NCJ Number
67225
Date Published
1979
Length
59 pages
Annotation
FINDINGS FROM SEVERAL STUDIES AND INVESTIGATIONS FOCUSING ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CANADIAN VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS IN CORRECTIONS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE DOMINANT MODEL OF VOLUNTARY SERVICE IS THAT OF A VOLUNTEER AS A FRIEND. THE ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A VOLUNTEER AND AN OFFENDER WILL HAVE POSITIVE RESULTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH EFFORTS WAS TO DETERMINE THE PROCESSES BY WHICH A RELATIONSHIP MAY AFFECT FUTURE DELINQUENT OR CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. THE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS WAS THUS IDENTIFIED AS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF EVALUATION. LINKS WITH BEHAVIOR THEORY, COUNSELING THEORY, AND CRIMINOLOGY WOULD BE PROFITABLE FOR BOTH SERVICE AND THEORY. THE RELATIONSHIP MODEL OF HELPING WAS REVIEWED WITH REFERENCE TO INVESTIGATIONS OF GROUP DYNAMICS AND RELATIONSHIP APPROACHES IN CORRECTIONS. THE FINDINGS WERE DECIDEDLY NEGATIVE. TWO SETS OF STUDIES REVIEWED ON THE VOLUNTEER AS AN EXPLICITLY ANTICRIMINAL FRIEND LED TO SOME UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION. THE POTENTIAL OF A COMMUNITY REINFORCEMENT APPROACH TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR WAS NOTED AND IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY AREA FOR RESEARCH ON VOLUNTARY ACTION PROGRAMS. FINALLY, A STUDY WHICH INCORPORATED SIMULTANEOUS EVALUATION OF EACH OF THE FIVE ASPECTS OF CORRECTIONAL COUNSELING WAS BRIEFLY DESCRIBED. THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY WERE CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS. THE SIMPLE FRIENDSHIP MODEL OF VOLUNTARY ACTION IS AS INADEQUATE AS IS THE INCREASING MOVEMENT TOWARD CASE PROCESSING MODELS IN PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS. OVER 50 REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED). ABI LWM