Treatments for Offenders

Question 1

FRIENDSHIP AND CANN

Cognitive Skills Programme used with offenders

Answer 1

CSP are based on the belief that before a criminal act can occur it must be preceded by criminal thoughts and therefore if the faulty criminal thinking patterns are stopped then progress can be made towards a non-criminal lifestyle.

1. Reasoning and Rehabilitation (R&R)
   Designed to provide offenders with the opportunity to learn and experience new behavioural and cognitive skills. Compromises of 35 sessions and includes 7 modules such as problem solving, negotiation skills, creative thinking and critical reasoning.
2. Enhanced Thinking Skills (ETS)
   Intended to develop prisoners cognitive skills and targets their thinking styles, self-control and interpersonal skills. Compromises of 20 sessions and is available in 78 establishments.

Question 2

FRIENDSHIP 2002
(Effectiveness of cognitive skills programmes)
Aim

Answer 2

To evaluate the success of cognitive skills programmes for prisoners.

Question 3

FRIENDSHIP 2002
(Effectiveness of cognitive skills programmes)
Method

Answer 3

Quasi experiment.
The experimental group took part in the CSP and the control group did not but this was not manipulated by the researchers.

Question 4

FRIENDSHIP 2002
(Effectiveness of cognitive skills programmes)
Participants

Answer 4

670 adult male offenders serving a sentence of two or more years who voluntarily participated in the cognitive skills programme between 1992 & 1996.

Question 5

FRIENDSHIP 2002
(Effectiveness of cognitive skills programmes)
Procedure

Answer 5

The programme focused on correcting faulty thinking patterns which have been linked to offending behaviour. Participants received either 20 or 36 sessions.

The main aims of the programme included the development of skills that helped the men gain:
Self-control
Interpersonal problem solving skills
Social perspective taking
Understanding the rules which govern behaviour

Reconviction rates for the two groups were compared.

Question 6

FRIENDSHIP 2002
(Effectiveness of cognitive skills programmes)
Results

Answer 6

There was a significant drop in reconviction rates. Reconviction rates after two years were up to 14% lower than the comparison group.

Question 7

FRIENDSHIP 2002
(Effectiveness of cognitive skills programmes)
Conclusion

Answer 7

Cognitive skills programmes are successful in reducing reconviction rates.
Following the publication of this report the cognitive skills programme was rolled out across the prison service in the belief that it was a cost effective way of reducing the prison population in the long term.

Question 8

CANN 2006
(Impact of CSP in reducing re-conviction rates)
Aim

Answer 8

To find out if cognitive skills programmes were effective in terms of lowering re-conviction rates for a sample of women prisoners.

Question 9

CANN 2006
(Impact of CSP in reducing re-conviction rates)
Participants

Answer 9

180 women offenders who had started Enhanced Thinking Skills (ETS) or Reasoning & Rehabilitation (R & R) between 1996 and 2000.

The comparison group was made up of 540 offenders who did not participate in these programmes.

Question 10

CANN 2006
(Impact of CSP in reducing re-conviction rates)
Procedure

Answer 10

The expected 2 year reconviction rates were calculated for all the women and they were then matched on whether they were at high, medium or low risk of conviction.
Actual reconviction rates were calculated for 1 year and 2 years after release.

Question 11

CANN 2006
(Impact of CSP in reducing re-conviction rates)
Results

Answer 11

There was no significant difference between the groups for expected re-conviction rates.

Question 12

CANN 2006
(Impact of CSP in reducing re-conviction rates)
Conclusion

Answer 12

Cognitive skills training may not be an effective treatment strategy for female offenders.

Cann argued that the results for women were because:
• Women offend for different reasons than men. Women offend because of drug abuse, relationship problems, emotional factors & financial.
• The programmes were not appropriate for the women’s needs, having been developed for men and with men’s risk factors in mind.
• The programmes were not delivered consistently in the women’s prisons & were limited in length, not meeting the standards required.

Question 13

IRELAND 2000
(Describe ‘anger management’ as a treatment programme for offenders)
Background

Answer 13

Anger management is a therapeutic treatment programme that assumes violence is caused by anger and that if violent individuals learn to control their anger their violent behaviour will decrease. They are based largely on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Techniques (CBT) where they combine behaviourist principles of reinforcement and positive cognitive processes.

