NCJ Number
55364
Journal
OFFENDER REHABILITATION Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Dated: (FALL 1978) Pages: 81-108
Date Published
1978
Length
28 pages
Annotation
WISCONSIN'S COMPLEX OFFENDER PROJECT, A PROGRAM PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE, INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAMMING TO HIGH-RISK OFFENDERS IS DESCRIBED AND EVALUATED.
Abstract
THE OFFENDER PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PROCEDURES FOR PERSONS WHO HAVE HAD LONG HISTORIES OF BOTH CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AND MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AND WHO HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFULLY TREATED IN THE PAST. THE STAFF CONSISTS OF A PSYCHOLOGIST, A SOCIAL WORKER, A VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION COUNSELOR, TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICE ASSOCIATES, TWO PSYCHIATRIC NURSES, FIVE CLIENT SERVICES ASSISTANTS, A RESEARCH ANALYST, A STATISTICAL CLERK, AND A TYPIST-RECEPTIONIST. THE CENTRAL ASSUMPTION BEHIND THE PROGRAM IS THAT DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IS PART OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S LEARNED ADJUSTMENT TO HIS PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL ENVIROMENT. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS OWN BEHAVIOR AND TO DEVELOP WAYS OF COPING CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH PROBLEMS. THE AVERAGE CLIENT OF THIS PROGRAM IS YOUNG, WHITE, AND MALE. IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE COMPLEX OFFENDER PROJECT, 50 PERCENT OF ELIGIBLE CLIENTS WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED TO A CONTROL GROUP WHICH RECEIVED TRADITIONAL PROBATIONARY SUPERVISION. SUBJECTS IN BOTH THE CONTROL AND TREATMENT GROUPS WERE ADMINISTERED INTERVIEWS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS AT VARIOUS TIME INTERVALS. IT WAS FOUND THAT OVER TIME SUBJECTS IN THE COMPLEX OFFENDER PROGRAM HAD LESS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. TREATED SUBJECTS ALSO SHOWED A 20 PERCENT REDUCTION IN UNEMPLOYMENT. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT CLIENTS IN THE COMPLEX OFFENDER PROGRAM WERE MORE APT TO BE ENROLLED IN HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY PROGRAMS THAN WERE CLIENTS RECEIVING TRADITIONAL SUPERVISION. TREATED CLIENTS ALSO WERE JUDGED AS LIVING MORE INDEPENDENT LIVES THAN NONTREATED CLIENTS. TABLES AND FIGURES ARE INCLUDED. (MLC)