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
What are the types of needs of violent offenders?
Offenders have a variety of needs
Criminogenic and non-criminogenic
What is criminogenic?
This is related to the offence, if you target certain types of needs, it will stop the offending
What are non-criminogenic needs?
Changing does not influence reoffending – if you change them, it doesn’t influence their reoffending at all
What are criminogenic needs?
- Anger
- Negative/antisocial attitudes
- Hostility
- Substance abuse (high-risk and huge factor of reoffending)
- Impulsivity,
- Active symptom of major mental illness
- Interpersonal and problem-solving skill deficit
- Antisocial personality
- Social information – processing deficits
- Relationship instability
- Empathy deficits
- Education/employment
- Antisocial companions
Define risk/need/responsivity
Risk principle: match the treatment to the offender’s risk to re-offend
Need principle: assess factors that are most closely related to an offender’s risk of reoffending, and target them in treatment
Responsivity principle: treatment tailored to the learning style, motivation, abilities and strengths of the offender
When we put it all together?
File review (case file - police interviews, witness statements, criminal record)
->
Clinical Interview (Behavioural observations and self-report)
->
Actuarial Assessment (Psychometric testing)
->
Write Report (Clinical opinion and recommendations)
What effect do motives and the source of the offence have on offenders?
Some might be similar offences, but their treatment recommendation might be very different based on where it comes from and their motives
