Y2: Psychology: Criminal: Maletzky (2006)

• To investigate whether MPA reduces sexual recidivism versus no treatment

• To investigate the measure for recommending MPA and evaluate those recommended it

• 
  275 men

• From Oregon

• 60% of the offences committed by the men were of sexual nature

MPA

A female hormone breaks down the production of testosterone through the pituitary gland.

1) Men who needed MPA and received it
2) Men who needed MPA and didn’t receive it
3) Men who didn’t need MPA

• Retrospective data gathered through looking back over 275 inmates after their release to look at recidivism rate to compare those on the MPA programme with those not on treatment

• The dose of MPA was an injection every two weeks

• Data was collected from supervising officers with questionnaires about whether new offences had been committed, violation of parole had occurred, or any re-arrests of sexual nature

IV = Whether ppts received MPA

DV = Recidivism rate

• Out of them 134 were deemed suitable for MPA and of that only 59% received medication whereby some were down to local area not having the resources

• Almost 70% of homosexual paedophiles received MPA, compared to 46% of men with heterosexual paedophilia

• 0% of sexual offenders re-offended with treatment whereas 58.8% re-offended without

• MPA reduces recidivism

• However may not be effective for everyone as some could not receive due to limited local resources

• Majority of MPA recommendations were for most shocking crimes

• Deciding who ‘needs’ the medication was not a valid measure

P - Low
E - Whist the sample size, being 275, was large, they consisted of male offenders from Oregon
E - Ethnocentric and androgenic and so don’t represent wider society such as European countries and women

P - High
E - Research is backed up by other studies such as Emory 1992 who found that such treatment lowered sexual interest of the patients
E - Therefore there is consistency in findings which strengthens conclusions
P - High
E - Research uses quantitative data of recidivism rates and amount who committed new offences
E - This is objective and easy to compare

P - Yes
E - Shows treatment using MPA reduces sexual recidivism
E - Therefore could be used to demonstrate the need for treatment, especially where not funded

P - High
E - Variety of different measures when looking at outcome data including whether offenders were ‘doing well’ and whether they were ‘back in prison’
E - This meant that the outcomes focused on more than just recidivism and provided rich and valid data into the use of MPA
P - Low
E - Supervisors were asked if the offenders were ‘doing well’
E - This may involve subjectivity as they interpret their wellbeing which may be influenced by if they re-offended

P - Poor
E - In Oregon, hormone treatment had to be received by those it was recommended for as a condition of being released
E - This impacts the rights of the offenders
P - Good
E - Used retrospective data and so avoided not giving some MPA
E - Therefore protected from harm if otherwise in a study