A three‐tiered approach to the rehabilitation of incarcerated sex offenders

A description is provided of a program for dealing with convicted sex offenders. This program includes: incarceration and treatment of high risk offenders in maximum and medium security institutions; movement of successfully treated offenders and lower risk offenders to a less extensive treatment program in a minimum security jail; and then release to the community where offenders are reassessed and treated, while they begin supervised implementation of a relapse prevention plan. The evidence suggests that this overall approach is not only effective in reducing recidivism, but also cost‐effective in reducing the expense to society of dealing with reoffenders.