Indigenous Sex Offender Treatment Program

• NCJ Number: 194147
• Author(s): Marion Lees
• Date Published: October 2001
• Length: 13 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Paper presented at the Best Practice Interventions in Corrections for Indigenous People Conference, Sydney, Australia, October 8-9, 2001; downloaded February 5, 2002.

Annotation

This description of the development of a pilot program for the treatment of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sex offenders at the Townsville Correctional Centre in North Queensland includes a discussion of the issues related to the development of the program and its progress to date.

Abstract

Sexual violence within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities in Queensland is very high and has escalated, with greater numbers of these offenders being incarcerated, especially in the northern correctional facilities in Queensland. This paper discusses some of the historical and social factors that contribute to violence, particularly sexual violence, within these Indigenous communities of North Queensland. Development of the Indigenous Sex Offender Treatment Program (ISOTP) began in May 2001. The conceptual basis of the program stems from Marshall and Barbaree's (1990) integrated model, which incorporates the major theories regarding sexual offending: biological, developmental, social, cultural, and situational. The treatment modules are based on cognitive behavioral therapy and the relapse prevention model. Although the program is theoretically driven, the approach is grounded in a significant amount of empirical research that has involved systematic testing in experimental and clinical settings. One module focuses on each participant's autobiography and the disclosure of his offenses, with emphasis on his sex offenses. Another module considers the behavior cycles of the offending behavior, the cognitive distortions underlying the offending behavior, and victim impacts. The final module focuses on relapse prevention and the use of support systems within the community where each participant will reside upon release. The program will be assessed after 1 year of operation. To date (4 months of operation), program participants in the trial group have demonstrated a commitment to the healing process, and self-disclosure is significant. There is anecdotal evidence that the program is meeting participants' needs. 24 references