NCJ Number
81317
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 45 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1981) Pages: 45-48
Date Published
1981
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This paper argues that offender rehabilitation programs can be successful and, based on a review of the literature (1973-80), offers some guidelines to assist the correctional manager or practitioner in deciding which approaches have the greatest likelihood of success.
Abstract
Examination of the literature revealed a substantial number of treatment programs which have been demonstrated in methodologically impressive research to be effective in offender rehabilitation. Reductions in recidivism ranged from 30 to 60 percent in some studies, and positive results were found for as long as 3 to 15 years after treatment. Effective programs encompass a wide range of modalities, but not all programs are equally effective with all types of offenders or in all settings. Successful programs differ from unsuccessful ones in terms of the explanatory model of criminal behavior on which they are based. No successful programs were found which were based on the oft-maligned medical disease model. Conversely, most of the successful programs were based on a social learning conception of criminal behavior. They focused not on correcting underlying psychopathology but on modifying inappropriate behavior, faulty reasoning or social perceptions, or on changing antisocial attitudes or developing interpersonal or vocational skills. Recently, correctional treatment researchers have paid more attention to process analysis in an attempt to ascertain the crucial components of effective programs. This development needs to be augmented, if only to ensure efficient and cost-effective programming. The programs recorded in the literature which failed did so because they were derived from conceptual models that made little sense in terms of offender populations or were applied to inappropriate target populations or sought to effect behaviors which were unrelated to crime. They failed because they were badly managed, they were not sufficiently intensive, and they employed staff who were inadequately skilled. Eighteen references are supplied.