Using Groups in Working With Offenders: A Survey of Groupwork in the Probation Services of England and Wales (From Groupwork With Offenders, P 15-31, 1993, Allan Brown and Brian Caddick, eds. - See NCJ-158762)

• NCJ Number: 158764
• Author(s): B Caddick
• Date Published: 1993
• Length: 17 pages
• Sale Source: Whiting and Birch
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

The probation services of England and Wales were surveyed in 1989 regarding their use of group work with offenders.

Abstract

Forty-three of the 56 services approached responded to the single-page questionnaire and supplied information on some 1,500 group work programs. The number of programs indicated increasing support for group work by the probation service, because a 1966 study revealed that only about one- fourth of the services in England, Scotland, and Wales made use of a group approach in work with offenders, and only a small number of groups were being run. Eighty-four percent of the participants in the 1989 survey reported that group work had been carried out; most listed more than one example. However, the extent of group work varied greatly among agencies. The programs were classified into 12 categories. Six focused on changing or controlling unacceptable or problematic behavior. These included offending behavior groups, alcohol education, traffic offender groups, sex offender groups, addiction groups, and anger management groups. Five appeared to emphasize providing developmental or enabling experiences and accounted for 31 percent of the groups run. These included life and social skills, activity, women's, temporary release, and residents' groups. Findings suggested that the groups focus on the members' needs, experiences, or behaviors as individuals and not on their needs, experiences, or behaviors as people in and affected by a sociocultural context.