ABSTRACT
Criminal versatility is best regarded as existing on a spectrum. Offenders at the generalist end of the spectrum tend to be characterised by higher levels of impulsivity, callousness, and hostility, while offenders at the specialist end of the spectrum are more likely to present with lower levels of these traits and, in the case of sexual offenders, more deviant sexual interests. There is growing evidence of a link between developmental adversity and criminal versatility, and treatment programmes for criminally diverse offenders need to address underlying criminogenic developmental processes. This chapter describes a pilot treatment programme for criminally diverse offenders which highlights some of the benefits of taking a holistic rather than a compartmentalised approach to criminally versatile offenders, as well as raising a number of issues for the future of offence-focused correctional treatment programmes.
