AIR FORCE'S 'THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY' CONCEPT (FROM CORRECTIONAL CLASSIFICATION AND TREATMENT - A READER, 1975, BY LEONARD J HIPPCHEN)

• NCJ Number: 49116
• Author(s): L J HIPPCHEN
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: Anderson Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

IMPORTANT ORGANIZATIONAL AND TREATMENT CONCEPTS UNDERLYING OPERATION OF WHAT IS A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PROGRAM FOR TREATMENT OF MILITARY OFFENDERS ARE DESCRIBED AND DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY, NAMED THE 3320TH RETRAINING GROUP, BEGAN OPERATIONS IN 1952 AT AMARILLO AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS. THROUGH DECEMBER, 1960, THE RETRAINING GROUP RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 5,207 PRISONER REFERRALS FROM AIR FORCE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD -- A NUMBER REPRESENTING APPROXIMATELY 1 OUT OF EVERY 10 AIR FORCE OFFENDERS FOR THE PERIOD. MOST PARTICIPANTS WERE YOUNG, SHORT TERM ENLISTEES, WHO WERE ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE OR DESERTED, OR HAD COMMITTED PETTY LARCENY. PERSONALITY PROBLEMS RANGED FROM MILD TO SEVERE CHARACTER AND BEHAVIOR DISORDERS. ABOUT HALF OF THESE PARTICIPANTS WERE RETURNED TO DUTY, WITH A 6 MONTHS FOLLOW UP STUDY SHOWING THAT AN AVERAGE OF 78 PERCENT OF ALL RESTOREES MADE A SUCCESSFUL ADJUSTMENT TO AIR FORCE LIFE. A LATER STUDY INDICATED THAT AN AVERAGE OF 67 PERCENT OF THE RESTOREES COMPLETED THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF THEIR CURRENT ENLISTMENT. INDIVIDUAL TREATMENT PLANS IN THE PROGRAM ARE PRECEDED BY A THOROUGH DIAGNOSIS OF EACH CLIENT, FOLLOWED BY THE APPROPRIATE USE OF THE FOLLOWING MAJOR TREATMENT TECHNIQUES: GROUP COUNSELING; INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING; GROUP LIVING; GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY; AND INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY. THE EMPHASIS OF THE PROGRAM, HOWEVER, IS UPON AN ENVIRONMENT OF TOTAL GROUP LIVING WHERE PERSONS ARE ACCEPTED WITHOUT JUDGMENT AND RELATIONSHIPS ARE BASED UPON PURPOSEFUL CARING THAT GUIDES PARTICIPANTS TOWARD A MORE MATURE ASSESSMENT OF AND POSITIVE ROLE PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL REALITY. THE ENVIRONMENT IS GENERALLY PERMISSIVE, STIMULATING CLIENTS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES VERBALLY AND TO ACT OUT THEIR HONEST FEELINGS WITH A VIEW TO ACCEPTING THEMSELVES. WITHIN THIS CLIMATE OF ACCEPTANCE, INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP GUIDANCE EQUIPS THE CLIENT TO DEVELOP PATTERNS FOR MANAGING HIS OWN LIFE ACCORDING TO A BALANCE BETWEEN THE DEMANDS OF SOCIAL REALITY AND THE FULFILLMENT OF PERSONAL NEEDS. ALTHOUGH THE GROUP OPERATES IN THE LIMITED SPHERE OF THE MILITARY OFFENDER AND WITH A SPECIALIZED FACILITY AND MISSION, IT IS BELIEVED THE PROGRAM CAN BE ESSENTIALLY REPLICATED IN THE GENERAL FIELD OF CORRECTIONS. (RCB)