NCJ Number
166917
Journal
Psychology, Crime and Law Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (1995) Pages: 85-99
Date Published
1995
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the use of an operational psychology model of assessment and treatment of violent offenders in a correctional institution and its preliminary pilot validation in a random sample of 65 of 350 inmates serving life sentences in the United Kingdom.
Abstract
In operational psychology, psychologists work with operational staff in developing ideas in a psychological way; the staff later spread them to the wider organization. The present program involved the use of a system of assessing and treating offenders under the broad categories of angry aggression/incentive motivated aggression and the subdivisions of frequent or infrequent occurrence, based on behavior observations by staff. The identification of treatment need was derived from the model, and behavioral observation was used as a method of evaluating treatment effectiveness. The extended use of the system to the national risk assessment and life sentence planning process demonstrates the feasibility and practical application of the approach. Tables, figures, and 14 references (Author abstract modified)