Question 14

IRELAND 2000
(Describe ‘anger management’ as a treatment programme for offenders)
Aim

Answer 14

To assess the effectiveness of a group-based anger management programme.

Question 15

IRELAND 2000
(Describe ‘anger management’ as a treatment programme for offenders)
Method

Answer 15

Quasi Experiment, taking advantage of two naturally occurring groups.

Question 16

IRELAND 2000
(Describe ‘anger management’ as a treatment programme for offenders)
Participants

Answer 16

Experimental group of 50 young male prisoners who had completed the anger management course (made a comparison between pre and post scores for a treatment).

Control group of 37 young male prisoners who had been assessed as suitable for such a course but had not actually completed one.

The two groups were matched in terms of age, offence and level of angry behaviours reported prior to completing the course.

Question 17

IRELAND 2000
(Describe ‘anger management’ as a treatment programme for offenders)
Procedure

Answer 17

Both groups were assessed on two measures 2 weeks before the start of the course and eight weeks later:

1) A Prison Officers’ behavioural checklist
(a checklist completed by prison officers concerning 29 different angry behaviours with scores of 0, 1 or 2 for how often a particular prisoner had shown them in the previous week)

2) An anger management assessment questionnaire, which was a self report questionnaire completed by the prisoners, consisting of 53 items which could indicate an anger problem.

The experimental group participants were given 12 one hour sessions over a three day period. Within these sessions they:
• Became aware of the process by which they become angry
• Were informed of the benefits of controlling their anger
• Improved their techniques of anger management
• Were allowed to practice anger management through role plays

Question 18

IRELAND 2000
(Describe ‘anger management’ as a treatment programme for offenders)
Results

Answer 18

Prison Officers’ checklist – There was a significant reduction in angry behaviours in the experimental group but no difference in the control group.

Anger management questionnaire – The experimental group scored significantly lower on self-reported angry behaviours after completion of the course.
There was no difference for the control group.
Overall 92% of the prisoners in the experimental group showed improvement on at least one measure.

Question 19

IRELAND 2000
(Describe ‘anger management’ as a treatment programme for offenders)
Conclusion

Answer 19

In the short term the anger management programme could be considered a success and significantly reduced disruptive/angry behaviour in prisoners.
However, there is no later re-conviction data so we cannot know if the programmes effects were sustained after leaving prison.

Question 20

WHEATLEY 2007
(How has ear acupuncture been used as a treatment programme?)
Background

Answer 20

Acupuncture was developed prior to scientific medicine and involves fine needles being inserted into traditionally determined points in the body.
Ear acupuncture involves stimulating key points in the ear and can reduce craving to drugs in the brain.

Question 21

WHEATLEY 2007
(How has ear acupuncture been used as a treatment programme?)
Aim

Answer 21

To assess the effectiveness of ear acupuncture in treating substance abuse of prisoners.

Question 22

WHEATLEY 2007
(How has ear acupuncture been used as a treatment programme?)
Participants

Answer 22

350 prisoners in 6 high-security prisons who received acupuncture and the standard care programme which is called FOCUS.
Control group did not receive acupuncture but did get the standard care programme.

Question 23

WHEATLEY 2007
(How has ear acupuncture been used as a treatment programme?)
Procedure

Answer 23

Two trained practitioners worked with groups of 10-15 prisoners in a relaxed setting.
Fine needles were inserted into five acupuncture points in the ear and then the prisoners relaxed for a 40-minute period, they then returned to normal duties.

Question 24

WHEATLEY 2007
(How has ear acupuncture been used as a treatment programme?)
Results

Answer 24

Qualitative data:
Prisoners reported improvements in wellbeing such as
• Better sleep
• Improved relaxation
• Better coping skills
• Reduced cravings for nicotine
• Amended cognitions
• Health improvements
• They made more effort to communicate with their families & attend classes.

Quantitative data:
• 70% reduction in drug related incidents
• 42% reduction in positive drug testing results

Question 25

WHEATLEY 2007
(How has ear acupuncture been used as a treatment programme?)
Conclusion

Answer 25

The author believes that there is enough evidence for the effectiveness of ear acupuncture to expand the delivery of the programme throughout the prison system & believes that acupuncture works as a complementary therapy with other programmes.