‘The Government is hiding a devastating report that shows rehabilitation courses taken by thousands of jailed rapists and paedophiles make them more dangerous once they are released.
According to the study, prisoners who take the courses are at least 25 per cent more likely to be convicted of further sex crimes than those who do not, suggesting that the sessions may have created hundreds of extra victims.
The controversial Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP), a six-month psychological group-therapy course, is believed to have cost taxpayers well over £100 million since it was set up in 1991.
Before the report was compiled, about 1,000 prisoners had been taking the ‘core’ programme at a cost of about £7 million a year, many at eight sex offender treatment ‘hubs’ – specialist jails where thousands of such criminals are concentrated.
The worst offenders went on to an ‘extended’ course, which was also found to make them more dangerous.’
