Download Reducing Recidivism / Reducing the Rate and Use of

Reducing Recidivism
Reducing the Rate and Use of
Incarceration
What Works and Best Practices
Implementing Effective Correctional Management
“What Works” in Corrections
• Not a single reviewer of studies on the effects of
official punishment (e.g. custody, mandatory
arrests, increased surveillance, etc.) has found
consistent evidence of reduced recidivism
• At least 40% (and up to 60%) of the studies of
correctional treatment services reported reduced
recidivism rates relative to various comparison
conditions, in every published review
Criminal Sanctions vs. Treatment
0.2
0.15
Reduced
Recidivism
0.1
0.15
0.05
0
Increased -0.05
Recidivism
-0.07
Criminal Sanctions
Treatment
-0.1
Andrews, D.A. 1994. An Overview of Treatment Effectiveness. Research and
Clinical Principles, Department of Psychology, Carleton University.
Behavioral vs. Non-Behavioral
0.35
0.29
0.3
0.25
Reduced
Recidivism
0.2
0.15
0.1
Increased
Recidivism
0.07
0.05
0
Nonbehavioral (N=83)
Behavioral (N=41)
Andrews, D.A. 1994. An Overview of Treatment Effectiveness. Research and
Clinical Principles, Department of Psychology, Carleton University.
Principles of Effective Intervention
• RISK – Who to target
• NEED – What to target
• RESPONSIVITY– How to target
Principles of Effective Intervention
• Assess and identify higher risk offenders
• Target higher risk offenders for more intensive
treatment, services and supervision
• Avoid including lower risk offenders in higherend programs; it may increase their risk and
failure rates
Major Risk/Need Factors
1. Antisocial/pro-criminal attitudes, values, beliefs and
cognitive emotional states
2. Pro-criminal associates and isolation from anti-criminal
others
3. Temperamental and personality factors including:
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psychopathy
weak socialization
impulsivity/self control
restless/aggressive energy
egocentrism
below average verbal intelligence
weak problem-solving/self regulation skills
adventurous pleasure seeking
Major Risk/Need Factors
4. A history of anti-social behavior:
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Evident from a young age
In a variety of settings
Involving a number and variety of anti-social acts
5. Family factors including criminality in the family of
origin including:
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Low levels of affection, caring and cohesiveness
Poor parental supervision and discipline practices
Neglect and abuse
Major Risk/Need Factors
6. Low levels of personal education, vocational or
financial achievement
7. Little involvement in anti-criminal leisure and
recreational pursuits
8. Substance abuse
Minor Risk/Need Factors
Minor risk factors have some correlation with criminal
conduct, but less correlation than major risk factors:
– Lower intelligence
– Personal distress
• Low self esteem
• Anxiety
• Depression
– Psychopathology
• Major mental illness
– Lower class origins
– Biological anomalies
• Head injury
• Hormonal disturbance
– Fear of official punishment
Principles of Effective Intervention
• NEED PRINCIPLE
– Identify and target criminogenic needs:
• Attitudes, values, beliefs
• Peer associations
• Personality
• Education/employment
• Family
• Substance abuse
• Leisure/recreation
Principles of Effective Intervention
Individual studies and meta-analyses have
indicated that targeting non-criminogenic
needs can lead to:
– No effect on recidivism
– Increased recidivism
Principles of Effective Intervention
RESPONSIVITY PRINCIPLE
• Specific responsivity
– Remove barriers to treatment
– Match style and mode of service delivery to key
offender characteristics
• General responsivity
– Use cognitive behavioral interventions
Responsivity Factors
• Internal Factors
– Motivation
– Personality
characteristics
(anxiety, psychopathy,
self-esteem)
– Cognitive deficiencies
– Demographics (age,
race, gender, ethnicity)
– Strengths
• External Factors
– Counselor
characteristics
– Settings
• Institutional
• Community
– Type of treatment
– Support network
Principles of Effective Intervention
INEFFECTIVE APPROACHES
Drug prevention classes focused on fear and other emotional appeals
Shaming offenders
Drug education programs
Non-directive, client centered treatment approaches
Bibliotherapy
Talking cures
Self-Help programs
Vague unstructured rehabilitation programs
Fostering self-regard (self-esteem)
“Punishing smarter” (boot camps, scared straight, etc.)
Cognitive-Behavioral Model
• Anti-Criminal Modeling
• Effective Reinforcement
• Effective Disapproval
• Problem Solving Techniques
• Structured Learning for Skill Building
Effective Use of Authority
• Focus message on behavior, not the
person
• Staff are direct and specific concerning
their demands
• Staff use their normal voices
• Staff specify choices with attendant
consequences
• Staff give encouraging messages
• Staff support words with actions
Effective Use of Authority (cont.)
– Staff are firm but fair
– Staff provide respectful guidance toward
compliance
– Staff are not just monitoring for noncompliance and introducing negative
sanctions
– Staff reward/praise compliance
Characteristics of Effective
Correctional Programs
• Based of theory and research
• Have effective leadership
• Are implemented as designed
• Assess offenders
• Are based on effective treatment models
• Are based on cognitive behavioral
approaches
Characteristics of Effective
Correctional Programs
• Have structured aftercare
• Deliver treatment and services
consistently
• Have qualified staff
• Evaluate what they do
• Have sufficient resources and support