NCJ Number
189170
Journal
Journal of Sexual Aggression Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: 2001 Pages: 40-50
Date Published
2001
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This paper seeks to determine why ethnic minority inmates in United Kingdom prisons are proportionately less likely to participate in the Prison Service's Sex Offender Treatment Program.
Abstract
Twenty-four convicted ethnic minority sex offenders ages 18- to 54-years-old in the Prison Service's Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) were asked whether the treatment needs of their own culture were met and, if not, what changes needed to be implemented. The majority felt that SOTP did meet their treatment needs and that race and culture were not issues in this regard. However, a significant proportion criticized specific aspects of the program: learning materials contained insufficient ethnic minority images or scenarios and tutors could have been more responsive to their needs. These negative experiences were generally less marked when the respondent had at least one other ethnic minority offender in his SOTP group. The paper discusses possible reasons for these findings and proposes ways to make treatment more relevant to ethnic minority sex offenders. The paper observes that, while it is encouraging that a majority of interviewees did not regard race and culture as issues in SOTP, there were less favorable perceptions of tutor awareness of cultural issues and the program material itself. The paper proposes a statistical analysis of treatment outcomes to determine whether any of the negative perceptions of particular aspects of SOTP significantly degrade treatment of ethnic minority offenders. Tables, references