NCJ Number
63973
Journal
Deviance et societe Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (JUNE 1979) Pages: 169-178
Date Published
1979
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THE CHANGING ROLE OF SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT FOR PRISON INMATES IN BELGIUM AND PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FORMS ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
PRISON TREATMENT OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN DETERMINED BY THE NEED FOR GENERAL AND SPECIAL PREVENTION, FOR REFORM OF DELINQUENTS, AND FOR NEUTRALIZATION OF DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS. THE TREATMENT CONCEPT, THE RATIONALE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF PRISONS WHICH PEAKED IN POPULARITY UNDER SOCIAL DEFENSE MOVEMENTS, IS SUCH THAT EVALUATIVE RESEARCH AND RADICAL ANALYSIS HAVE DESTABILIZED THE IDEOLOGICAL CONSTRUCTS WHICH SUSTAIN THE PENITENTIARY. THE OFFICIAL GOAL OF PENITENTIARY TREATMENT IS TO ELIMINATE CERTAIN BEHAVIOR PATTERNS SO THAT THEY DO NOT REAPPEAR, BUT THIS OBJECTIVE HAS NEVER BEEN REALIZED. WITHIN THE PRISON, SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TREATMENT TENDS TO BE A NORMATIVE FORM OF SOCIAL CONTROL IN THE SERVICE OF THE INSTITUTION RATHER THAN ASSISTANCE GEARED TO THE NEEDS OF INMATES; EVALUATION PROVES MORE IMPORTANT THAN ASSISTANCE IN THE WORK OF CLINICAL WORKERS, AND WHEN SOCIAL ASSISTANCE IS GIVEN IT AIMS TO PREVENT RECIDIVISM RATHER THAN TO FACILITATE REINTEGRATION. ACCORDING TO PRESENT PRIORITIES, RESOURCES CAN BE FOUND FOR DETERMINING INMATES' SUITABILITY FOR PAROLE BUT NOT FOR TREATING MENTALLY ILL INMATES. THE COMPLACENCY OF CLINICAL WORKERS CONTRIBUTES TO THE PROBLEM. A DESCRIPTION OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY CLINICAL TREATMENT TEAM FROM THE LOUVAIN UNIVERSITY WORKING AT THE CENTRAL PRISON IN LOUVAIN SHOWS THE EFFECTS OF REMOVING THE TREATMENT TEAM FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE PRISON'S OFFICIAL MECHANISMS. AT LOUVAIN, INMATE TREATMENT IS ON A STRICTLY VOLUNTARY BASIS, AND INTERVENTION SEEKS TO IMPROVE FAMILY RELATIONS AND TO PROVIDE MEDICAL AID, LEGAL COUNSEL, VOCATIONAL TRAINING, WORK AND SOCIAL POSSIBILITIES WITHIN THE PRISON, AND PSYCHIATRIC ASSISTANCE IN COPING WITH PRISON LIFE. IN THE PROCEDURE A PERIOD OF INMATE ORIENTATION IS FOLLOWED BY A PERIOD OF DESIGNING SPECIFIC RESPONSES TO MEET INDIVIDUAL INMATES' NEEDS. A TEAM DOCUMENT IS THEN WRITTEN OUTLINING PROBLEMS AND RESPONSES AND IS DISCUSSED IN A MEETING FOR PRISON ADMINISTRATORS, INSTITUTIONAL CLINIC MEMBERS, AND THE UNIVERSITY TEAM. RECOMMENDED INTERVENTIONS INTENTIONALLY MAKE USE OF RESOURCES OUTSIDE THE PRISON. THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT, WHICH WAS INTERRUPTED AFTER A YEAR BECUASE OF EXTERNAL FACTORS, DEMONSTRATES THE POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING MEANINGFUL TREATMENT WITHIN THE PRISON. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)