Offending Behaviour Programmes in the Community: The Effects on Reconviction of Three Programmes with Adult Male Offenders

• NCJ Number: 220377
• Journal: Legal and Criminological Psychology Volume: 12 Issue: Part 2 Dated: September 2007 Pages: 251-264
• Author(s): Emma J. Palmer; James McGuire; Juliet C. Hounsome; Ruth M. Hatcher; Charlotte A.L. Bilby; Clive R. Hollin
• Date Published: September 2007
• Length: 14 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Great Britain Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

This study examined the effect on reconviction of three general offending behavior programs run within a probation setting in England and Wales.

Abstract

Analysis findings indicate that, controlling for salient population factors, the offenders who had completed a program had a lower rate of reconviction as compared with noncompleters and comparison groups. In addition, non-completers had a higher rate of reconviction than the comparison group. The study provides cautious evidence for a completion effect as far as is possible within the confines of a high-quality, quasi-experimental design. Offending behavior programs attempt to reduce reoffending by changing offenders’ behavior through cognitive skills training. This approach is supported by the results of meta-analytic reviews of offender treatment. Employing a quasi-experimental design, this study presents findings of an evaluation of the effect on reconviction of three general offending behavior programs in the English and Welsh Probation Service with adult male offenders: Think First--addressing offenders’ social cognitive skills, Reasoning and Rehabilitation (R & R)--addressing the thinking styles commonly associated with offending, and Enhanced Thinking Skills (ETS)--a shorter alternative to the R & R program. Tables, references