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Evaluation of the Persistently Violent Offender Treatment Program

NCJ Number
225742
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 53 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2009 Pages: 57-73
Author(s)
Ralph C. Serin; Renee Gobeil; Denise L. Preston
Date Published
February 2009
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This study summarizes the results of a comprehensive evaluation of a program for violent offenders previously offered by Correctional Service Canada, the Persistently Violent Offender (PVO) treatment program.
Abstract
The treatment of violent offenders has evolved in recent years, shifting from interventions focused on anger management to those incorporating social information processing skills. This study was a multimethod evaluation of one such program, the PVO program. Results reveal few differences amongst groups in terms of changes on the measures of treatment targets, involvement in institutional misconducts, and postrelease returns to custody. The PVO program was not superior to neither the Anger and Emotion Management (AEM) program nor the program noncompletion. There were no differences in postrelease outcome associated with program performance ratings for those offenders who completed the PVO program. Furthermore, in comparison to noncompletion, completion of any program, either PVO or AEM, was not associated with greater treatment gains or better outcome. Data were collected from 256 Canadian male violent offenders whose offenses included murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, assault, robbery, and threatening with a weapon; 70 PVO program completers were compared to 2 control groups who completed an alternate program and to offenders who failed to complete either program. Tables, figure, notes and references