The Crime Solutions platform analyzed and compiled evidence drawn from three systematic reviews, and concluded that, in general, these interventions are promising in terms of reducing recidivism in general, as well as sexual offense recidivism in particular. However, the evidence does not appear to support the efficacy of these programs in terms of having a statistically significant impact on violent crime recidivism rates (including violent sexual assault) [1] [2] [3].
One such systematic review examined the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for sex offenders in prison. This review showed that prison-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy programs had a significant impact on sex offenders, with a 14.9% reduction in overall recidivism [2].
In addition to the systematic reviews presented by Crime Solutions, two other more recent reviews on the effectiveness of specialized intervention programs for sex offenders were identified.
The first one, analyzed by the Crime Reduction Toolkit platform, evaluated 15 programs on the effectiveness of Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) on recidivism, considering convictions for any offense and convictions for sex offenses. Although the study did find evidence that COSAs reduced recidivism, the evidence is not conclusive, since, according to the authors, it is possible that sex offenders who participated in the program, as well as those involved in the control groups, had also participated in other treatment programs [4].
The second review identified 17 relevant studies, with a total sample of 6,681 subjects. Recidivism rates for offenders who participated in treatment were lower than the rates observed in the control groups: 13.12% vs. 17.94% for sexual recidivism; 25.5% vs. 29.1% for violent recidivism; and 46.53% vs. 52.41% for any type of recidivism. However, the authors mention that caution is advised when interpreting those results, as an independent analysis of studies with good methodological quality did not show any significant treatment effects [5].