Program Profile: Minnesota Prison-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program

This is a program, provided by the Minnesota Department of Corrections, which offers treatment, therapy, and transitional services to convicted males in prison. The program is rated Promising. Treatment group inmates had a statistically significant lower likelihood of being rearrested for sex offenses, violent offenses, or any offenses, compared with comparison group inmates who did not receive any treatment.

A Promising rating implies that implementing the program may result in the intended outcome(s).

A Promising rating implies that implementing the program may result in the intended outcome(s).

Program Goals

The Minnesota Prison-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) provided by the Minnesota Department of Corrections (MNDOC) offers treatment, therapy, and transitional services to convicted males in prison. The SOTP uses a cognitive–behavioral framework to provide long-term intensive treatment that is consistent with the risk–needs–responsivity model.

Target Population

To be eligible for the SOTP, they must have at least 20 months to serve in prison. Because treatment capacity doesn’t always keep pace with the growing prison population, the SOTP targets moderate- to high-risk sex persons for treatment. Low-risk individuals who are unable to enter treatment while incarcerated are referred to community-based treatment at the time of their release. Under the current process, priority for treatment is based primarily on their scores from the following actuarial instruments: Static–99, Rapid Risk Assessment for Sex Offense Recidivism, and Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool (Revised).

The choice to enter treatment in prison is not entirely voluntary. After inmates receive a treatment directive, they have a right to refuse treatment. However, there are consequences to this decision. Those who do not comply with the treatment directive may have their wages frozen, or they may be subject to extended incarceration disciplinary time that results in a longer prison stay. Treatment participation (or nonparticipation) is an item on the Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool (Revised), which has been used to guide decisions about community notification levels and civil commitment referrals.

Program Components

Inmates in the SOTP are housed in two adjacent wings of a larger living unit. The living units operate within a modified therapeutic milieu, which includes clear living unit/program structure and rules. Inmates meet weekly with other members of their living unit to address general housekeeping issues and community cohesion, and to provide support to one another as a community. The SOTP is not a closed living unit, and inmates in the program have some interaction with the general population during movement and activities such as dining, religious services, or educational programming.

Eligible people start the program in a 30-day assessment phase. The assessment phase includes psychological testing, completion of assignments to facilitate the assessment of treatment needs, and a review of offending history and offense dynamics. There is also a lecture, discussion, and videotapes to provide information on treatment participation and expectations, defenses and denial, sexual assault dynamics, victim impact, and chemical dependency. In addition, a written psychosexual assessment report and an individualized treatment plan is developed based on information gathered from clinical interviews, client observations, and test results.

Following the assessment phase, inmates participate in an average of 6 hours per week of staff-facilitated group therapy sessions. Therapy groups are also available for inmates with cognitive/intellectual limitations to address their particular needs. Additional individual therapy sessions are offered based on the specific needs of inmates and the availability of staff. Therapy is provided in progressive phases and includes transitional programming as well as aftercare. Ongoing therapy and postrelease programming is provided in the community by private agencies under contract with the MNDOC.

Another component of the SOTP is treatment for chemical dependency. Those who enter the MNDOC are formally screened, assessed, and diagnosed for chemical abuse or dependency. Treatment plans are developed based on the outcome of these assessments. For those needing treatment for alcohol or drug dependency problems, treatment is typically provided following the assessment phase of the SOTP.

In addition, education sessions are facilitated between inmates and members of their family and/or support system to prepare them for their return to the community as well as to help them reach specific treatment goals. During these sessions, information is provided about the nature and impact of the inmates’ offending, and support persons are informed about the risk for reoffense. Response strategies for the person and the support person are also developed during these sessions.

Inmates also participate in psychoeducational programming, which varies according to their individualized treatment plans. Classes are usually provided for 1½-hour sessions, three to four times a week in 12-week (quarter) terms. During each quarter, inmates are enrolled in one or two classes, including the following: Emotions Management, Alcohol and Drug Education, Cognitive Restructuring, Sexual Health, Domestic Abuse, Sexual Assault Dynamics, Reoffense Prevention, Victim Empathy, Personal Victimization, Grief and Loss, Morals and Values, and Transitional Curriculum. Modifications are made to some of the classes to address the particular needs of inmates with cognitive/intellectual limitations. Additional classes, such as classes on parenting and transitional planning (housing, employment, transportation, etc.) are also available. Inmates in the SOTP also attend additional support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and Sex Abusers Anonymous. Meetings are held in the institution and groups meet on a weekly basis for about 1½ hours a week. The groups are monitored, but not facilitated, by program staff. Although individualized treatment plans vary widely among participants, the average dosage consists of 10 to 15 hours of direct staff facilitated services per week for a duration that can range from 1 to 3 years.

Study

Duwe and Goldman (2009) used a retrospective quasi-experimental design to assess the impact of the Minnesota Prison-Based Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) on recidivism. The study compared recidivism outcomes between treated persons and a matched comparison group of untreated persons who were released between 1990 and 2003.

