This project uniquely studied pathways from rehabilitation to successful reintegration for men convicted of sexual and violent offences. The impact of individual-level (e.g., cultural heritage, gender, age) and program-level (e.g., type, design, delivery, dosage) factors on outcomes were examined. Significant to Queensland Corrective Services, the findings helped identify areas of strength and areas for enhancement to guide future policy and practice consistent with international best-practice standards and in line with Queensland review recommendations. Considerations included the need to update and extend the current suite of sexual offender treatment programs in line with current innovations and evidence-informed thinking; to review the current programs and underlying program logic for First Nations men who have committed sexual offences; continued investment in reintegration programs to support transition to community; and more nuanced approaches to evaluation to monitor program outcomes and impact.

Impact

Recommendations stemming from this research project led to the commissioning of a new Sexual Offender Treatment Program for First Nations men convicted of sexual offences, now known as the Strong and Solid Spirit:  Community and Accountability Program. This has been piloted in North Queensland and is now being scaled-up across correctional centres in Queensland.

Publications

McKillop, N., Rayment-McHugh, S., Prenzler, T., & Christensen, L. (2019). The effectiveness of sexual offender rehabilitation and reintegration programs: Integrating global and local perspectives to enhance correctional outcomes. Research Report prepared for Queensland Corrective Services.

Prenzler, T., McKillop, N., Rayment-McHugh, S., & Christensen, L. (2023). Best Practice in Sexual Offender Rehabilitation and Reintegration Programs; Invited Paper. Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice

Rayment-McHugh, S., Belton, E., McKillop, N., Christensen, L.S., Prenzler, T., & Hine, L. (2022). Beyond 'what works': implementing sex offender treatment programs in the 'real world’. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1177/26338076221079046

McKillop, N., Hine, L., Rayment-McHugh, S. et al (2022). Effectiveness of sexual offender treatment and reintegration programs: does program composition and sequencing matter? Journal of Criminology, 55 (2), 180-201. https://doi.org/10.1177/26338076221079046