TREATMENT OF OFFENDERS IN A PENITENTIARY-HOSPITAL SETTING - A BEHAVIOURIST POINT OF VIEW

• NCJ Number: 47752
• Journal: CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND CORRECTIONS Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: (JULY 1976) Pages: 238-246
• Author(s): P V OKULITCH; F M VANFLEET
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Canadian Criminal Justice Assoc
• Sale Source: Mount Sinai Medical Ctr
• Language: English
• Country: Canada
• Note: SHORTENED VERSION OF THIS PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CANADIAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION, OCTOBER 1974, OTTAWA, ONTARIO

Annotation

APPLICABILITY OF BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES TO A VARIETY OF PROBLEMS IN A PENITENTIARY SETTING IS DISCUSSED. PROBLEM ASSESSMENT, TREATMENT PLANNING, AND TREATMENT EVALUATION ARE REVIEWED.

Abstract

BEHAVIORAL THERAPY IS NORMALLY DEFINED AS THE USE OF EXPERIMENTALLY ESTABLISHED PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING FOR THE PURPOSE OF CHANGING UNADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR. AT LEAST FOUR SEPARATE PROBLEM AREAS MAY BE IDENTIFIED AND TREATED: UNDESIRABLE WARD BEHAVIORS, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS, ATTITUDINAL PROBLEMS, AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS. PROBLEM ASSESSMENT IS BEST DONE BY THOSE WHO HAVE THE GREATEST DAILY CONTACT WITH THE PATIENT. THE WARD ASSESSMENT FORM PROVIDES AN OBJECTIVE METHOD FOR BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT. ONCE PROBLEM BEHAVIORS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, STAFF MEMBERS MAY KEEP A DAILY RECORD OF BEHAVIORS TO AID IN FORMULATION OF A TREATMENT PLAN. ROLE-PLAYING AND THE VIDEOTAPING OF CONTRIVED SITUATIONS HAVE PROVED HELPFUL IN ASSESSING SOCIALLY ORIENTED PROBLEMS. ATTITUDINAL MEASURES OR PHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING CAN ALSO PROVE HELPFUL IN THE EVALUATION OF PROBLEMS. TREATMENT MAY INVOLVE USING POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT OF DESIRABLE BEHAVIORS, NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT OF UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIORS, OR PUNISHERS. FOR INSTANCE, GIVING OR WITHHOLDING PRAISE FOR SPECIFIED BEHAVIORS ARE EXAMPLES OF THE FIRST TWO TYPES OF REINFORCERS. PUNISHERS FOR UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIORS MAY INCLUDE THE APPLICATION OF A NOXIOUS EVENT OR THE REMOVAL OF A PLEASANT CONSEQUENCE. OTHER BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT STRATEGIES MAY INCLUDE COUNTERCONDITIONING, SYSTEMATIC DESENSITIZATION, DEEP-RELAXATION TRAINING, AND SOCIAL SKILLS OR ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING. GOAL ATTAINMENT SCALING IS RECOMMENDED AS A METHOD FOR EVALUATION. THIS METHOD REQUIRES THE STATEMENT OF SPECIFIC PROBLEM BEHAVIORS TO BE CHANGED AND THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DEFINITE GOALS TO BE ACHIEVED BY TREATMENT. THE PRESCRIBED TREATMENT STRATEGY AND THE PATIENT'S PROGRESS IN TERMS OF CLEARLY OBSERVABLE AND QUANTIFIABLE BEHAVIORS TOWARD MEETING THE EXPECTED GOALS MUST BE RECORDED. REFERENCES AND A COPY OF THE FORM FOR GOAL ATTAINMENT SCALING ARE PROVIDED. (JAP)