rehabilitation of offenders

Question 1

why has assessing the effectiveness of strategies to reduce crime difficult?

Answer 1

• research designs have been inadequate
• publication bias
• bad operational definitions of recidivism

Question 2

do strategies to reduce crime work?

Answer 2

no relationship between serious crime and capital punishment has been found across different nations

studies on deterrence show that it has little effect on recidivism, and in a study, longer sentences increased recidivism slightly

Question 3

under what conditions is punishment likely to work?

Answer 3

if the punishment is:

• unavoidable
• there are alternative behaviours for reaching a goal

Answer 4

treatment tends to have a positive effect among convicted opinions

the mean effect across interventions is small, but it includes those that are weak or ineffective

there is great variability

Question 5

what are some ineffective approaches?

Answer 5

vocational training without good prospects for real jobs

scared straight programmes

wilderness/outdoor challenges programmes

Question 6

interventions that target risk factors

Answer 6

well designed, high intensity, community based interventions most effective

cognitive behavioural programs focused on risk factors for criminal recidivism tend to be most effective

these involve: interpersonal skills training, behavioural techniques such as modelling, graduated practice and roleplaying, cognitive skills training, structured individual counselling for problem solving training

Question 7

cognitive and behavioural treatment for recidivism

Answer 7

assumes offenders are shaped and influenced by environment

learned maladaptive behaviours and failed to learn effective cognitive and behavioural skills for proper functioning in society

treatment involves problem solving training, social skills training, and pro-social modelling

treatments combining CB treatments are considered most effective, focus on behaviour is important for reducing recidivism

harsher approaches are not very effective

Question 8

what do cognitive behavioural techniques do

Answer 8

increase offenders’ insights into their actions

model new ways of thinking and acting, including recognising series of events and resulting emotions, techniques for self assessment, practice new behaviours through role play

Question 9

why do we treat offenders

Answer 9

1) safeguard prisoners’ health and dignity
2) reduce long term detrimental effects on society, we hope they stop their offenders
3) provide further perception of justice - not every crime deserves severe punishment

Question 10

what if we could cure offenders? should we still punish them?

Answer 10

rehabilitation does tend to work, with some types working better than others, so why is there so little effect on policy

Question 11

what is rehabilitation theory

Answer 11

rehabilitation is a broad term referring to overall aims, values and principles and etiological assumptions that guide treatment of offenders

Question 12

what should a good theory of offender rehabilitation do?

Answer 12

specify the aims of the therapy

justify aims based on assumptions about cause and related factors (etiology)

identify clinical targets

outline treatments based on etiology and goals, specify most suitable type of treatment, address motivation, and educate therapist about the best attitude to have

Question 13

what are the three levels of the good lives model comprehensive with regards to sexual offending

Answer 13

1) set of general principles/assumptions specifying values regarding rehab and overall aims to strive for

2) implications of assumptions for understanding and explaining offending and its functions

3) treatment implications of focusing on goals/goods, self-regualtion strategies and ecological factors

Question 14

GLM - 1) general principles and assumptions

Answer 14

humans have goals to seek many primary goods, which are states of affairs/mind, personal characteristics, activities for their own sake that may increase psychological well-being

e.g., life, friendship, spirituality/meaning, happiness, food, knowledge

sexual offending is a socially unacceptable attempt at obtaining primary goods

Question 15

things to keep in mind regarding primary goal

Answer 15

no assumption made regarding humans as ethical or unethical

rehab has many values, including what is best for offender, society, and development of knowledge about the problem

personal identity is important - offenders should develop sense of who they are and what it means to have good life

psychological well-being is important and primary goods need to be accessible

Question 16

GLM - 2) etiological assumptions

Answer 16

sexual abuse occurs from interaction of various causal variables (biological and ecological niche)

biological and ecological niche factors can impact neuropsychological systems to produce abuse

Question 17

which factors may lead to various problems that set the context and facilitate abuse

Answer 17

• emotional problems
• empathy deficits
• social difficulties
• cognitive distortion
• deviant sexual arousal

these can combine to create a cycle that escalate/maintain sexual deviance

Question 18

what are criminogenic needs in GLM

Answer 18

obstacles that block the acquisition of primary goods

it is the behaviours for obtaining the goods that are problematic, not the primary goods themselves