Intervention and Treatment Programs for Offenders - Literature review Example

?Running Head: Intervention & Treatment for Offenders Intervention & Treatment for Offenders [Institute’s Intervention & Treatment for Offenders With the technological advancements and revolution in other sectors that include economical, political, and industrial sectors, crime is one of the facets that have come under experience as escalating element in the today’s fast-paced world. Moreover, it has become a widespread part of the lives of the populace of the entire world. Television, newspapers, internet, and even the everyday conversations of the common people have captured the common and matter of concern topic of crime that incorporates both street and brutal crimes, is increasing on daily basis. Furthermore, criminal recidivism has become one of the grave issues and a matter of concern in the United States. However, philosophers have existed who studied and strived to understand and identify with the wicked, harmful and antisocial behaviors and acts of such people, centuries before the psychology came into emergence and appearance (Darrow & Baatz, 2009). However, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary, psychology can come under definition as “the mental or behavioral characteristics of an individual or group”. Moreover, it also states that psychology is also “the study of mind and behavior in relation to a particular field of knowledge or activity” (American Psychological Association, 2007, pp. 32). Psychology in the real world and forensic psychology are both elements of psychology where psychology in the real world refers to the understanding of people’s living behaviors; it helps in the thinking process, challenges the assumptions, and increase curiosity. Whereas, psychology that comes under practical implementation to comprehend human behavior pertinent to the criminal justice system is known as forensic psychology (Fulero & Wrightsman, 2008). The history reveals the piece of information that psychology and particularly forensic psychology did not gained recognition until the middle of the twentieth century. However, with the modern developments and awareness programs it witnessed remarkable growth and achieved popularity with an unprecedented rate in the recent years. Studies also illustrate with the fact that forensic psychology uses other fields of psychology that take account of clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, neuropsychology and social psychology to utilize their psychosocial expertise in order to provide evidence, proof, psychoanalysis and/or recommendations in the legal or criminal cases (Huss, 2008). If one takes an example of a clinical psychologist, they would prove to be helpful in providing the evaluations, diagnosis, and treatment to the individuals who have come under involvement with criminal justice due to their poor mental health conditions or illnesses such as substance abuse or addictions. Nevertheless, with the application of psychology, intervention and treatment programs can come under development to enhance and improve the behavioral patterns of offenders or delinquents involved in the forensic psychology (Huss, 2008). Recent studies also expose the reality that juveniles are the mounting offenders that come under participation in the criminal activities in the present times. Moreover, it has also come under observation that predominantly the male gender is the offenders who have a history of aggressive behavior on an overall basis. However, any stratagem premeditated to curtail the degree of adolescent felony through effective intervention plays a substantial role. Moreover, interventions also come under utilization as one of the essential and crucial elements for the dispositional authorization compelled in various juvenile cases (Loeber & Farrington 1998). While on the other hand, few of the modern research analysis have also come to conclusion that recidivism has come under descendent amongst young and adolescent offenders consequently with various intervention programs. Moreover, the research reviews also disclose the fact that effectiveness of the interventions with diverse types of offenders has not come under much priority and has received modest attention. The studies divulge the actuality that in many of the cases the youth offenders received the intervention that the court ordered and were under the management of the juvenile justice system. However, in few cases, it has come under surveillance that the youthful offenders also received personal administered treatment by the mental health expert in either public or private organizations (Siegel & Welsh, 2011). According to scores of researches, it has come to examination that amongst the various and diverse intervention programs and treatments few have provided clear and apparent evidence to be more constructive and effective. These treatments and interventions embrace skills oriented programs such as interpersonal skills training, individual counseling, behavioral programs, and family-type group homes (Hoge, 2001). The training provided the enhancing social skills or anger controlling preventive measures is the key characteristic that comes under