A 3-TIERED APPROACH TO THE REHABILITATION OF INCARCERATED SEX OFFENDERS

A description is provided of a program for dealing with convicted sex offenders. This program includes: incarceration and treatment of high risk offenders in maximum and medium security institutions; movement o f successfully treated offenders and lower risk offenders to a less ex tensive treatment program in a minimum security jail; and then release to the community where offenders are reassessed and treated, while th ey begin supervised implementation of a relapse prevention plan. The e vidence suggests that this overall approach is not only effective in r educing recidivism, but also cost-effective in reducing the expense to society of dealing with reoffenders.