NCJ Number
165052
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: September 1996 Pages: 10-12
Date Published
September 1996
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Correctional Service of Canada's Regional Health Centre (Pacific) implemented an intensive program to treat violent male offenders in 1990 that emphasizes a cognitive-behavioral and psychosocial dynamic approach to changing the antisocial behavior of offenders.
Abstract
The program helps offenders deal with patterns related to their crime cycle. While learning about behavioral, cognitive, interpersonal, and affective components of violent offending, the offenders focus on communication, addiction, thinking errors, human sexuality and relationships, anger management, and empathy. Research suggests that offenders with significant problems in these areas are more likely to recidivate after release than offenders without such difficulties. To specifically determine whether specialized programming targeting these key needs had an impact on the criminal future of violent offenders, a sample was drawn from a group of 169 federally incarcerated male offenders who had completed the Regional Health Centre's intensive program for violent offenders. Of the 169 offenders, 60 had been released from custody and were available for follow-up. A matched sample of 60 similarly situated male offenders who had not participated in the program was selected from the available offender release population. Although no significant differences were observed between treatment and comparison groups on history of violent offending, differences emerged with regard to type of previous violent offending. For example, the treatment group had roughly twice the number of homicide offenders as the comparison group. The overall recidivism rate for any offense was 40 percent for the treatment group and 35 percent for the comparison group. These figures dropped to 18 percent and 15 percent for violent recidivism. The study confirms that risk assessments predict postrelease general recidivism and that participation in an intensive treatment program for violent offenders positively affects postrelease violent recidivism, particularly for homicide and robbery offenders. 2 notes and 2 tables