NCJ Number
44466
Journal
Monatsschrift fuer Kriminologie und Strafrechtsreform Volume: 60 Issue: 4 Dated: (AUGUST 1977) Pages: 218-226
Date Published
1977
Length
9 pages
Annotation
A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE REHABILITATIVE TREATMENT MODEL IN THE UNITED STATES IS PRESENTED; PARTICULAR EMPHASIS IS ON VARIOUS PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA.
Abstract
THE OVERALL ASSUMPTION THAT THE MODEL HAS FAILED IS QUESTIONED; RATHER, THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE ONE OF AMBIGUITY AND CONFUSION WITH REGARD TO THE TREATMENT MODEL. THE LARGE NUMBER OF EXPERIMENTS AND EXAMINATIONS REVEALS FEW CLEAR GUIDELINES OR SUBSTANTIATED RESULTS. DISORGANIZATION, AMBIGUOUS CRITERIA, AND LACK OF METHODOLOGICAL AGREEMENT MAKE A COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE. CONCEPTIONS OF THE VARIABLE 'TREATMENT SUCCESS' ARE SELDOM CLEAR OR UNIFORM. DOUBTFULNESS WITH REGARD TO SUCCESS CRITERIA CAN ALSO BE OBSERVED WITH THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT TECHNIQUES. THE USE OF UNSHARED AND LARGELY INTUITIVE PROCEDURES BY DIFFERENT WORKERS IS PREDOMINANT. THESE TACTICS ARE OFTEN VAGUE AND ARE NOT BASED ON AVAILABLE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE REGARDING THE NATURE OF OFFENDERS. THE METHODS ARE COMBINATIONS OF BROAD BEHAVIORAL THEORIES AND SPECULATIVE HUNCHES ARRIVED AT THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR BY MANY 'PARAPROFESSIONALS.' DANGERS AND ABUSE OF TREATMENT IN CLOSED INSTITUTIONS ARE ILLUSTRATED, FOLLOWED BY A DISCUSSION ON PRISONERS' RIGHTS. GIVEN THE EXPERIENCES IN THE UNITED STATES, THE APPLICATION OF THE TREATMENT MODEL IN OTHER COUNTRIES IS NOT RECOMMENDED WITHOUT SERIOUS ALTERATIONS. SOME OF THE SUGGESTIONS INCLUDE A CENTRAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION TO SUPERVISE PLANNING AND PURSUIT OF ALL STUDIES AND TO PROMOTE ACCOMPANYING RESEARCH, AS WELL AS THE INTERPRETATION AND EXAMINATION OF ALREADY EXISTING RESEARCH AND ITS REAPPLICATION. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MODEL SHOULD BE BASED ON A COLLECTION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS FROM HOME AND ABROAD. IT IS NOTED THAT ALL EFFORTS REMAIN EXPERIMENTAL IN NATURE UP TO 1977, AND NO SUCCESS CAN BE GUARANTEED. -- IN GERMAN.