During this 14-year period, there were 3,440 individuals who were released from Minnesota prisons. Of these persons, 1,493 participated in prison-based sex offender treatment before their release. Of the remaining 1,947 persons, 105 refused to participate in treatment and 1,842 were not given the chance to participate. The 105 treatment refusers were removed from the study to avoid biasing the results. Propensity score matching was used to match treated to untreated people by estimating a logistic regression model in which the dependent variable was participation in prison-based treatment. The process did not yield a match for all treated individuals but resulted in 1,020 matches (68.3 percent of the total number of treated persons). The treatment group was 35.2 percent minority, with an average age of 34.9 years. The untreated group was 35.1 percent minority, with an average age of 34.9 years. Following the propensity score matching, there were no significant differences between the two groups.

The main outcome of interest was recidivism, which was measured in nine different ways. It was first operationalized as rearrest, reconviction, or reincarceration for a new offense following an individual’s first release from prison. Recidivism was further categorized by type of offense, including sex offense, violent offense (including sex offenses), and any offense. Sex offense was defined as a first- to fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct offense. Violent offenses included homicide, assault, robbery, and kidnapping in addition to sex offense. Arrest, conviction, and incarceration data was collected through Dec. 31, 2006. The minimum follow-up period was 3 years, and the maximum was 17 years. Data on arrests (misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony) and convictions (misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony) was collected from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Incarceration data was collected from the Minnesota Department of Corrections’ Correctional Operation Management System.

The statistical technique used in the study was the Cox regression model, which used both “status” and “time” variables in estimating the impact of the independent variables on recidivism. The “status” variable was one of the recidivism variables (for example, sex crime rearrest and violent crime rearrest). The “time” variable measured the amount of time (in days) from the date of release until the date of first rearrest, reconviction, reincarceration — or Dec. 31, 2006, for those who did not recidivate. The study included estimated Cox regression models for each of the nine recidivism measures for both treatment variables (participation and outcome). However, given that the reconviction and reincarceration results for all three reoffense types were substantively similar to those for rearrest, only the findings for rearrests are presented because rearrests was the most sensitive recidivism measure.

To accurately measure the total amount of time an individual was actually at risk to reoffend (that is, “street time”) the study had to account for times when an individual was not at risk to recidivate following release from prison, including the time that they spent in prison as supervised-release violators. This time was subtracted from their total at-risk time period. It was also necessary to account for the time that they were civilly committed and incapacitated in a mental health institution. The study authors conducted subgroup analyses on treatment completion (completers versus noncompleters) and type of sex offender (those who committed an offense against an adult versus those who committed an offense against a minor).

Subgroup Analysis

Duwe and Goldman (2009) conducted subgroup analyses on treatment completion (completers versus noncompleters) and type of sex offender (those who committed an offense against an adult versus those who committed an offense against a minor). They found that Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) treatment completers were 33 percent less likely to be rearrested for a sexual offense, 23 percent less likely to be rearrested for a violent offense, and 15 percent less likely to be rearrested for any offense, compared with noncompleters. These differences were statistically significant. However, there were no statistically significant differences between certain types of sex offenders in rearrest rates for sexual offenses, violent offenses, or any offenses.

These sources were used in the development of the program profile:

These sources were used in the development of the program profile:

Minnesota Department of Corrections. 2010. The Impact of Prison-Based Treatment on Sex Offender Recidivism: Evidence From Minnesota. St. Paul, Minn.: Department of Corrections.

Following are CrimeSolutions-rated programs that are related to this practice:

Treatment for Adults Who Have Committed Sex Offenses

A variety of psychological interventions, cognitive–behavioral treatments, and behavioral therapies targeting adults convicted of sex offenses with the overall aim of reducing the risk and potential harm associated with releasing this population back into the community. The practice is rated Promising for reducing rates of general recidivism and sexual recidivism but rated Ineffective on violent recidivism rates.

Evidence Ratings for Outcomes

	Crime & Delinquency - Multiple crime/offense types
	Crime & Delinquency - Sex-related offenses
	Crime & Delinquency - Violent offenses

Adult Reentry Programs

This practice involves correctional programs that focus on the transition of individuals from prison into the community. Reentry programs involve treatment or services that have been initiated while the individual is in custody and a follow-up component after the individual is released. The practice is rated Promising for reducing recidivism.

Evidence Ratings for Outcomes

Crime & Delinquency - Multiple crime/offense types

Rehabilitation Programs for Adults Convicted of a Crime

This practice includes programs that are designed to reduce recidivism among adults by improving their behaviors, skills, mental health, social functioning, and access to education and employment. They may become participants in rehabilitation programs during multiple points in their involvement with the criminal justice system. This practice is rated Promising for reducing recidivism among adults who have been convicted of an offense.

Evidence Ratings for Outcomes

Crime & Delinquency - Multiple crime/offense types

Why might a practice's outcome ratings differ from the ratings of specific programs encompassed by that practice?