What Works in Israeli Prison-based Sex-offender Rehabilitation Programs: A Program Participants’ Perspective

• In Event: Assessing, Treating, and Managing Sex Offenders

Abstract

This study involves interviews with 10 of 22 medium/high risk sex offenders in a prison-based rehabilitation unit in Israel. In this appreciative inquiry participants were asked to identify strengths in the program as well as pitfalls. Offenders as active participants can help to maximize the responsivity principle. Offenders can help us understand how to focus interventions that maximize strengths. Content analysis of the interviews indicated that despite the initial decision to enrol based upon external incentives, program participants eventually became engaged in group therapy and expressed the desire to understand and regulate their behavior. While the group CBT modules were mentioned as assets, the lack of sufficient recruitment criteria, the large therapy group size and its open-ended structure were criticized as delaying progress. In conclusion, this study stresses the importance of engaging program participants in the evaluation of their own program and shows that sex offenders are responsive to several components of prison-based rehabilitation program.


Key words: incarcerated sex offenders, prison-based rehabilitation, program evaluation, appreciative inquiry

Authors

• Brenda Geiger, Bar Ilan University

• Michael Fischer, Norfolk State University