Therapeutic Jurisprudence: an Ethical Paradigm for Therapists in Sex Offender Treatment Programs

Clinicians in sex offender treatment programs are required to resolve the ethical dilemmas, which invariably arise in this sort of work, by breaching traditional mental health ethical principles such as maintaining confidentiality and promoting patient autonomy. Indeed the mark of a “good” therapist is their primary focus on the protection of the community rather than on the interests of the offender. Yet the professionals in such programs cannot practice in an ethical vacuum; they need some form of ethical code to publicly commit themselves to professional competence and integrity. A therapeutic jurisprudence approach, it is suggested, can help formulate principles of conduct, which although they do not necessarily aim to serve the best interests of the offender, nevertheless limit the punitive and unjust aspects of such treatment programs to the maximum degree possible.