CORRECTIONAL OFFICER AS A BEHAVIORAL TECHNICIAN

• NCJ Number: 38883
• Journal: Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (DECEMBER 1976) Pages: 345-360
• Author(s): R R SMITH; M A MILAN; L F WOOD; J M MCKEE
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 16 pages
• Corporate Author: American Assoc of Correctional Psychologists
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER TRAINING PROGRAM IN THE PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS OF THE SOCIAL LEARNING MODEL IS DESCRIBED.

Abstract

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF THE TRAINING PROGRAM INDICATED THAT CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS CAN MASTER THE REQUISITE SKILLS OF THE BEHAVIORAL TECHNICIAN AND CAN SUCCESSFULLY APPLY THESE, UNDER SUPERVISION, IN A SYSTEMATIC BEHAVIOR CHANGE PROJECT. IN ADDITION, THE TRAINED OFFICERS, IN COMPARISON TO NONTRAINED PEERS, INCREASED BOTH THEIR TOTAL NUMBER AND PROPORTION OF POSITIVE INTERACTIONS WITH INMATES. FINALLY, THE TRAINED OFFICERS INDICATED THAT THE TECHNIQUES THEY LEARNED ASSISTED THEM IN THEIR WORK WITH THE INMATES, AND THE INMATES INDICATED THAT THE OFFICERS WHO HAD RECEIVED TRAINING APPEARED TO HAVE IMPROVED IN GENERAL CALIBER AS WELL AS BECOME LESS PUNITIVE AND MORE CONCERNED WITH THE WELFARE OF INMATES. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS FOR COMPREHENSIVE REHABILITATION PROGRAMMING WITHIN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION ARE DISCUSSED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)