No abstract

The Offender Personality Disorder Pathway programme is a jointly commissioned initiative between NHS England and Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS), the aim of which is to provide a pathway of psychologically informed services for offenders who are likely to be diagnosed with personality disorder. This paper aims to describe the underpinning evidence behind the principles and expectations of services that make up the OPD pathway programme. Evidence of personality disorder treatments from mental health settings, as well as the evidence base from the criminal justice system and the Ministry of Justice’s ‘What Works?’ literature, is considered and draws together the evidence underlying critical elements of the programme. Research shows that there is no one treatment shown to be successful for the treatment of personality disorder. As such, a holistic approach is taken, with key components including trauma-informed approaches, a focus on relationship building, early identification and sentence planning, and the importance of workforce development and relationships.

Background: Sexual behaviour towards another person who does not or cannot consent to it causes serious harm to its victims. Understandable tendencies towards isolating or shaming the offenders, however, may actually increase risks of recidivism and further such harms. Aim:The study aims to consider evidence for the effectiveness of interventions for sex offenders, mainly in a U.K.context, across four areas: criminal justice system programmes, medication, interventions for sex offenders with personality disorder and a community-based model for the reintegration-Circles of Support and Accountability, and identify key evidence gaps. Methods:We searched for reviews in the following four strands of work-psychosocial programmes, medication, personality focused therapies, and Circles of Support and Accountability-and identified gaps in knowledge.