NCJ Number
74553
Date Published
1981
Length
399 pages
Annotation
This volume on the treatment of criminal offenders updates an earlier edition and documents programs that have been effective in rehabilitating offenders.
Abstract
The basic philosophy of this volume affirms the validity of the rehabilitative goal of corrections and the efficacy of casework and psychotherapy techniques in the treatment of offenders. The programs selected for description take into account the characteristics of treater and treated as well as the setting in which the treatment occurs; they follow clearly defined objectives and techniques for achieving rehabilitation. The volume includes a variety of treatment programs, notes the research on which they were based, and gives the results of evaluations, when available. The wide program range reflects the fact that many treatment modalities exist and that some approaches are effective only with specific target populations. Theoretical issues are discussed in chapters devoted to the causes of crime and to punishment-versus-treatment theories. The origins of probation and parole are then reviewed and future trends in probation are analyzed. Problems and issues in corrections are also addressed, including those referring to confidentiality, community-versus-custodial treatment, and race relations. Variability in sentencing and the realities of caseload management are among the topics discussed in chapters on treatment modality and casework. Next, diverse forms of group therapy, both traditional and innovative (e.g., the Esalen experience, marathon encounters, and Synanon) are described and case illustrations given. Remaining chapters deal with treatment issues for particular types of offenders or offenses. Attention is given to drug addiction, sexual offenders, violent offenders, alcoholism, family crises, gambling, white-collar crime, and female offenders. Concluding chapters analyze current trends and research in corrections, including reform of the bail system, use of paraprofessionals in court, and behavior modification. A description is given of the California Community Treatment Project, an effort to apply a typology and a differential treatment model in the rehabilitation of juvenile delinquents. Footnotes and a list of selected readings conclude individual chapters. An index is provided for the volume.