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2017 | Book

Correctional Counseling and Treatment

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About this book

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the methods used in the Criminal Justice system in the United States to counsel and treat offenders. It is aimed at advanced undergraduate and early graduate-level students for courses in Correctional Treatment or Rehabilitation, or Community Corrections more broadly.

The sections in the book provide:

- Aims and Scope of Correctional Counseling and Treatment
-Tools that Corrections Workers Use (including counseling and case management)
- Behavioral Modification Treatments: Examples and Applications
- Cognitive Therapies: Examples and Applications

Throughout the text, there is an emphasis on the big picture: the interaction of the correctional component of the justice system with other components, particularly courts (including special courts like family courts, drug courts, veterans courts and other programs).

Chapters in this book address the diverse population of correctional facilities, including juvenile offenders; those with mental illness, addiction and substance abuse problems, physical and mental disabilities; and homeless populations. The author also provides analysis of how legislation influences the corrections process.

This work is also enhanced by providing comparative analysis of the criminal and juvenile justice systems: their goals, objectives, and how these can affect counseling and treatment available within these two systems.

This pedagogical features of this engaging text include: excerpted interviews with correctional practitioners about the problems and challenges they encounter, discussion questions, classification instruments and real-world examples of specific treatments programs, and case studies that give students the chance to select the appropriate interviewing, counseling or treatment approach to deal with the problem/ issues of the case.

This work provides students with an overview of the methods used for Correctional Treatment and Counseling, and the tools to begin to think critically about how and when to apply these methods.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter

Correctional Counseling and Treatment: Past and Present

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. The Scope and Purposes of Correctional Treatment
Abstract
In this chapter, corrections, correctional treatment, punishment, rehabilitation, and models of treatment are defined and explained. The history of correctional treatment is reviewed, describing the economic, social, and political factors that have an effect on the emphasis that is given to either punishment or treatment of criminal offenders in a society. The use of the “medical” model for treatment of adult and juvenile offenders is contrasted with the use of the “just deserts” and “justice” models.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 2. Applying Restorative Justice Models in the Correctional Process
Abstract
The concept restorative justice implies that the criminal offender, the victim, and the community should all be involved in the offender’s rehabilitation process. The offender must be held responsible for the harm caused to an individual and the community and compensate the victim and the community in a manner that is reasonable and just. The victim of crime has an opportunity to participate in the criminal justice process by providing input during the offender’s trial and sentencing and also by being compensated for physical, psychological, or property harm. The community participates in the restorative justice process by assisting in integrating the offender back into the community as a functioning member. In this chapter, several of the models used in restorative justice, including mediation, diversion, family counseling, and the application of restorative justice in community and institutional corrections, will be described.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 3. The Criminal Justice System in Transition: Assisting Victims of Crime
Abstract
The movement to call attention to and assist victims of crime in the United States was closely tied in with other movements such as the civil rights movement and women’s movement. Until the 1950s, the victims of crime were chiefly viewed in terms of being witnesses for the prosecution who were called to testify against persons charged with crimes against them. As the mass media drew attention to the inequalities of the justice system, the needs of minorities, women, and victims drawn into the system received more attention. Federal legislation passed in the 1970s provided funding for the establishment of victim services agencies. Gradually, state legislators enacted laws that benefited victims of crime in terms of offering compensation and other types of assistance to those physically or materially harmed by criminal activity. The justice system followed suit by involving the victims in the judicial component through victim impact statements and creating dispositions that would protect the victims from future victimization by convicted offenders.
Peter C. Kratcoski

