NCJ Number
60356
Journal
OFFENDER REHABILITATION Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: (SPRING 1979) Pages: 245-256
Date Published
1979
Length
12 pages
Annotation
USING RATIONAL BEHAVIOR TRAINING AS A STRATEGY FOR TREATING INCARCERATED MALE OFFENDERS WITH ALCOHOL ABUSE PROBLEMS IS EXAMINED IN THIS STUDY OF 80 INMATES AT THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN LEXINGTON, KY.
Abstract
THIS STUDY CONFIRMS THE VIEW THAT RATIONAL BEHAVIOR COUNSELING IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR INCARCERATED ADULTS. THIS COUNSELING STRATEGY, A HIGHLY DIRECTIVE METHOD OF TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO INCREASE THEIR REASONING SKILL SO THEY CAN BETTER HANDLE PROBLEMS AND STRESSES OF DAILY LIVING, USED WITH 80 RESIDENTS OF THE ALCOHOL REHABILITATION UNIT AT THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN LEXINGTON, KY. COUNSELING METHODS CONSISTED OF FIVE TECHNIQUES TO TEACH INMATES THE CONSEQUENT GOALS OF LEARNING THE SKILLS INVOLVED IN RATIONAL THINKING, IN TERMS OF WHAT THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THESE GOALS COULD MEAN TO THEM ONCE THEY HAD CHANGED THEIR THINKING AND BEHAVIOR PATTERNS; THE FIVE BASIC CRITERIA FOR RATIONAL THINKING; THE ANATOMY OF AN EMOTION; UNDERSTANDING AND USING RATIONAL SELF-ANALYSIS; AND USING IMAGERY IN RATIONAL SELF-CONDITIONING. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS PROGRAM WAS EVALUATED WHILE THE INMATES WERE IN PRISON AND AFTER THEY WERE RELEASED ON PAROLE. TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE START OF THIS PROGRAM, RESIDENTS WERE RECEIVING AN AVERAGE OF 26 DISCIPLINE REPORTS PER MONTH. AFTER 3 MONTHS OF THE PROGRAM, THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DISCIPLINE REPORTS DROPPED TO SIX REPORTS PER MONTH. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE REPORTS WERE BEING RECEIVED BY NEW RESIDENTS. IT WAS FOUND THAT DURING THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF THE FOLLOW-UP DATA COLLECTION OF 15 RESIDENTS RELEASED ON PAROLE, ONLY 2 HAD PROBLEMS SEVERE ENOUGH TO HAVE THEIR PAROLE REVOKED. ADDITIONAL FOLLOWUPS SHOULD BE MADE AFTER 1 OR 2 YEARS. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (KCP)