Book Review: Brown, S. (2005). Treating Sex Offenders: An Introduction to Sex Offender Treatment Programmes. Portland, OR: Willan. 282 pp

• Published date: 01 June 2008
• Author: Elicka S. L. Peterson
• Date: 01 June 2008
• DOI: 10.1177/1057567708319535
• Subject Matter: Articles

of adult protection agencies remains an issue. Because of this, Manthorpe proposes that a preven-

tion model is more feasible to implement and less stigmatizing to vulnerable adults today. Finally,

Bridget Penhale provides a global perspective of elder abuse; arguing that global recognition of elder

abuse is a recent development for many countries and research continues to be hindered by the het-

erogeneity of definitions and methodology used across countries.

The fourth section of the book investigates issues pertaining to the ageing prison population.

Azrini Wahidin begins the section by pointing out that the number of prisoners more than the age of

50 grew 83% in the United Kingdom from 1999 to 2005. This growth warrants a comprehensive

policy strategy to address the lack of institutional supports and health care programs needed to treat

older prisoners. Wahidin argues that inclusion of the ageing population in criminological studies will

not only enhance our understanding of the problems the elderly face in prison but also help us to

understand the reintegration experiences from prison of those more than the age of 50. Chapter 12,

written from a practitioner perspective, tackles the subject of health care needs for elderly prisoners.

Debby Jaques, contrary to Wahidin, claims the needs of elderly prisoners can be met within the cur-

rent institutional settings. She describes an agenda for national and local levels that advocates for

small units within prison hospitals to provide health care for those serving a life sentence. In chap-

ter 13, Ron Aday examines the elderly prisoner population in the United States. Aday reviews the

current debates in America about how to manage the special needs of this population, including

whether to segregate or mainstream older prisoners and controversial alternative mechanisms for

dealing with ageing prisoners, such as compassionate release. Finally, in chapter 14, Gaynor

Bramhall evaluates the use of community penalties (probation) for older offenders, comparing it to

direct custodial supervision. Bramhall advocates that prior research on the effectiveness of community

penalties with females and minority groups can serve as a template to analyze the experience of

older offenders from arrest through sentencing.

The book concludes with a chapter written by Mervyn Eastman, former director of Social Services

in a north London borough and cofounder of the Practitioner Alliance against Abuse of Vulnerable

Adults. Eastman summarizes the arguments on social construction, abuse, victimization, and offense

characteristics of the ageing population. Eastman reminds readers that the same rights afforded to cit-

izens outside the walls of prisons, regardless of age, should also be present inside prison walls.

Although Ageing, Crime and Society may not fully achieve its goal of providing a unified theory

to study the “unyoung” population in criminology, it succeeds in identifying intriguing areas for

future research. For example, Ron Aday indicates that 40% to 45% of elderly offenders housed in

state and federal facilities in the United States are first-time offenders, charged with murder and sex

crimes. This shocking statistic precisely reflects the reason the ageing population cannot remain

understudied. Overall, the volume will contribute to scholars interested in pursuing research on the

theoretical aspects of the ageing population, elder abuse, policy and program recommendations, and

issues related to the ageing prison population.

Shelly Schaefer

University of Minnesota

Brown, S. (2005). Treating Sex Offenders: An Introduction to Sex Offender Treatment

Programmes. Portland, OR: Willan. 282 pp.

DOI: 10.1177/1057567708319535

Brown’s overview of sex offender treatment programs would likely be very helpful to criminol-

ogists looking to quickly familiarize themselves with a topic where the bulk of research tends to be

250 International Criminal Justice Review