Rehabilitation Based on the Empirical Essay

The needs principle says that interventions should target the known predictors of crime and recidivism for change. There are two types of predictors for recidivism: static predictors, such as criminal history, and dynamic predictors, such as antisocial values. Those predictors that can be changed are the predictors that should be targeted by rehabilitation programs. The dynamic factors that can be changed are: antisocial/procriminal attitudes, values, beliefs, and cognitive-emotional states, procriminal associates, isolation from anticriminal others, antisocial personality factors, and dysfunctional family relationships. Those are the factors that should be targeted in rehabilitation programs. Second, is the responsivity principle. The responsivity principle provides that treatment services should be behavioral in nature, because of the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral and social-learning interventions in changing human behavior, particularly those behaviors that are linked to recidivism. "Reinforcements in the program should be largely positive, not negative. And the services should be intensive, lasting three to nine months and occupying 40% to 70% of the offenders' time while they are in the program" (Gendreau, 2011).Third is the risk principle. The risk principle suggests that treatment interventions should be used with higher-risk offenders, and target their dynamic risk factors for change. The prevailing view is that low-risk criminals are a better object for rehabilitation because they may be less invested in criminal behavior, but high-risk offenders can change, and rehabilitation for high-risk offenders offers the best savings for society. Moreover, high-risk offenders have more risk factors to change. The fourth principle is not actually a principle, but simply the idea that other considerations, if addressed, can help increase the effectiveness of a rehabilitation program. These principles include: community-based interventions when possible, well-trained staff, follow-up treatment after the rehabilitation program is completed, and matching the treatment program to an offender's learning style.

References

Gendreau, P. (2011). What works to change offenders. In F.T. Cullen and C.L. Johnson (Eds.)

Correctional theory: Context and Consequences (pp.147-170). Thousand Oaks: Sage….....