Behaviour Modification in Custody (Forensic Psychology)

Question 1

Behaviour modification in custody

Answer 1

• behaviour modification programmes are one of the methods used in rehabilitation of prisoners
• behaviour modification adheres to the principles of behaviourism, specifically operant conditioning
• positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and punishment are used to increase desired behaviours and decrease undesired behaviours

Question 2

Token Economy

Answer 2

• based on operant conditioning, token economy involves reinforcing desirable behaviour with a token that can be exchanged for some kind of reward

• prisoners are given a token each time they perform a desirable behaviour. That behaviour is then associated with that reward (secondary reinforcer)

• it would also be emphasised that undesirable behaviour would result in loss of tokens or privileges

• these behaviours, rewards and punishments are made clear to prisoners before the programme begins

Question 3

The Conjugal visit

Answer 3

could be a reward in the token economy

• a conjugal visit is a scheduled visit in which an inmate of a prison is permitted to spend several hours or days in private with a visitor, usually their legal spouse.
• the parties may engage in sexual activity
• is legal in 17 states in America, but illegal in the UK
Support for the conjugal visit
• may be useful in reducing sexual and physical violence in prisons (D’Alessio & Flexon, 2012)
• sexual gratification theory- significantly fewer sexual offences

Question 4

Changing behaviour with a token economy requires

Answer 4

• clearly defining desired behaviour
• variety of rewards offered to encourage behaviour
• reasons must be clear
• worth must be established
• rate of behaviours must be established

Question 5

(Evaluations of token economy) Individually tailored programmes

Answer 5

Field et al. (2004)

• Field found that, in a youth offender setting, prisoners responded more positively when rewards were more immediate, tailored to their needs and more frequent
• the rewards must be tailored to the individual offender
• however, these cost money

Question 6

(Evaluations of token economy) Easy to implement

Answer 6

• no need for specialists/expertise
• cost effective and easy to follow method
However
• Bassett and Blanchard (1977): Benefits of the token economy system were lost when staff applied the rules inconsistently due to lack of training or high staff turnover

Question 7

(Evaluations of token economy) Rehabilitative Value

Answer 7

Blackburn (1993)

• token economies, according to Blackburn, “have little rehabilitative value”- any positive changes may quickly be lost when offenders are released

• progress is unlikely to be assured upon release since law-abiding behaviour is not rewarded/reinforced on the outside

• rewards the offender receives from breaking the law (such as group status) may be more powerful than abiding by the token economy

Question 8

(Evaluations of token economy) Ethical issues

Answer 8

• terms and conditions are regarded as manipulative and dehumanising

• Moya and Achtenburg (1974): offenders are not given the option over whether they participate in the token economy. Withdrawals of privileges such as exercise or phone calls to loved ones may also be ethically questionable

Question 9

(Evaluation of token economy) Cohen and Flipczak

Answer 9

• compared a control group and token economy group within a prison. The token economy group showed more desirable behaviour than the control groups
• after 2 years, the token economy group were less likely to have reoffended
• however, after 3 years, rates of recidivism went back to reflecting national statistics
• these findings suggest that the effects of a token economy do not last beyond prison, they might not be generalisable to other crimes

Question 10

Anger Management

Answer 10

• a therapeutic programme that involves identifying the signs the that trigger anger as well as learning techniques to calm down and deal with the situation in a positive way
• essentially, to recognise and manage anger

-Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

• Novaco (1975) suggests that cognitive factors trigger emotional arousal- leading to aggressive acts

• anger often appears in situations that are perceived to be anxiety-inducing or life-threatening

• becoming angry is
reinforced by a person’s feeling of control in that situation

Question 11

Step 1 to anger management CBT

Answer 11

cognitive preparation
• offenders reflect on past experiences and consider the typical pattern of their anger
• they identify triggers and the way they interpreted the event at the time
• the therapist gets them to redefine the situation

Question 12

Step 2 to anger management CBT

Answer 12

skill acquisition
• Cognitive: new coping skills and techniques learned, e.g. positive self-talk such as ’stop and think’ and counting to encourage calmness
• Physical: relaxation techniques learned
• Behavioural: assertiveness training can help deal with issues constructively, not violently
• Aim is to give them control over the situation

Question 13

Step 3 to anger management CBT

Answer 13

• offenders practise their skills in a carefully monitored environment
• role-play a variety of scenarios to practise new skills to control anger
• done in controlled environment
• requires commitment from the offender- they must see each scenario as real
• the therapist must provide positive reinforcement

Question 14

How and on whom is anger management CBT used

Answer 14

• used in prisons
• used on ex-offenders who are serving a probationary period
• conducted in small groups
• lasts around 10 sessions

Question 15

(Evaluations of Anger Management) National Anger Management Package

Answer 15

Keen et al. (2000)

• developed by the England and Wales prison service for young offenders between 17-21
• devised in 1992 and updated in 1995
• eight 2 hour sessions - 7 over a three week period and the last one a month after
outcomes
• offenders reported increased awareness of their anger management difficulties
• an increased capacity to exercise self-control

Question 16

(Evaluations of Anger Management) Ireland 2000-2004

Answer 16

• 50 prisoners completed tow measures of anger before and after completion of an anger management programme (12 hours)
• Measures: self-report questionnaire and checklist of 29 problematic behaviours
• Control group prisoners (matched for offending behaviour profile)
• Results: 92% reduction in anger levels for the intervention group on at least one of the measures

Question 17

(Evaluations of Anger Management) Eclectic approach

Answer 17

• multidisciplinary approach
• Cognitive preparation, Behavioural perspective and Social approach
• Acknowledges that offending is a complex social and psychological activity

Question 18

(Evaluations of Anger Management) Comparison with behaviour modification

Answer 18

• tackles one of the courses of offending
• attempts to address the thought processes that underline offending behaviour
• self-discover ways of managing themselves outside of prison
• permanent behavioural change and lower rates of recidivism

Question 19

(Evaluation of Anger Management) Long-term effectiveness

Answer 19

Blackburn 1993

whilst anger management has a noticeable effect in the short term, there is little evidence it reduces recidivism in the long-term
• application is reliant upon artificial role-play
• low external validity

Question 20

(Evaluation of Anger Management) Anger may not cause offending

Answer 20

• this approach assumes there is a causal relationship between anger and offending
Loza and Loza-Fanous (1999)
• 252 Canadian offenders
• looked at offences, recidivism and anger scores. No significant link between anger and violent/non-violent offences
• suggested anger management can be misguided in offering offenders justifications for their behaviour
• many crimes are not motivated by anger

Question 21

(Evaluation of Anger Management) Expensive and Requires Commitment

Answer 21

• highly trained specialised who are used to dealing with violent offenders
• postcode lottery: different areas have different facilities and resources
• commitment may be difficult if prisoners are uncooperative and apathetic