NCJ Number
66863
Date Published
1978
Length
20 pages
Annotation
THE PROCEDURE AND RESULTS OF USING VIDEOTAPE TO TRAIN INMATES FOR PEER COUNSELING ARE DESCRIBED AND DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE SUBJECTS, NINE MALE INMATES IN THE FEDERAL PENITENTIARY AT MCNEIL ISLAND, WASHINGTON, CAME FROM DIVERSE EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS AND WERE IMPRISONED FOR A VARIETY OF CRIMES. THE TRAINING, WHICH CONSISTED PRIMARILY OF A SERIES OF VIDEOTAPES CREATED FROM PREVIOUS STAFF TRAINING, WAS INTENDED TO HELP THE SUBJECTS AID OTHER INMATES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONAL, SOCIAL, AND EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. THE TRAINING WAS CONDUCTED OVER A 6-WEEK PERIOD WITH 10 1-HOUR VIDEOTAPES. AFTER VIEWING EACH TAPE, THE SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS OF THREE TO PRACTICE THE SKILLS DEMONSTRATED ON THE TAPE. EACH SUBJECT ACTED IN THE ROLES OF CLIENT, COUNSELOR, AND OBSERVER. PRIOR TO AND AFTER TRAINING, EACH PARTICIPANT WAS VIDEOTAPED, WHILE COUNSELING RANDOMLY ASSIGNED VOLUNTEER INMATE 'CLIENTS' NOT OTHERWISE ASSOCIATED WITH THE STUDY. SUBJECTS WERE RATED IN THEIR COUNSELING TECHNIQUES BY A DOCTORAL STUDENT IN COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY. WHEN COMPARED WITH THEIR PERFORMANCE BEFORE TRAINING, THE INMATE COUNSELORS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER PERFORMANCE ON THE THREE CRITERIA VARIABLES THE PROGRAM EMPHASIZED: VERBAL AND NONVERBAL REINFORCEMENT, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND THE STEPS INVOLVED IN THE OVERALL COUNSELING PROCESS. TABULAR DATA, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)