involvement in the interpersonal skills programs or the treatment type. This is the training program where in few cases the video shooting comes under performance in order to assist the young offenders to view their behaviors from others’ perspectives. In addition, the role-taking skill is one of the methods to provide the offenders with the counteractive training (Hoge, 2001). The behavioral program in general includes facilitated group-counseling members that not only develop norms, provide feedback, but also get involved in the decision-making process that control and standardize the behavior. The individual counseling also came under carry out for the youthful delinquent as they came under the treatment with the multi-systemic therapies and received one-to-one counseling (Hoge, 2001). These programs and treatments lasts for several days and in a number of cases it might even last for few weeks. Furthermore, these programs and treatments involve continuous sessions on a very frequent basis where experimental conditions come under exercise while treatments. The length of the treatment was drastically one of the most critical attribute in the treatment in comparison to the size of the treatment as the longer treatment proved to have much more better effects (Hoge, 2001). Another significant and serious concern of the modern day that is augmenting at a dramatic speed is sexual offending. However, over the last few decades the awareness of such an offense has enlarged that is leaving an indelible imprint not only on the victims and the offenders but also on society as whole. As an outcome of sexual offense, the delinquent come under the punishment of imprisonment by the justice system. Imposing fines is another charge that the offenders receive in some cases. Group based treatments are one of the ways to treat the offenders that takes place in the prisons in standard circumstances. However, individual counseling also come under provision for the sexual offenders on a community level that is special hospitals and institutions are present (Fenner, 2008). A variety of different researches and studies has found out that there can be several reasons due to which an individual comes under exposure to the sexual offending. Furthermore, according to these studies, the sexual recidivism has a direct relation to the characteristics of the offenders that comes under development with their historical backgrounds. Pharmacological intervention is extensively one of the most effective methods that have come under implementation for the sex delinquents. Additionally, the studies provide the verity that sexual interest of the offenders radically subsided with this type of treatment (Saleh & Grudzinskas & Bradford & Brodsky, 2009). Psychological treatment is another approach that has come under practice with the sex delinquents. These therapies have provided a helping hand to the offenders to control or remove the factors that have a profound influence of the offending patterns. Moreover, the other interventions and the treatment programs incorporate skill-based treatments such as role-play, anger management, sex education; behavior modification and motivation-oriented treatments like group therapies (Saleh & Grudzinskas & Bradford & Brodsky, 2009). It has come to an examination through scores of empirical examinations and evidences that United States has come under experience with a relatively high proportion of offenders with mental illnesses. Furthermore, the studies also expose the information that there is a high level of risk involved in the treatment strategies for the mentally ill delinquents. However, the intervention programs designed for the treatment of such offenders have exposed the verity that they have proved to be fruitful and successful in declining the violence risk factor (Almeder, 2002). The mentally ill offenders on average come under the treatment that has a focus on pharmaceutical interventions, personal factors, history of the offender and post-discharge living arrangements that persuades the offenders to perform such an inhuman act. Behavioral therapy is again a common and widespread treatment and intervention program that involves various and diverse activities that the community-based organizations and mental health service institutions organize for the mentally ill delinquents (Andrade, 2009). Moreover, researches also conclude that care provided to such offenders on a continual basis has proved an imperative factor for effective mental health treatment involved in the criminal justice system (Carr & Fordham University, 2007).  