INTRODUCTION TO THE REPORTS IN CAVIC (CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS IN CORRECTIONS) SERIES AND A SUMMARY OF SELECTED CAVIC CONTRIBUTIONS AND FINDINGS

• NCJ Number: 66865
• Author(s): D A ANDREWS; J J KIESSLING
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 32 pages
• Corporate Author: Ontario Ministry of Correctional Services
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS AND FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED FROM THE CANADIAN VOLUNTEERS IN CORRECTIONS (CAVIC) PROJECT, A PROGRAM OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AIMED AT EXPANDING AND IMPROVING CORRECTIONS VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS IN CANADA.

Abstract

THE SELECTIVE SUMMARY OF THE CAVIC RESEARCH DRAWS PRIMARILY ON THE EVALUATION OF A ONE-TO-ONE SUPERVISION ROLE FOR VOLUNTEERS, (ANDREWS, KIESSLING, RUSSELL, AND GRANT, 1977). PRINCIPAL THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE CAVIC PROJECT ARE THAT VOLUNTEER AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMING SHOULD BE AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM IN CORRECTIONS, WORKING TOWARD COMMON OBJECTIVES, AND THE COST EFFICIENCY OF VOLUNTEER AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMING WILL INCREASE WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF CRIME AND COMMUNITY. ONE WAY OF ENHANCING SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING IS THROUGH SYSTEMATIC EXAMINATION OF CORRECTIONAL PRACTICES IN RELATION TO THE RANGE OF OUTCOMES OF CONCERN TO VICTIMS, WORKERS, CLIENTS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. THE EVALUATION OF THE ONE-TO-ONE ROLE FOR VOLUNTEERS WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE COMPARISON OF VOLUNTEER AND PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION. THE VOLUNTEERS CARRIED 1 OR 2 CASES, WHILE THE PROFESSIONALS WERE CARRYING CASELOADS OF 70 TO 100, IN ADDITION TO THE SUPERVISION OF VOLUNTEERS. THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COUNSELING TECHNIQUE, OFFICER PERSONALITY, AND BIOSOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OFFICERS UPON CLIENT ATTITUDE CHANGE AND RECIDIVISM WERE ALSO EXAMINED. THE FINDINGS REVIEWED IN THE SUMMARY WERE JUDGED SUFFICIENTLY SIGNIFICANT TO WARRANT A NEW INVESTIGATION OF THE INTENSIVE NATURE OF SUPERVISION, THE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKERS, AND WORKER TRAINING. THE IMAGE OF THE EFFECTIVE CORRECTIONAL COUNSELOR THAT EMERGED FROM THE RESEARCH IS THAT OF A PERSON SENSITIVE TO RULES AND CONVENTIONS, YET WARM, TOLERANT, FLEXIBLE, AND SENSITIVE IN INTERPERSONAL STYLE. WHEN SUCH A PERSON ENGAGES THE CLIENT IN THE PROCESS OF INCREASING REWARDS FOR NONCRIMINAL ACTIVITY, A REDUCTION IN RECIDIVISM MAY BE EXPECTED. MODULES THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED BY CAVIC ARE LISTED AND BRIEFLY DESCRIBED. A FIGURE AND 9 REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.