Treatments to rehabilitate and reduce criminal behaviour

Question 1

Treatments

Answer 1

Token economy programmes
Anger management programmes

Question 2

Token economy programmes

Answer 2

This programme is designed to reward prisoners for prosocial behaviour. Prisoners collect tokens that can be exchanged for privilages such as television time and visits. It is based around the principles of operant conditioning such as reinforcement and rewards. Tokens are a secondary reinforcer

Question 3

Strengths of Token economy programmes

Answer 3

There is evidence of short term increase in prosocial behaviour within a prison. Hobbs and Holt in 1976 found that targeted prosocial behaviour significantly increases
Compared to other form of rehabilitation, which can involve counsellors and criminal psychologists, token economies are easy and fairly economical

Question 4

Weaknesses of Token economy programmes

Answer 4

It is unlikely to prevent reoffending because similar tokens are not found in everyday life so prosocial behaviour and rehabilitative value is limited
Commitment from prison guards are needed for tokens to work. Failure of staff to give out tokens can result in antisocial behaviour, especially if there are sources of reinforcement in prison for antisocial behaviour

Question 5

Anger management programmes

Answer 5

These programmes are used to help individuals that committed violent crimes because of anger. Small groups of offenders are encouraged by a therapist to identify anger triggers and find ways to cope with their feelings and gain the ability to resolve conflict situations in a better way. There are 3 stages

Question 6

Cognitive preparation

Answer 6

The first stage of anger management programmes is where an offender has to reflect on their own anger

Question 7

Skills acquisitions

Answer 7

The second stage of anger management programmes is when and offender learns new skills to help them control their anger

Question 8

Application practice

Answer 8

The third stage if anger management programmes involves role playing anger-triggering situations , so that an offender can practice their new skills

Question 9

Strengths of Anger management programmes

Answer 9

Offenders are selected carefully so misunderstanding the nature of the crime isnt a problme

Question 10

Weaknesses of Anger management programmes

Answer 10

Offenders can abuse the programme. The programme teaches offenders for control and manage their anger, a skill that may help them to commit crimes more effectively
The effectiveness of this programme reducing recidivism is unknown as some studies suggest that it improves recidivism whereas others suggest that there is no difference