NCJ Number
67654
Date Published
1979
Length
33 pages
Annotation
THIS EVALUATION WAS CONDUCTED IN RESPONSE TO A PROPOSAL THAT THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF OFFENDER REHABILITATION IMPLEMENT EMOTIONAL MATURITY INSTRUCTION AS A STATE CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM.
Abstract
EMOTIONAL MATURITY INSTRUCTION (EMI) WAS INITIATED IN DOUGHERTY COUNTY, GEORGIA, BY THE JUDICIAL SERVICE AGENCY. EMI IS A STRUCTURED COURSE IN SOCIALIZATION WHICH TEACHES A SYSTEM OF MIND CONTROL USING A SOCRATIC METHOD OF QUESTIONS IN SEQUENCE DESIGNED TO RAISE ONE'S TENSION LEVEL WITH THE PURPOSE OF LEADING THE INDIVIDUAL TO RESOLVE TENSION BY EXAMINING AND FORMING GOALS. STRENGTHS OF THE EMI PROGRAM INCLUDE THE EMPHASIS ON GOAL SETTING AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEHAVIOR OUTCOMES. AS ADMINISTERED IN DOUGHERY COUNTY, EMI EFFECTIVELY MOBILIZES COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER RESOURCES AS A POSITIVE FACTOR IN REHABILITATION. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTENT OF EMI IS VIEWED BY INDEPENDENT PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCHERS AS CONTAINING KEY CONCEPTS WHICH ARE MEANINGLESS AND AS REPRESENTING WHOLESALE REJECTION OF CONCEPTS DEVELOPED AND SCIENTIFICALLY TESTED OVER DECADES. WHILE SOME ELEMENTS OF ACCEPTED SCIENTIFIC THEORY HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED, FREQUENT MISAPPLICATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL THEORY HAVE BEEN NOTED. REPORTED ATTITUDE CHANGES HAVE BEEN ASSESSED WITHOUT THE USE OF RECOGNIZED ATTITUDE INSTRUMENTS AND WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF PRACTICE EFFECT ON RETEST SCORES. MOREOVER, LESS THAN RELIABLE FIGURES ARE CITED FOR THE OVERWHELMING SUCCESS RATE. THEREFORE, THE DEPARTMENT OF OFFENDER REHABILITATION SHOULD WITHHOLD ANY IMPLEMENTATION OF EMI EVEN ON A PILOT BASIS UNTIL A U.S. DISTRICT COURT RULES ON THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE RELIGIOUS CONTENT. NO EMI PILOT STUDY SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN UNLESS GENERICALLY SIMILAR PROGRAMS ARE STUDIED FOR COMPARISON, AND PROBATION SUPERVISORS SHOULD AVOID SCHEDULING CLIENTS FOR EMI CLASSES UNTIL FEDERAL COURTS DECIDE THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF EMI AS A SPECIAL CONDITION FOR PAROLE. NO REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.