Is there any genuine story of a sex offender being rehabilitated?? I know you can never be truly sure, but are there even any mildly convincing stories??
The short answer is, imnsho, a resounding "No"
Now for the long answer (and pardon my rant).
Some research indicates that SXO recidivism is curtailed due to SXO treatment. However longitudinal studies do not bear this out. The most well-known researchers in this area are Hanson, et al, whose research indicates that while risk is decreased for immediately following the programs, it increases over time. (Hanson, et al, 2004, 2005). And from my read and imho, those who seem to fall into the "
low-risk" category and do not, in fact, reoffend (even over time), are not people whom most would characterize as true sex offenders (i.e., the 18 yr old & 16 yr old, the drunk guy taking a leak in public).
As for the programs? That I can tell the earliest SXO treatment programs began in the 1980s. Those were shortly followed by JSO (juvenile sex offender) treatment programs in the early 1990s. The theory wrt the latter is that 50% of SXO offended as juveniles (see OJJDP, 2001). In reviewing the JSO data, as well as conferring with those who work in that area, I am admittedly surprised (and appalled) wrt how they are run.
In one case (annecdotal, only), the individual quit after a week and relayed to me that the so-called treatment program was more like a warehousing program—where the kids would create a disturbance that would distract the staff so other kids could rape (yes, rape) the younger kids (who were also there for sex related offenses). The sex related offenses varied from exhibitionism, to fondling, to rape. The kids ages ranged from 8 years old to 18 years old. And these kids were not from impoverished and/or minority ESL areas (their parents were mostly white upper-middle to upper class icons of their community). The individual who quit stated that "
[that] place wasn't a treatment facility, rather they were grooming our future serial killers."
As for other JSO literature? Imho, their approach—among which includes showing the kids videos of violent rapes, as well as the criminal justice process after said rape—is questionable. Although the so-called thought process is to teach them (ala Bandura's social learning theory), I am quite skeptical and in fact, believe that approach is just really... well, in a word, stupid. And, imho, we're ensuring these kids will go on to not only offend but offend in the most horrendous manner as adults. And, while there is no way to prove my contention—due to the sealing of juvenile records—I personally, think these so-called JSO programs are part of the problem.
Now, back to adult SXO programs. One thing the public is generally unaware of wrt to the SXO tier classification system (which, I'm guessing, though obviously do not know, may be what happened in Central Ohio). If a person admits they're a SXO
and they agree to engage in outpatient SXO treatment, they can be classified at a lower tier. Though, those who engage in sex offenses against children and/or who violently rape an adult are
not supposed to qualify for said lower tiers, I really do not know how much this rule is followed.
Okay, now for the ranty part.
The thing that annoys the heck out of me is that assessment and treatment of SXOs is a booming industry, with (again, imnsho) no valid and reliable data to back it up. And though our jails and prisons are indeed overflowing and we have to "
do something" with these people, I say, how about freeing people who are serving time for possession of illegal substances (that would be 60% of our prison population, btw) and keeping the violent criminals and child abusers (that would include molesters, who, imho, present a very high risk of graduating to violence—think Couey who started out his offending career with exhibitionism) behind bars forever.
And sure, drugs are a problem. We see it all the time. However, of all of the drugs out there, the highest correlation to violent crime happens to be a legal and rather celebrated drug: alcohol. And then there's the abuse of otc & prescription medication—which is right up there with street drugs as far as drug abuse (and high correlations to child neglect, btw) goes. For their part in this mess, imnsho, we need to start holding prescribing docs accountable for handing out meds like candy while spending little to no time (approx 15 mins/monthly for exorbitant fees) actually assessing whether their clients need said meds.
So... that's my long (and ranty) answer. Not an answer, really... but anyway...
