SEX OFFENDERS REHABILITATION

Sex Offenders Rehabilitation

Sex Offenders Rehabilitation

Introduction

Sex offenders are usually described as those who commit a legally prohibited sexual act or, in some states, any offender who commits any crime that is “sexually motivated.” For instance, an assault that was an unsuccessful rape attempt may still be classified as a sex offense. The term sex offender usually includes offenders found guilty of sexual assault or rape. Sexual assault comprises the offences of lewd acts with children, forcible sodomy, legal rape, and other crimes concerning indecent practices, fondling, or molestation. Pedophile is the term for someone who is sexually attracted to and molests children. Females are the primary victims of sexual assaults, although both male and female children are more equally molested by pedophiles. This paper discusses sex offenders in the criminal justice system. It explores if sex offenders are able to be rehabilitated and what the system does to make them productive in society or they should be outcasts in our society.

Discussion

Over the past 25 years, as an outcome of 02 major aspects, the amount of sex offenders under correctional supervision has risen significantly. First, public education regarding sex offenses has led to more victims reporting the sexual offense to police. Victims had previously been very hesitant to make their allegations public, fearing that they would not be believed, would be humiliated, and might suffer reprisal. The criminal justice system is better prepared to deal with the allegations of sex offenses, and DNA testing and other advances in forensic science have made some of them easier to prove. Second, legislatures have passed laws to support and aid victims, to clarify definitions of sex offenses that aid in the prosecution of such crimes, and to toughen sanctions for such offenses. (Wilson, 2000)

Rehabilitation and Management of Sex Offenders

Sex offenders present a difficult challenge for management in both community and institutional settings. Not all sex offenders share similar characteristics, and the most effective management and rehabilitation comes from creating a program that relates to the individual characteristics of the offender. (Bourget, 2008)

A National Institute of Justice survey of state administration of sex offenders in the area identified a five-part control procedure that “requests to embrace offenders answerable through the collective utilization of both offenders' external and internal controls degrees (for example relapse prevention plans and the employment of the polygraph).” The model of containment is designed to use a “triangle” of supervision: “polygraph tests to help plan, and to check conformance to, rehabilitation maps and forms of supervision, direction and observation to control offenders' exterior behaviors and rehabilitation to educate sex offenders to grow internal control over abnormal opinions.

The five components of the model are as follows:

An general goal and philosophy of the safety of victim and community

An individualized case management system of sex offender-specific containment tailored to the needs of the sex offender

A multidisciplinary approach of collaboration among teams of law enforcement, probation and parole, rehabilitation providers, and jail personnel to manage the offender

Consistent public plans mirror the ...