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Survey of Counselor Functions at a Minimum Security County Prison

NCJ Number
89489
Journal
Journal of Offender Counseling Volume: 3 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1983) Pages: 40-47
Author(s)
W H Welch; G L Little
Date Published
1983
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This survey of counselors at the Shelby County Correction Center (SCCC) (Memphis, Tennessee) examined counseling functions related to security, maintenance, and staff development and training.
Abstract
At the time of the study, the following programs represented the systematic rehabilitative efforts at the SCCC: counseling and educational services (four counselors), Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) manpower training (three counselors), drug offender rehabilitation program (four counselors), and the mental health unit (seven counselors). After being given a brief survey of counselor roles and functions, participants were asked to estimate the percentage of their working hours spent in each activity. Except for the mental health unit (five of seven counselors), all counselors completed the survey (n=16). The findings indicate that correctional counselors in treatment programs do more of what is generally considered counseling compared with counselors in more general supportive roles in the correctional environment. The programs tend to have relatively low client-counselor ratios (the drug program generally houses 30 clients and the mental health unit, 12). Vocational training programs also counsel. All counselors, however, perform a large number of duties related to security rather than counseling. From counselors' and program directors' interviews, it appears that the other duties assigned to counselors represent a compromise between treatment and security. Tabular data are provided, and the survey instrument is appended, along with six references.