NCJ Number
214353
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 42 Issue: 2 Dated: 2005 Pages: 69-94
Date Published
2005
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This study compared the effects of two cognitive-behavioral programs for men and women offenders--the Pathfinders program and the Problem Solving program.
Abstract
Results indicated that the Problem Solving program significantly reduced reported misconducts for men and women in both diversion and prison settings, although the program did not improve interpersonal conflicts or problems with work assignments. The Problem Solving program was also associated with significantly lower depression scores in the diversion setting and among male inmates. Among women inmates, the Pathfinders program significantly reduced depression scores over a longer period whereas the Problem Solving program had no impact on women’s depression scores. These findings are interesting because the Pathfinders program primarily addresses relationship and empowerment issues and is therefore assumed to be more gender-responsive while the Problem Solving program is more generic and not tailored for either gender. The authors caution that these results are preliminary and do not conclusively indicate that gender-responsive programming is ineffective. Research methodology involved the comparison of treatment effects across four groups of participants: (1) males in diversion programs; (2) females in diversion programs; (3) males in correctional settings; and (4) females in correctional settings. Participants completed questionnaires and assessment instruments measuring pre-treatment inmate characteristics, intelligence and stress, participant evaluation of programs, and outcome data regarding participant’s behavior and psychological well-being. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, MANOVA, and chi-square calculations. Future research should focus on which types of cognitive programming are most effective for female offenders. Tables, notes, references