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Protecting the Public's Health Through Successful Reentry for Sex Offender After Incarceration.
- Source :
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence; Sep2022, Vol. 37 Issue 17/18, pNP15231-NP15254, 24p
- Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- This paper describes the post-incarceration reintegration experiences of military veterans convicted of sex offenses and identify potential interventions to ease reintegration for this population. Participants were a convenience sample of 14 veterans who were on sex offender (SO) registries and 21 community stakeholders involved in supporting persons during re-entry. Subjects were identified purposively and through snowball sampling, in Massachusetts. We employed semi-structured qualitative interviews of participants, followed by analysis including process mapping to identify barrier and facilitation points. We used both a grounded thematic approach and a priori codes, guided by the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations. We found re-entry barriers include older age, stigma, lack of social support, inadequate information about sexual offense levels, limited housing options and access to mental health treatment to reduce sexual impulses, and re-entry information tailored to SOs. Re-entry facilitators include access to SO treatment, knowledge about services, self-efficacy, ability to self-advocate, and social support. Interventions to aid successful re-entry include pre-release counseling and classes tailored to SO needs, reentry planning including housing resources, sexual deviance treatment, and referral to legal counseling to assist with altering assigned SO level. Specific needs and resources unique to veterans should be integrated into reentry plans. Convicted SOs often lack information and assistance to prepare for life after release, putting them at increased risk of homelessness, emotional difficulties, and financial hardship. Failure to recognize the unique needs of this population, and to leverage resources, creates a public health risk as it increases the likelihood that SOs will recidivate. Veterans who are SOs have unique resources available to them through the Veterans Administration such as SO treatment and peer-support specialists. Nevertheless there are additional steps that could be beneficial, such as timely provision of information, creating more opportunities for treatment, and providing more housing options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- SELF advocacy
SEX offenders
PRISON psychology
SOCIAL support
HEALTH services accessibility
COUNSELING
RESEARCH methodology
GROUNDED theory
AGE distribution
INTERVIEWING
SOCIAL stigma
PSYCHOLOGY of veterans
QUALITATIVE research
SELF-efficacy
INDEPENDENT living
SOUND recordings
HEALTH
INFORMATION resources
RESEARCH funding
REHABILITATION
STATISTICAL sampling
JUDGMENT sampling
THEMATIC analysis
HOUSING
MENTAL health services
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 08862605
- Volume :
- 37
- Issue :
- 17/18
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 159888068
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211016344