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Carkhuff Experiment on Court Time in the Probation Service of Quebec

NCJ Number
70621
Journal
Criminologie Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: special issue (1979) Pages: 58-77
Author(s)
N M Laurendeau
Date Published
1979
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Because the Quebec Probation Service's clinical practice was too unstructured and used an overly situation approach, Carkhuff's problem-solving techniques were introduced in an experiment intended to improve clinical crisis intervention.
Abstract
Carkhuff's technique focuses on developing a receptive attitude on the part of the client through empathy, warmth, respect, and sincerity on the part of the probation officer. The officer can then lead the client through a process of problemsolving that allows the client to define this problem, consider possible solutions and choose a concrete plan of action for solving the problem. In September 1977, 16 probation officers underwent 4 days of training in Carkhuff's method, and followed up with 2 days of review of their experiences in February 1978. The expected results from the training were not achieved. Officers could not motivate their clients to solve their own problems, the project was not supervised carefully enough to obtain complete data, the officers had not assimilated the method enough before using it, and many of the clients revealed problems of such psychiatric severity as to necessitate specialized intervention. Yet, the clients did attend these sessions more regularly than they had the probation service's regular clinical sessions. Probation officers had begun to assimilate the method and they proposed modifications that should be applied to the process considering their type of clientele. Moreover, offenders seemed at least to achieve more self-respect and a greater sense of self-worth. The concentration on interpersonal communication appeared to work well, as did the process's orientation toward establishing concrete solutions rather than abstract goals or personality modification. With the Carkhuff technique, individuals are motivating other individuals and solutions are evolved through personal interaction. This approach seemed to work best for urban areas and when a special office was set aside for the consultations officer and client. Further experimentation should entail more suupervision of the experiment, and a longer period of time for observation and for training. The approach's step-bystep technique is presented, together with a case example. --in French.

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