The Diverse Roles of Counselors in Correctional Treatment

Frontmatter
Chapter 4. Continuity and Change in the Roles of Correctional Personnel
Abstract
If the field of corrections is defined in a broad manner, such as bringing a person to a state of behavior in which their acts are in conformity with the laws of society, every person who comes in contact with someone who has allegedly committed a criminal act who has some positive effect on changing the person’s behavior can be considered a corrections worker. Police officers assigned to juvenile diversion programs, student resource officers working in the schools, judges who preside over family courts and juvenile drug courts, teachers, religious advisors, mental health specialists, family members, and volunteers who assist in the rehabilitation of those convicted of a criminal or delinquent act can be considered correctional workers.
In this chapter, the personnel traditionally associated with corrections are defined, and their roles are explained. The roles of probation officers, parole officers (post-release supervisors), counselors, social workers, and correctional officers are described in the context of the expectations and legal requirements that direct their performance.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 5. Treatment of Juvenile Offenders: Diversion and Formal Processing
Abstract
In this chapter, various means used to process juvenile offenders are considered. The juvenile court was created with the specific philosophy of serving as a parent substitute for those children in need of supervision and parental care. The underlying approach to the processing of juvenile offenders centers on the concept of minimizing the penetration of juvenile offenders into the juvenile justice system. Community-based diversion programs such as police diversion, teen youth courts, school resource officer programs, and specialized treatment programs for juveniles with problems related to substance abuse, sex offenses, and family violence have been created. Counseling programs for those juveniles housed in residential facilities are also considered.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 6. Diverting Special Categories of Offenders to Community Treatment Programs
Abstract
In this chapter, alternative methods for processing certain categories of offenders are explored. Various specialty courts for the mentally ill, substance abuse offenders, family violence offenders, and veterans’ and community courts for those who commit misdemeanor offenses are described. The criteria for acceptance to a specialty court, the process followed, and the supervision and treatment programs relating to each type of court are explained.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 7. The Functions of Classification and Assessment Models in Correctional Treatment
Abstract
Classification systems have been used in the field of corrections in the United States for purposes of control and punishment for many years. In the penitentiaries, inmates were separated on the basis of the level of security needed to control them. During the Reformatory Era, inmates were placed into different categories on the basis of security needed and progress made toward being rehabilitated. For example, in the Elmira Reformatory for young offenders, inmates moved from the lowest level to the prerelease level. More privileges were given with each level. During the 1960s and 1970s, classification models were developed and used to separate inmates for security and treatment needs, and several classification systems were also developed for supervising probationers and parolees. In the latter part of the twentieth century and up to the present time, the emphasis is on using evidence-based instruments to assess offenders’ potential for recidivating as well as to assess what types of treatment would be likely to assist the offender to make the desired changes in behavior and lifestyle.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 8. Community-Based Sanctions: Probation and Post-release Supervision
Abstract
This chapter defines probation and traces the origins of probation from its early development to the present time. The organization and operations of municipal, state, and federal probation in the United States are explained. The role of the probation officer and an explanation of the ways the role of the probation officer has changed are examined. The post-release process (parole) is described, and the use of evidence-based assessment instruments in probation and parole is considered.
Peter C. Kratcoski, Susan Crittenden, Susan Worstall
Chapter 9. Community Residential Treatment and Institutional Treatment
Abstract
In this chapter, the origins and growth of residential treatment facilities in the United States are discussed. Many of the first facilities to open, such as Dismas House, continue to operate up to the present time. However, the scope of the treatment programs and the types of offenders admitted to the facilities have expanded. Several organizations that started as a one facility center housing 10–15 residents now have numerous facilities located throughout the United States. Although some of the community residential centers serve as all-purpose treatment facilities taking in a wide range of offenders, the majority now serve as facilities that provide housing and treatment for offenders with a specific problem. Several of the programs in specialized residential treatment facilities are considered in this chapter. In addition, the facilities that are administered by private profit or nonprofit organizations are compared with community residential facilities that are under the auspicious of a local or state government.
The characteristics of programs designed to treat offenders incarcerated in state or federal treatment facilities are explained and illustrated in the chapter. Special problems relating to providing treatment in a secure facility are given attention in the chapter and the methods used by state and federal agencies to address these problems, such as developing separate facilities, for the mentally ill, are considered in the chapter.
Peter C. Kratcoski, Debra White

