LONDON (OH) CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT, REMOTIVATION, AND EDUCATION PROJECT

• NCJ Number: 67453
• Author(s): R P SEITER; N J BERAN; C STEVENSON; H E ALLEN
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 21 pages
• Corporate Author: Ohio State University
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: A MONOGRAPH IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM SERIES NO 23

Annotation

A THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY AT THE LONDON, OHIO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION, OPERATED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL INCARCERATION, IS DESCRIBED, AND PLANS FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION ARE OUTLINED.

Abstract

AT THE PLANNING STAGES OF THE COMMUNITY THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY PROGRAM FOR THE STUDY OF CRIME AND DELINQUENCY WAS CONTRACTED TO STUDY AND MEASURE SERVICE EFFECTIVENESS AND COST OF THE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY PROGRAM. THE LONDON THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY WAS DESIGNED TO BE A PROGRAM IN GROUP LIVING WHOSE GOAL IS TO CHANGE ATTITUDES, VALUES AND BEHAVIOR OF OFFENDERS, THUS FORESTALLING RECIDIVISM. IN OPERATION SINCE MAY 21, 1974, THE COMMUNITY CURRENTLY HAS 35 RESIDENTS (54 PERCENT BLACK, 46 PERCENT WHITE) WITH THE MODAL AGE BETWEEN 26-29 YEARS. A TOTAL OF 161 OFFENSES ARE ACCOUNTED FOR BY THE 35 MEN. MOST OF THE MEN ARE MARRIED (40 PERCENT); 20 PERCENT ARE DIVORCED, AND 23 PERCENT ARE SINGLE. CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION TO THE COMMUNITY ARE GENUINE MOTIVATION, BASIC LITERACY, RESIDENCY IN THE MAIN INSTITUTION, AND AT LEAST SIX MONTHS BEFORE PAROLE ELIGIBILITY. THE PROGRAM EMPHASIZES INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY IN FOLLOWING COMMUNITY RULES, AND THE GOAL IS FREE COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS AND THE SYNANON GAME ARE THE PRIMARY TREATMENT APPROACHES; PSYCHODRAMA IS PLANNED; AND THERAPY GROUPS DEAL WITH NUMBERS' PARTICULAR NEEDS, FOCUSING ON INSIGHT, MOTIVATION, OR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. EVALUATION HAS NOT BEGUN, ALTHOUGH EVALUATION METHODOLOGY HAS BEEN DEVELOPED. CONTROL GROUPS WILL BE SELECTED FROM THE GENERAL INSTITUTION POPULATION AND WILL MATCH COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN RACE, AGE, INTELLIGENCE AND GRADE LEVEL, ATTITUDINAL CLASSIFICATION, OFFENSE RECORD, MARITAL STATUS, INCARCERATION TIME, AND TIME TO PAROLE BOARD. THE PREEXPERIMENTAL AND POSTEXPERIMENTAL SURVEYS, TREATMENT DIFFERENTIALS, INSTITUTIONAL BEHAVIOR, AND POST-RELEASE BEHAVIOR WILL BE ANALYZED TO IDENTIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY, MEASUREMENT INSTRUMENTS WILL BE APPLIED TO ATTITUDES, INSTITUTIONAL BEHAVIOR, AND RELATIVE ADJUSTMENT. REFERENCES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED.