NCJ Number
163563
Journal
Journal of Correctional Education Volume: 46 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1995) Pages: 146-154
Date Published
1995
Length
9 pages
Annotation
High risk offenders generally lack the cognitive, behavioral, and social skills necessary for success as productive members of society and these skill deficits may undermine the habitual offender's efforts to remain in society, even after periods of incarceration.
Abstract
In order to reduce recidivism, periods of incarceration need to be augmented by programming designed to address skill deficits. A pilot program is described that was developed to address skill deficits through a writing program. Known as Writing For Our Lives, the program was piloted in 1994 at the Northeastern Correctional Center, a minimum-security facility of the Massachusetts Department of Correction. The writing program is based on a public safety model and has the ultimate goal of reducing recidivism. Specific program goals are to shift offender self-identities from procriminal to prosocial, teach concrete problem-solving and consequential thinking skills, enhance offender social perspective-taking skills, and provide links to prosocial community activities. The article describes accomplishments during the program's first year and plans for the future. 12 references, 8 endnotes, and 2 figures