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Evaluation of the Inpatient Sex Offender Program (ISOP): Participant selection, outcome, and treatment process
Abstract
Sex offending continues to be a serious problem in the United States, and treatment programs have been implemented to address the problem. Present studies of sex offender treatment effectiveness report inconsistent conclusions. In particular, research of prison-based treatment programs is limited and hampered by methodological problems, including small sample sizes and inconsistent outcome measures. The present study examined factors that influenced selection, outcome, and treatment experience over a six-year period for sex offenders in the Inpatient Sex Offender Program (ISOP), a 44-bed treatment program housed in a correctional facility within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (DCS). There were three main goals: (1) To examine selection trends, as they are influenced by changes over time in the general sex offender population and changes in the subset of offenders who volunteer to be screened for treatment; (2) To examine offender, offense, and institutional variables that are characteristic of volunteers for screening versus non-volunteers, and selected versus unselected participants for ISOP treatment; and (3) To describe the ISOP over time, including treatment experience of groups of ISOP participants defined by outcome. Data was collected from screening forms and records of 289 incarcerated male sex offenders in the DCS. Due to missing data, layers of bivariate analyses and factor analyses were conducted to examine relationships between groups and variables. Results showed that the general population of incarcerated sex offenders changed over time, which influenced changes in the population of screening volunteers, participants selected for treatment, and untreated sex offenders. Additionally, patterns were identified in selected participants for ISOP treatment when time was not considered. Results suggested influences of selection preferences of ISOP staff above and beyond changes in offenders over time. Unique contributions of this study to the current literature were that treatment staff turnover affected outcome in ISOP participants. Finally, specific characteristics were observed that distinguished groups of ISOP participants, suggesting strategies for selection of participants who are likely to complete the ISOP.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy|Criminology
Recommended Citation
Osborn, Leah M, "Evaluation of the Inpatient Sex Offender Program (ISOP): Participant selection, outcome, and treatment process" (2005). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3176798.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3176798