NCJ Number
198484
Date Published
2002
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This videotape describes the Cognitive Intervention Program for substance abusing offenders through a presentation of various role-play scenarios on criminal thinking errors, identifying these errors, and possible responsible solutions to these errors.
Abstract
Substance abusers typically deny their problem with drugs or alcohol and deny the problem as having brought them into being involved in criminal behavior. This videotape describes the Cognitive Intervention Program for changing criminal thinking through a presentation of 10 criminal thinking errors in a role-play format, responsible alternatives to each error, and a review of the change process and what it takes. The role-play scenarios include the criminal having a conversation with his/her employer, spouse, and probation officer. There are two scenarios within each role-play. The first scenario is the criminal displaying criminal thinking errors followed by a scenario with the criminal displaying a change and accepting responsibility for either his/her actions or feelings. Criminal thinking errors include: acting like a victim, seeing oneself as the “good guy,” extreme impatience, closed-thinking, other people are his or her property, believes he or she owns everything and uses people, no authority except own wants, anger, manipulative/deceitful, giving-up when things get hard, careless with responsibilities, acting like he or she is one-of-a-kind, and fails to admit fears. Some solutions or alternatives to these thinking errors include: accepting responsibility, being truly open, accepting that no one owes them anything, they must earn it, accepting no for an answer, being accountable for ones actions, and do away with the illusion of control. An individual must make positive changes and choices for their own life; they must do it for themselves, as well as for those around them. Breaking the cycle of crime is hard. It means change and taking responsibility.