The prisons are overcrowded, understaffed and in crisis, such that little long-term rehabilitative work is being done. Although of course not all such victims become offenders, a large proportion of adult sex offenders report that their inappropriate sexual preoccupations began in adolescence. It found that only 16% were reconvicted (and only one sexually) as against 44% (and five sexually) from a comparison group. Long-term investment in community-based treatment may be a little more expensive than prison, but surely affords the public better protection than short-term, hard-line governmental soundbites. Professor Gwyneth BoswellVisiting professor, School of Health Sciences, University of East Anglia• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

Source: The Guardian March 05, 2017 19:18 UTC