Examining the tensions between policing people convicted of sexual offending and promoting the desistance process

Professionals working with individuals convicted of sexual offending are committed to ensuring that further sexual offending does not occur. Underpinning Western criminal justice approaches to the prevention of sexual reoffending is the notion that people who commit crime must be both punished and controlled, while, at the same time, helped through reintegrative strategies to desist from further criminal activity. However, control and containment policies, while designed to protect the public, are likely to also result in unintended consequences for those convicted of sexual offending. Such consequences result in reinforced stigma, unemployment, social isolation, and insecure housing, all of which hinder the desistance process; and may inadvertently place people at risk of further offending.