Chapter 11 Correctional Programs

Key Issues: Fairness of punishment by deprivation Efficiency of teaching productive life skills Failures get more attention than success System currently designed to punish cheaply Little effort to cut recidivism

Habilitative Services Provide basic skills that most acquire in normal socialization Literacy, interview and job skills, basic life managemnt (budgets, parenting) Academic: literacy and GED most common Job skills best at cutting recidivism Recreation, religion also important, old

Academic Programs Clearly correlated with low recidivism Promote a self-image that discourages crime Self-discipline and investment in society Also attracts those least likely to recidivate? “Frills” important for most hardened Violates principle of least eligibility

Vocational Training Most likely to reduce recidivism if it leads to good jobs after release Prisons often define maintenance chores as “vocational training” Companies reluctant to get involved without government assistance Values of administrators, work supervisors, inmates and companies differ

Life Skills Healthy interpersonal communication Emotional and stress management Managing money Education may also be included Thought patterns are at root of behavior, self esteem a symptom

Treatment Programs 3% reduction in recidivism makes any program cost-effective Responsibility model dominant for economic, political reasons Stresses accountability for one’s choices Confrontational style Para-professional staff

Challenges to Treatment Lack of quality programs Lack of custodial support for participation Fear, and hostility of inmate culture Inmate resistance to self-examination, disclosure and personal change Denial typical of compulsive, addictive behaviors

Compulsive Behaviors Repeated despite expectation of adverse consequences Relieves fear and brings pleasure Especially in addicts, sex offenders Craving/compulsion is experienced at the survival level even though it is actually a threat to survival Denial, thinking errors pose special challenges

Approaches to Treatment Basic treatment amenability –Readiness of inmate to change, benefit from programming Differential intervention strategies –Addresses unique issues of offender, offenses

Treatment Facts Drug/alcohol treatment most common Sex-offender treatment most needed Self help and other groups most common 20% of those needing treatment actually get it in prison, most occurs in community Parolees pay for own treatment Probation often helps fund treatment

Cognitive Therapy Most effective in cutting recidivism since 1980s Focuses on logic of conscious choice making Rational control of emotions stressed Changes false beliefs that lead to bad choices Confronts thinking errors such as minimizing, rationalizing, playing the victim, criminal pride Compatible with reliance on group sessions

Therapeutic Discipline Keep busy to avoid self-pity, frustration Repeatedly show links between choices, actions and outcomes Keep focus on problem behavior Have a minimum of rules Encourage new behaviors Reward all positive choices

Themes of Successful Programs Keep client focused on choices, alternatives Challenge thinking errors, victim stancing Encourage new approaches to problem solving, decision-making, self-disclosure Reward good behavior, honesty Prison environment discourages these

Types of Therapies Individual counseling Group counseling (led by professional) –Most common for financial, theoretical reasons –12-step groups (led by participants) Specialized treatment programs –Substance abusers –Sex offenders Polygraphs and plethysmographs

12 Step Groups Based on Alcoholics Anonymous (1939) Spiritual basis, avoids specific religions Promote self-esteem by focusing attention on the ability to control a problem behavior Used for addiction, sex offenses, wide range of problem (compulsive) behaviors No cost – volunteer led Easy to find in community

The Relapse Cycle Preparation: seemingly unimportant decisions (SUDs), stress Relapse: –Fantasy (sex offenders) –Use (substance offenders) Identify triggers and other early signs Stop cycle early to control compulsive behavior

Sex Offender Control Re-offense rate debated –Overestimated by politicians, media, public Chemical castration (Depo-Provera) –Some European studies supportive –Mixed results in many studies Civil commitment following imprisonment –Upheld by Kansas v. Crane (2002)

Treatment and Power Treatment requires offenders to respect selves and others, assert own needs Punishment and tradition require inmates to be powerless, dependent Thus, the contradiction between reintegration and retribution