NCJ Number
173468
Journal
Compiler Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: July 1997 Pages: 4-6
Date Published
1997
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Big Muddy River Sex Offender Treatment Program in southern Illinois focuses on preventing the relapse of sexually deviant behavior through victim empathy and the retraining of deviant arousal patterns in sex offenders.
Abstract
About 9 percent of the male inmate population of the Illinois Department of Corrections (DOC) is confined for sex offenses. Because DOC research indicates sex offenders have a 50- to 85- percent chance of reoffending without it, sex offender treatment has become a significant public safety issue for criminal justice officials. The Big Muddy River program began offering treatment to sex offenders in August 1993, following a pilot program at a correctional center. While recidivism rates are not yet available to measure the program's effectiveness, treatment specialists are confident participants who use the skills taught in the program will be less likely to reoffend. Therapy in the program is very different from traditional therapy, and victim empathy training is the program's most important component. Victim empathy focuses on the conscience of offenders so they feel remorse. Inmates participate in several victim empathy training exercises throughout treatment, such as defining victim empathy by writing about how their victims may have felt during their most violent sex offenses. They later receive individual behavioral therapy where the retraining of sexual arousal patterns techniques takes place. Inmates are also required to keep a journal, complete offender- specific workbooks, and write an autobiography. In addition, inmates attend about 4 hours of group therapy each week. When beginning treatment, participants are assessed to determine offense history, sexual experiences, attitudes toward women, and knowledge of human sexuality. Treatment is viewed as a lifelong process. 3 photographs