NCJ Number
59382
Date Published
1979
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE RESPONSE PROGRAM, INVOLVING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND TREATMENT APPLICABLE TO FEMALE OFFENDERS, IS DESCRIBED, HIGHLIGHTING EXAMPLES OF DATA PROCUREMENT AND INCORPORATION.
Abstract
THE RESPONSE PROGRAM IS AN INTERVENTION PROJECT WITH WOMEN OFFENDERS WHICH EMPLOYS A VARIETY OF TREATMENT TECHNIQUES REGARDLESS OF THEIR THEORETICAL ROOTS. IT ATTEMPTS TO PROVIDE A PROCESS WHICH ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE IN DEVELOPING MORE RESPONSIBLE AND APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE OF STAFF MEMBERS. THE PROGRAM ATTEMPTS TO MERGE RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND TREATMENT FUNCTIONS CALL FOR STAFF MEMBER ENROLLMENT IN UNIVERSITY DEGREE PROGRAMS, UNIVERSITY FACULTY AND STUDENT PARTICIPATION WITH INMATES, DISCUSSION OF TRAINING NEEDS INCLUDING INMATE FEEDBACK, AND DATA COLLECTION FROM ALL INVOLVED WITH THE PROGRAM. AS A RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS, A THERAPEUTIC MODALITY AND ATTITUDE CHANGE GUIDELINE WAS DEVELOPED. SELF-CONCEPT DATA WERE OBTAINED THROUGH USE OF THE TENNESSEE SELF CONCEPT SCALE, USED TO ASSESS INMATES' ATTITUDES TOWARD THEMSELVES. ALTHOUGH THE MODEL WAS NOT AS INCLUSIVE AS WAS HOPED FOR, IT DID AFFECT THE TREATMENT AND TRAINING COMPONENTS IN THAT ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING WAS PROPOSED FOR ADDITION TO THE PROGRAM FOR RESIDENTS. A SIMILAR STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE CHARACTERISTICS OF WOMEN FOR WHOM TREATMENT WAS SUCCESSFUL. THE PROGRAM'S APPROACH FOUND THAT RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND TREATMENT ARE FUNCTIONS WHICH COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER. IN THE AREA OF TRAINING, RESEARCH DATA CAN MAKE INSTRUCTION MORE RESPONSIVE TO PROGRAM NEEDS; WITH RESPECT TO TREATMENT, RESEARCH CAN PREVENT THE USE OF WELL-KNOWN BUT UNTESTED METHODS WHERE SUCH METHODS ARE NOT APPROPRIATE. FINALLY, RESEARCH AS PART OF TRAINING AND TREATMENT FUNCTIONS CAN LEAD TO MORE ACCURATE DATA BECAUSE OF INCREASED PARTICIPATION OF INDIVIDUALS OF VARYING EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND. REFERENCES AND STATISTICAL DATA ARE INCLUDED. (LWM)