Treatment Models Used in Corrections

Frontmatter
Chapter 10. The Interview: A Basic Tool Used in Correctional Counseling and Treatment
Abstract
The interview is the basic tool used by criminal justice agencies to obtain information from offenders and witnesses. It is also used to gather information that will be helpful to those engaged in supervising and providing services to those under supervision of a correctional agency. There are several basic methods that can be used in interviewing, including face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, self-complete interviews, and electronic interviews. Each method has its advantages and limitations. Generally, the face-to-face interview is preferable in corrections, since it is possible for the interviewer to clarify questions posed to the interviewee, provide information on expectations and services that are available, observe body language, probe answers given, and have an opportunity to establish some rapport with the person being interviewed. In this chapter, types of interviews will be described, the interviewing cycle will be explained, and examples of interviews will be given.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 11. Behavior Modification Programs Used in Corrections
Abstract
Behavior modification programs have been used in corrections as a management tool as well as a treatment modality. Although there are many variations, the basic principle is grounded in costs and rewards. Regardless of the situation, behavior that is considered good is rewarded, and behavior that is considered bad is punished in some way. Children who do well in school are rewarded by being listed on the honor roll and receiving praise and perhaps some material reward from parents. The positive experience serves as a reinforcement to continue the behavior that led to the good grades. In corrections, offenders placed on community supervision who conform to the rules of probation are rewarded by being released from probation at the time scheduled. If they do not conform to the rules, they might be punished by having their probation revoked and being sent to prison. In the community residential and institutional settings, residents placed in a behavior modification program are rewarded for good behavior by receiving more privileges, by being released at an earlier time than scheduled, and by knowing they have accomplished something personal such as achieving an improved self-image or having developed work skills.
In this chapter, several variations in the basic behavior modification model are considered, and their application in both community settings and residential settings are illustrated. In addition, several of the legal and moral issues related to behavior modification programs in which extreme methods were used are discussed.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 12. Group Counseling in Corrections
Abstract
The counseling of juveniles and adults who are under the supervision of a criminal justice agency will generally involve some form of individual counseling as well as some form of group counseling. The specific situation or problem for which the counseling is needed, the setting, the resources available, and the desired outcomes from the counseling experience must be considered before a decision can be made on whether to utilize an individual or group method. Group counseling is often the preferred form of counseling for special problem individuals, such as substance abusers, sex offenders, aggressive individuals, family abusers, or those who are emotionally despondent. Such forms of group counseling as guided group interaction, transactional analysis, positive peer culture, conjoint family therapy, and self-help group counseling have been utilized in various settings, including the courts, private agencies, residential treatment centers, and secure correctional facilities.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 13. Brief Therapy and Crisis Intervention
Abstract
Crisis intervention counseling and brief therapy are similar in the sense that it is necessary for the counselor or therapist to develop rapport with the person being counseled very quickly in order to offer some relief to the trauma being experienced. At times, a person who is normally psychologically well balanced can have an experience such as sudden death of a loved one, being a victim of a violent crime, being subjected to bullying, being incarcerated in jail, or witnessing a catastrophic event, and that experience has such an impact that it is difficult for the person to adjust.
Crisis intervention counseling may involve one interaction between the counselor and the person being counseled, the purpose being to try to stabilize the person. This would occur when counseling a recently admitted jail inmate who tried to commit suicide. Brief therapy takes place if the counselor continues to interact with the person on several occasions with the purpose of having the person accept the reality of being locked up and adjusting to the new environment.
In this chapter, examples of brief therapy and crisis intervention are provided.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 14. Cognitive Behavioral Therapies Used in Correctional Treatment
Abstract
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is broadly defined as a type of therapy that focuses on both the cognitive (thinking) and behavioral (action) aspects of a person. CBT is widely used in the counseling and treatment of criminal and juvenile offenders for a variety of reasons. First, even though they are all grounded in the same theoretical framework, there are a numbers of variations in the methods that can be employed and a specific approach can be based on the characteristics of the client, the situation, and the training of the therapist. Second, the effects of CBT can generally be measured, since the methods employed are guided by empirical research and are supportive of the requirement that correctional treatment practices should be evidence-based. Third, CBT can be used in the counseling of individuals as well as groups. Several of the derivatives of the CBT treatment approach such as rational emotive behavior therapy, dialectic behavior therapy, and structured cognitive behavioral training are discussed and illustrated in this chapter.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Chapter 15. Future Perspectives on Counseling and Treatment of Criminal and Delinquent Offenders
Abstract
The field of corrections does not exist in a vacuum. Corrections is only one component of the criminal justice system, and what happens in the law enforcement and judicial components affects the corrections component. In addition, the economic, social, and political factors in play at any period of time also have an effect on the present situation and the future of corrections. In recent years, new state and federal legislation in the United States has been favorable toward the decriminalization of some offenses, particularly those related to drug abuse. There has been an emphasis on diversion, the development of community based treatment, and providing treatment for special groups of offenders. The recognition that almost all criminal offenders, even those sentenced to long term prison sentences, will eventually return to the community has contributed to the increased involvement of various public and private service agencies and groups in the treatment of offenders. It is likely that the current emphasis on using evidence-based programs in the supervision and treatment of offenders will continue in the future.
Peter C. Kratcoski
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Correctional Counseling and Treatment
Author
Peter C. Kratcoski
Copyright Year
2017
Electronic ISBN
978-3-319-54349-9
Print ISBN
978-3-319-54348-2
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54349-9