STUDY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY AND POST-RELEASE ADJUSTMENT (FROM CORRECTIONAL CLASSIFICATION AND TREATMENT - A READER, 1975, BY LEONARD J HIPPCHEN - SEE NCJ-32007)

• NCJ Number: 49133
• Author(s): J T BARBASH
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 8 pages
• Corporate Author: Anderson Publishing Co
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS ARE REPORTED AND DISCUSSED FROM A 10-YEAR FOLLOWUP RESEARCH PROJECT THAT EXAMINES THE FACTORS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY THAT LEAD TO SUCCESSFUL POSTRELEASE ADJUSTMENT.

Abstract

TREATMENT METHODS USED WERE INDIVIDUAL, GROUP, AND A COMBINATION OF BOTH. ON AN AVERAGE, INDIVIDUALS WERE SEEN LESS THAN 1 HOUR A WEEK, WHILE GROUPS (GENERALLY RESTRICTED TO 6 MEMBERS) MET WITH THE SAME FREQUENCY. BASIC THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES RANGED FROM THOSE CONSIDERED ORTHODOX TO HIGHLY DIRECTIVE PROCEDURES. THE RESEARCH PROJECT INVOLVED 102 SUBJECTS, 51 OF WHOM RECEIVED PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPY AND AN EQUAL NUMBER WHO DID NOT. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP CONSISTED OF FELONS WHO HAD BEEN CONFINED IN PENNSYLVANIA'S BUREAU OF CORRECTION MALE ADULT INSTITUTIONS AT PHILADELPHIA AND GRATERFORD. THE CONTROL GROUP WAS COMPOSED OF 51 SUBJECTS CHOSEN FROM GRATERFORD' POPULATION. THE SUBJECTS WERE FOLLOWED AFTER RELEASE BY CHECKS WITH CRIMINAL IDENTIFICATION ARREST REPORTS, PAROLE BOARD NOTICES, BUREAU OF CORRECTIONAL RECEPTION CENTER INFORMATION, INSTITUTIONAL RECORD OFFICE INFORMATION, AND PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH SUBJECTS. POST-RELEASE ADJUSTMENT FAILURE WAS CONSIDERED TO HAVE OCCURRED WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL VIOLATED PAROLE BY CONVICTION OR BREAKING PAROLE RULES, OR BY A NEW ARREST. ON THE AVERAGE THOSE CASES COUNTED AS SUCCESSFUL REMAINED FREE OVER 5 YEARS. OF THE 51 SUBJECTS IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP, 22 WERE COUNTED SUCCESSFUL; ONLY 13 OF THE CONTROL GROUP SUBJECTS SUCCEEDED. THE UNUSUALLY HIGH DEGREE OF SUCCESS AFTER RELEASE WAS FOUND AMONG THERAPY CASES WHO EXPERIENCED EMOTIONAL INTERACTION WITH THE THERAPIST DURING TREATMENT. MOST OTHER VARIABLES (E.G., CRIMINAL PATTERN, AGE, GROUP VS. INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION, AND TIME IN TREATMENT) PROVED UNIMPORTANT EXCEPT WHEN RELATED TO THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF EMOTIONAL INTERACTION WITH THE THERAPIST. THE HIGHEST RATE OF SUCCESS WAS FOUND AMONG VOLUNTEERS WHO NOT ONLY BECAME INVOLVED EMOTIONALLY WITH THE THERAPIST, BUT DEVELOPED INSIGHT AS A RESULT OF THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUE. RESULTS OF THE STUDY ARE TABULATED. (RCB)