Methods Of Modifying Criminals Flashcards
(28 cards)
What is restorative justice?
A system of dealing with crim behaviour (CB) which focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims. Offenders see the impacts of their crime and the process empowers victims by giving them a ‘voice’. Eg, giving financial restitution.
What is restorative justice (continued…)?
It has to be voluntary for all parties and seeks a positive outcome. It’s respectful and not degrading for the offender/victim.
Focus is on the rehabilitation of offenders, acceptance of wrong-doing, empowerment of the victims.
Can involve a face2face meeting or letter/videocall for offender/victim as well as the presence of an impartial facilitator. Or payment is given.
It may be offered as an alternative to prison.
What are the aims of restorative justice?
Rehabilitation of offenders - opportunity for the victim to create an impact statement which allows the offender to understand the effect of the crime on the victim. This may lead to a reduction in reoffending.
What is the 1st step of restorative justice?
Acceptance of responsibility:
Offender encouraged to take responsibility for the crime in hopes that it will affect future behaviour.
This active role in their rehabilitation may lead to a change in attitude towards the crime.
What is the 2nd step of restorative justice (RJ)?
Atonement for wrongdoing:
Offenders may offer concrete compensation but atonement should mainly be psychological and showing empathy for the victim.
RJ
Alternative intervention that focuses on the victim, offender and wider community. It sees crime as a breakdown in community relations something needs to be repaired and put right.
What is a strength/weakness of the effectiveness of RJ (success)?
UK RJ council - 85% satisfaction from victims who had to face2face meetings with their offenders. The reports covered a range of different crimes. Victims claim greater sense of satisfaction from RJ in comparison to mainstream court. However, only UK based.
What is a strength/weakness of the effectiveness of RJ (reoffending)?
Reduced reoffending rate - Sherman and Strang reviewed 20 studies of face2face RJ meetings in US, UK and Australia. All studies reported reduced reoffending. The UK restorative justice council report 37% reoffending rate from RJ. Still many reoffending. Can create safer society.
What is a weakness of the effectiveness of RJ (crime types)?
Although RJ council argue that RJ can be used with all types of crime/offender, it’s more suitable for some types of crime than others. Eg, crimes of sexual/domestic abuse, the victim may not be comfortable meeting with the offender as it may be traumatic to go through the experience again. Offender also needs to admit to the crime to be a part of RJ.
What is a strength/weakness of the ethics of RJ (protection from harm)?
May be distressing for the victim, bringing up past trauma. However, it is voluntary, so victims know what they are getting into.
What is a strength of the social implications of RJ (cost)?
Cheaper than keeping people in prisons, costs around £50000 per person per year + helps reduce the strain on the prison population.
What is a strength of the social implications of RJ (safety)?
Creates a safer community -> reduces reoffending, less crime being modelled to children so not learning to commit crimes = further reduces offending.
What is anger management (AM)?
A type of CBT that reduces emotional response (anger), by reconceptualising it used CBT skills.
It focuses on offenders with violent behaviour that has become out of control.
Short-term - reduces anger/aggression in prisons.
Long-term - reduces the reoffending rate/promotes rehabilitation.
What is attribution bias in relation to AM?
It’s linked to the cognitive explanation of CB.
Suggests that criminals have a tendency towards irrational ways of thinking (hostile attribution bias).
Attribution - how we interpret someone’s actions (someone’s smile = they like you).
Hostile attribution bias (someone smiles at you = you infer that they are sneering at you + you have a problem).
These negative interpretations = increased anger and violence.
What are the 3 elements of anger?
Cognitive.
Physiological.
Behavioural.
What are the aims of AM?
To change the way an offender responds to their anger/aggression. Changing the way an offender thinks about a situation will therefore change their behaviour.
What 3 key terms did Novaco identify?
Cognitive restructuring - having greater self-awareness and control over cognitive triggers.
Regulation of arousal - learning to control the physiological state.
Behavioural strategies - problem solving skills, strategic withdrawal and assertiveness.
What is the stress inoculation model?
Most AM programmes are based on Novaco’s work. His model draws on stress inoculation training which is a form of CBT - giving them a form of coping before the problem arises.
This training tends to be carried out with a group in a prison.
What is the 1st step of AM?
Cognitive preparation: (conceptualisation)
The offender learns about anger and analyse their own anger patterns and identify situations that provoke their own anger so they can recognise when an aggressive outburst may occur.
Thought patterns are challenged and offender considers negative consequences of anger on others.
What is the 2nd step of AM?
Skill acquisition:
Offenders taught skills to help manage anger.
Cog flexibility, relaxation, communication skills to enable them to deal with conflict assertively and constructively and not angrily.
What is the 3rd step of AM?
Application:
Offenders apply the skills they’ve learnt in controlled situations. They role play in various situations that made them angry to show how they can control their anger + change their response.
They receive feedback and try skills in real world.
What is a strength/weakness of the effectiveness of AM (Ireland)?
Ireland - 50 male prisoners who completed AM were compared to controls. Prisoners who completed AM rated themselves lower on AM questionnaire. No significant reduction in the control group. 92% of prisoners showed improvement on at least 1 measure of aggression. However - use of questionnaire.
What is a weakness of the effectiveness of AM (nurture)?
AM only focuses on cog+behavioural aspects of anger and ignores the possible role that physical factors (high testosterone levels) may have on someone. So it’s incomplete.
What is a strength of the effectiveness of AM (volunteer)?
Offenders take part voluntarily = increased effectiveness as offenders who take part voluntarily are usually more committed to its success. Contrast to other treatments, eg, token economy, which are enforced over an entire prison system, so not always successful.
