NCJ Number
64843
Date Published
1977
Length
22 pages
Annotation
THIS REVIEW OF RESEARCH INTO VARIOUS CORRECTIONS TREATMENT METHODS ASSESSED ON THE BASIS OF RECIDIVISM ARGUES THAT DATA USED IN SOME OF THESE STUDIES COULD BE INTERPRETED TO SHOW REHABILITATION MORE POSITIVELY.
Abstract
IN PARTICULAR, THE STUDIES BY LIPTON, MARTINSON, AND WILKS (1975) ARE FOCUSED ON. STUDIES BY MARTINSON CONCLUDE THAT MOST REHABILITATION EFFORTS HAVE HAD NO APPRECIABLE EFFECTS ON RECIDIVISM; HOWEVER, MARTINSON DOES NOT POINT OUT IN THE ORIGINAL WORK THAT THE EVIDENCE IS EQUIVOCAL AND SPARSE AND THAT THE SAMPLE OF STUDIES WAS EXTREMELY LIMITED COMPARED TO THE ENTIRE BODY OF LITERATURE IN THE FIELDS. FURTHERMORE, DISSIMILAR CONCLUSIONS CAN BE DRAWN FROM THE STUDIES REVIEWED BY LIPTON, WHO IGNORED ALL RESEARCH AFTER 1967; THIS WAS A PERIOD OF INCREASE IN WELL-DESIGNED CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS. STILL, THE PUNISHMENT MODEL PREDOMINATES OVER THE TREATMENT MODEL AS A MEANS OF DEALING WITH OFFENDERS AS POLITICAL 'LAW AND ORDER' THEMES PERSIST. LIMITED ATTENTION IS THUS GIVEN TO THE SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVE TREATMENT PROGRAMS TO REDUCE RECIDIVISM AND RETURN EX-OFFENDERS TO SOCIETY AS PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS. GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM, ALTHOUGH RESEARCH FINDINGS ON WHETHER PAROLE OFFICER CASELOAD HAS AN EFFECT ON RECIDIVISM ARE MIXED. MORE INTENSIVE JUVENILE PROBATION SUPERVISION SEEMS TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT AND TREATMENT LENGTH, INTENSITY, QUALITY, AND APPROPRIATENESS AFFECT RECIDIVISM RATES FOR INDIVIDUAL, GROUP, AND MILIEU THERAPY. ADVANCES OF BEHAVIORAL THERAPY IN TREATING DIVERSE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY EDUCATIONAL AND COGNITIVE DEFICITS, HOLD PROMISE. EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION FOR YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS, IN BOTH COMMUNITIES AND INSTITUTIONS, CAN RESULT IN LOWER RECIDIVISM THAN STANDARD INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT OR PAROLE ALTHOUGH STANDARD INSTITUTIONAL TREATMENT APPEARS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH PAROLE SUCCESS. WORK RELEASE PROGRAMS VARY CONSIDERABLY IN TERMS OF THERAPEUTIC INTENT, AND ASSESSMENT HAS GENERALLY BEEN POOR. THE USE OF CHEMOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSURGERY IS ALSO UNDER EXAMINATION. THE IMPORTANCE OF EVALUATION RESEARCH IN ASSESSING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS AND PLANNING INNOVATIVE TREATMENT METHODS IS STRESSED. REFERENCES ARE LISTED. (DEP)