Prevention & Management of Serial Offenders
Paper instructions:
Given that serial offenders are extremely dangerous and tend to inflict pain on many different victims throughout their lives, a considerable amount of effort has
been placed on determining the best way to deal with them. In the criminal justice system two main approaches are used when handling serial offenders. One approach is
prevention. According to this approach, at-risk children and youth should receive services that promote the development of pro-social behavior.
The second approach is focused on the belief that serial offenders cannot
necessarily be prevented from offending but only managed once they are detected. According to this approach, the criminal justice system should incarcerate serial
offenders for long periods of time as the only way to protect society from their crimes. While incarcerated, serial offenders could also receive rehabilitation
programs, designed to help them stay crime free once released from prison.
Determining which of these approaches might be the most effective remains a matter of serious debate. Multiple policies have been developed employing one or both
of these approaches in an attempt to prevent serial offenses and/or manage serial offenders.
ASSIGNMENT:
1. Select and describe a policy for the prevention of serial offenses.
2. In your description state whether the policy is for the prevention of serial offenses, management of serial offenders, or both.
3. Explain how this policy might or might not be effective and why.
This website might be of some help
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). (2008b). Serial murder: Multi-disciplinary perspectives for investigators. Retrieved from
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/serial-murder