studies have also indicated substantial numbers of sex offenders among inmate populations and that treated offenders have significantly lower recidivism rates than untreated offenders. In addition, a Federal Bureau of Prisons committee co-chaired by the author discovered that the best sex offender treatment programs rely on a comprehensive approach that uses cognitive-behavioral techniques in a relapse prevention model. These programs all try to help sex offenders control their sexual deviancy rather than cure it. The treatment process places the responsibility for change on the offender and relies heavily on confronting offenders' thinking errors as well as helping them achieve a better sense of empathy with their victims. A comprehensive relapse prevention plan is implemented upon parole in conjuction with local parole officers and community mental health providers. The SOTP has 24 beds and accepts referrals from other Federal institutions and the Federal courts. 7 references