242 9 Corrections and Prison Practices—Adult ForensicsThere are a number of reasons why law enforcement, the legislature, and the public
disregard the scientific research, demonstrating that rehabilitation of sex offenders is
indeed possible. One criticism identified by individuals who believe that "nothing
works" is the notion that a large number of sex offenses go undetected and therefore
skew recidivism results. However, when addressing the issue of sexual offending,
it unfortunately goes without saying that many sex offenders are not brought to
the attention of the authorities. This is a commonly held assumption, even among
those who believe in the efficacy of sex-offender treatment (Hanson & Bussiere,
1996). Thus, the reported recidivism rates reflecting an underreporting of sex of-
fenses remains a valid consideration. It is important to keep in mind, however, that
while the statistics underestimate actual victimization rates, this does not discount
the vast discrepancy in the recidivism rates between those offenders who receive
treatment and those who do not.
Forensic Psychology and Policy ImplicationsThe issue of whether to treat sex offenders remains controversial. Perhaps one
reason why this topic continues to be debated is that there are few subjects that
raise as much emotion as the issue of child sexual abuse. It is understandable that
many of the foremost leaders in the struggle to obtain stricter punishments for sex
offenders are the parents of victims of child molestation. However, from a policy
standpoint, it is important to bear in mind that even wdth the emotional disgust and
rage exercised against sex offenders, they too are eventually released from prison.
Given the research which supports the effectiveness of treatment for this population,
consideration needs to be given to increasing rather than decreasing the funding
for sex-offender treatment programs. Withholding treatment from such individuals
does not address the issue that is at the core of this controversy. Both those who
treat sex offenders and those who seek to punish them have the common goal of
reducing future victimization. Within the current criminal justice system, the vast
majority of sex offenders are released from prison and returned to communities
where potential victims reside. Recognizing this fact, it is important to question
whether the public prefers to have sex offenders in their neighborhood who have
received treatment or those who have not received any treatment whatsoever and,
therefore, have not learned how to control their deviant sexual behavior.
Another issue to consider regarding policy reform is the cost of incarceration ver-
sus the cost of treatment for sex offenders. Blanchette (1996) presents data which
illustrate that treating the average sex offender on an outpatient basis costs ap-
proximately $7,000 per year less than incarceration. As noted by Williams (1996),
even if treatment was successful only for a small number of individuals, the cost-
effectiveness of treatment is clear. Further, it cannot be overlooked that reducing
recidivism by even a small amount spares numerous potential victims from suffering
the devastating effects of sexual abuse.