Supporting Community Innovators: An Evaluation of the Sexual Offender Program of Community Justice Initiatives. Kitchener, ON

Source: (1998) M.A. thesis, Department of Psychology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada. Downloaded 7 March 2005.

This thesis is an utilization-focussed evaluation of the Sexual Offender Program of Community Justice Initiatives (CJI) of Kitchener, ON. The evaluation was guided by a steering committee consisting of program stakeholders.
The main goals of the study were to examine whether the program offers Services which correspond to the program’s three newly stated outcome objectives and to gain program participants’ and volunteers’ suggestions to improve the program services. The study also aimed to examine how well participants achieved the three program objectives.
Information for the evaluation was gained through focus group interviews with program participants, telephone interviews with support persons of the program participants, questionnaires completed by program participants, and questionnaires completed by volunteer group facilitators.
The assessment of the program was very positive. The findings suggested that the program services match the newly-stated outcome objectives of the program. In addition, program participants and their support persons reported that the three objectives are outcomes of the program for participants. An additional outcome of the program which was apparent in the data was the participants’ “sense of belonging” and feelings of empowerment.
The final conclusion of the evaluation was that the Sexual Offender program of SATP is an unique service that successfully combines the cognitive-behavioural principles of the Relapse Prevention model of sex offender treatment with a self-determining and empowering approach for its participants. Author’s abstract.