Incentive scheme spur for sex offenders

new programme will ‘motivate’ participants

By Ryan Crighton

Published:

Prison bosses will axe their under-fire sex offenders treatment programme and replace it with a new scheme at the start of next year following stinging criticism from Scotland’s top inspector.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is drawing up a new incentive-based scheme to help rehabilitate some of the country’s most dangerous rapists, child molesters and other sexual predators.

The Press and Journal can reveal that training for the new scheme is already under way and it will be phased in to replace the existing programme in 2010.

The current treatment programme – formally known as Stop – was once described as the “jewel in the crown” of the Scottish Prison Service and its world renown was used as part of the case for retaining Peterhead Prison when it was threatened with closure several years ago.

The programme has come under huge amounts of criticism in recent weeks following a damaging report by Andrew McLellan who is standing down as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland after seven years.

In his final report he said there were not enough rehabilitation places, that many of the most serious offenders would not sign up and said there was little evidence that the scheme worked.

He added: “Only a relatively small proportion of long-term sex offenders will have completed the programme before they are released. Equally disturbing is the fact there is very little statistical evidence in the UK that the Sex Offender Treatment Programme makes a difference.”

Further damage was done last month when figures revealed just a 6% difference in reoffending between sex offenders who do a treatment programme and those who do not.

Little detail has emerged over the content of the new programme, although the SPS has said that it will help “motivate” offenders into changing their behaviour. It is not known if that would include financial incentives.

Question

In response to a parliamentary question by north-east MSP Richard Baker, Mike Ewart, chief executive of the Scottish Prison Service, confirmed the new programme will be rolled out in 2010.

He said: “The new Sex Offender Treatment Programme is contracted to be completed, including initial training of trainers, by October 30. Further training of programme facilitators will be rolled out between October and December, 2009, with delivery being phased in to replace existing programmes during 2010.”

Mr Ewart said the new programme which will have a “motivational element to encourage participation on appropriate interventions”.

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken welcomed the news that the new scheme is almost ready – and called for prisoners who refuses treatment to be denied parole or early release.