The statistics illustrates the records that the criminal offenders involved in drug and substance abuse have a much higher proportion in the last few years of the twenty first century. However, with such an escalating fraction of drug and substance abusers, effective interventions and treatment programs have come under development with a high precedence to abate the recidivism (LeCroy & Mann, 2008). Substance abuse intervention programs consist of treatments that come under practice in special recovery homes or institutions where the offenders come under treatment, evaluation, assessment and eventually educated with preventive measures. The rehabilitation of the offenders who are fighting against the substance abuse is they chief and principal component of the treatment. The vocational development and life skills training are the primary areas that come under rehabilitation programs for delinquents. Moreover, the records enlighten with the piece of information that the intervention programs for substance offenders vary in intensity, rate of recurrence, and duration. Therefore, their treatment programs array from comparatively brief one- or two-session interventions, and might even go to programs that come under practice over the course of weeks and months (Lowinson & Ruiz & Millman, 2005). Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is also one of the most effective and efficient ways of treatment and intervention that leaves a thoughtful and intense influence on to the offenders on an overall basis. The cognitive behavioral therapy intend to target the thought, preferences, attitude, approach and systems that comes under alliance with the antisocial and evil behavior and deviant lifestyle of the offenders (Wright, Basco, & Thase, 2006). The CBT therapist carries out a training program for the delinquents where they come under the learning process in the areas where they deficit and illustrate their scarcity. These therapies are in the form of classroom settings where the offenders are present in groups. A structured curriculum with comprehensive and in-depth lesson plans is the key attribute of the cognitive behavioral therapy that even have intense feedback systems and homework assignments (Craske, 2009). With the literature review that has come under detail explanation in the report, it can come to conclusion that although the affect of intervention programs that it leaves on the youthful offenders receive inadequate attention, yet it proves that such intervention programs and treatments helps reducing the overall rates of recidivism amongst them on a significant percentage. Moreover, through an assortment of researches, it has come to discovery that the intervention programs and treatments leave more consistent and stronger influence on recidivism for grave young offenders. Therefore, it is recommendable that various types of intervention and treatment programs should come under provision for the individuals involved in criminal activities or are suffering from mental or psychological illnesses. In other words, areas that include mental health treatment, performance enhancement, self-help, human engineering and several others that have an undeviating influence on the health and daily lives of the individuals can come under application with the psychological treatments. This way the inhabitants would have safe and unharmed environment coupled to a society that if free of all crimes where they are able to live freely and securely without any fear. Additionally, by conducting awareness programs especially for the young generation would aid to great deal in alleviating the criminal activities in the society, as they are the group of people of tomorrow who would become the nations’ success and pride. Research on a continuous basis to come out with new and fresh techniques for the intervention programs and treatments by the psychologist would also aid the quality of life for the offenders and would help them in their rehabilitation or remediation of difficulties. References Almeder, R. F. (2002). Mental illness and public health care. Humana Press. American Psychological Association. (2007). Getting in: a step-by-step plan for gaining admission to graduate school in psychology. American Psychological Association. Andrade, J. T. (2009). Handbook of violence risk assessment and treatment: new approaches for mental health professionals. Springer Publishing Company. Carr, W. A. & Fordham University. (2007). Prediction of working alliance in post-release mentally ill offenders. ProQuest. Craske, M. G. (2009). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. American Psychological Association. Darrow, C. & Baatz, S. (2009). Crime: Its Cause and Treatment. Kaplan Publishing. Fenner, J. V. (2008). Sex Offenders: Management, Treatment, and Bibliography. Nova Publishers. Fulero, S. M., Wrightsman, L. S. (2008). Forensic psychology. Cengage Learning. Huss, M. T. (2008). Forensic psychology: research, clinical practice, and applications. Wiley-Blackwell. LeCroy, C. W., & Mann, J. E. (2008). Handbook of prevention and intervention programs for adolescent girls. John Wiley and Sons. Loeber, R. & Farrington, D. P. (1998). Serious & violent juvenile offenders: risk factors and successful interventions. Sage Publications. Lowinson, J. H. & Ruiz, P. & Millman, R. B. (2005). Substance abuse: a comprehensive textbook. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Saleh, F. M. & Grudzinskas, A. J. & Bradford, J. M. & Brodsky, D. J. (2009). Sex Offenders: Identification, Risk Assessment, Treatment, and Legal Issues. Oxford University Press. Siegel, L. J. & Welsh, B. C. (2011). Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law. Cengage Learning. Wright, J. H. & Basco, M. R. & Thase, M. E. (2006). Learning cognitive-behavior therapy: an illustrated guide. American Psychiatric Pub. Read More