NCJ Number
173765
Editor(s)
G J Towl
Date Published
1995
Length
64 pages
Annotation
This collection of papers explores the group work approach to interventions in prisons, noting recent growth in group work and the lack of evaluation research on group work.
Abstract
The first paper provides an overview of group work in prisons by defining group work, noting advantages and disadvantages of group work, organizational and practice issues in conducting group work, and types of group work prevalent in prisons. The second paper examines evaluation issues in group work, with emphasis on change measurement, measurement methods, and outcome evaluation. Subsequent papers address sex offender, cognitive skills, anger management, and alcohol and drugs group work and consider social skills training and group work with life sentence prisoners. Potentially problematic implications of group work and the importance of effective group work evaluation are discussed. Issues that may contribute to the further development of group work programs in prisons are identified as training in generic group work skills for prospective facilitators, the selection of appropriate prisoners for group work interventions, and the importance of adequately evaluating group work interventions. 209 references and 1 table