8 Treatment of dangerous offenders Flashcards
What is the importance of treating dangerous offenders?
Since they pose a risk of serious harm and are more likely to re-offend the importance of treating dangerous offenders is to reduce the likelihood of re-offending by treating their condition so when they re-enter society it will be a different and safer outcome for them and those around them
What are the rates of re-offending for dangerous offenders?
They are higher
- 40% for violent offences
- 11-14% for sexual offences
What classifies as a violent offender?
There are violent offenders who use weapons, fists, have different motivations, might kill, might assault strangers or people they may know. Can also commit either one violent offence or repeated violent offences
What are the types of violent offenders?
Instrumental or expressive
- can either be goal-oriented or reactive
What is the seriousness of dangerous offenders?
Danger and frequency (how often?)
What is the treatment frameworks for violent offenders?
- Anger management
- Cognitive skills programs
- Interpersonal violent programs
- Multi-modal approaches
Describe the treatment framework for anger management
- Reactive violence, violence consequence of anger
- Diffuse anger arousal and strengthen anger control
- 10-20-hour classes
Describe the treatment framework for Cognitive skills programs
- Offending linked to inadequate thinking skills
- Change maladaptive thought patterns e.g. problem-solving, moral reasoning, empathy
- 36-hour classes
- Medium-intensity
- Criticism:
Describe the treatment framework for Interpersonal violent programs
- Men who assault partners different from other violent men
- Domestic violence: educate inequality, gender roles, relationship skills, sexual respect
- 10-20-hour classes
- Low intensity
What is the criticism for the anger management framework?
Violence not always caused by anger
What is the criticism for the cognitive skills programs framework?
May be ineffective for entrenched antisocial thinking
What is the criticism for the Interpersonal violent programs framework?
Ignores diversity
Describe the treatment framework for Multi-modal approaches
- Serious violent behaviour and a high risk of recidivism
- High-risk offenders: serious violent behaviour and high risk of re-offending
- Multidisciplinary team: psych’s, custodial staff, education and program staff
- Group and individual therapy (most happen in group-based treatment)
- High intensity
- At least 12 months, over 800 hours
- Violent offender treatment programs (VOTP)
What program is mostly used to treat those who have a high risk of recidivism and which framework is this usually apart of?
Multi-modal approach
Violent offender treatment programs (VOTP)
What is the violent offender program suitability?
- High levels of psychopathic tendencies
- Violent offenders with domestic violence convictions
- Those who have committed a sexual offence
What are problems associated with VOTP?
Generally expensive: mostly only used for high-risk offenders and serious threats to society or those around them
Evaluate the treatment frameworks for dangerous offenders? (do they work?)
-It is important to do evaluations and research
-Measurement: these programs sometimes decrease general offending but not violent offending
-Program differences
o This is an important one: different correction centres are funded differently which impacts how the programs are run
o Relapse component? Not really also lots of factors need to be considered
-Eligibility criteria: who is eligible for what programs? The high risk will get into multi-modal