GROUP COMMUNITY WORK WITH THE OFFENDERS - REPORT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON CRIME PROBLEMS (DRAWN UP BY ITS SUB-COMMITTEE NUMBER 14)

• NCJ Number: 16274
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 125 pages
• Corporate Author: Place Broglie
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: France

Annotation

EXISTING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GROUP WORK WITH OFFENDERS WITH EMPHASIS ON THE USES OF GROUP AND COMMUNITY METHODS WITHIN INSTITUTIONS.

Abstract

THIS REPORT DISTINGUISHES THE VARIOUS KINDS OF GROUP ACTIVITY WHICH HAVE BEEN TRIED IN A RANGE OF SETTINGS, BOTH CUSTODIAL AND NON-CUSTODIAL. IT GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF THE STAFF, TRAINING AND ORGANISATION REQUIRED TO UNDERTAKE THIS WORK. GROUP METHODS HAVE BEEN USED MORE EXTENSIVELY IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS THAN IN NON-CUSTODIAL SETTINGS WHERE THEIR INTRODUCTION HAS BEEN COMPARATIVELY RECENT. THIS IS (REFLECTED) IN THIS REPORT, WHICH GIVES CORRESPONDINGLY MORE ATTENTION TO GROUP WORK WITHIN INSTITUTIONS. THE AUTHORS FEEL THAT IN PRACTICE THE MOST USEFUL FUNCTIONS OF GROUP WORK LIE IN WHAT FROM THE STRICTLY THERAPEUTIC POINT OF VIEW MAY BE SEEN AS A BY-PRODUCT, NAMELY THE RESPECTS IN WHICH GROUP WORK MAY IMPROVE RELATIONSHIPS, AND IN THE AREAS OF ORGANISATION. THEY ALSO FEEL THAT THIS MAY EXPLAIN WHY INTEREST IN GROUP ACTIVITIES IS SUSTAINED, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS SO FAR LITTLE HARD EVIDENCE OF THEIR LONG-TERM THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY. SPECIFIC FORMS OF GROUP ACTIVITY WHICH HAVE BEEN TRIED ARE REVIEWED. THE AUTHORS STRESS THAT THE CHOICE OF ANY PARTICULAR GROUP ACTIVITY MUST DEPEND ON OBJECTIVES AS WELL AS ON AN ASSESSMENT OF FEASIBILITY WHICH IS ITSELF DEPENDENT UPON THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE. THE TYPES OF GROUPS DISCUSSED ARE ACTIVITY GROUPS (CHARACTERIZED BY NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION), DISCUSSION GROUPS, CLOSED LIVING GROUPS, GROUP COUNSELING, GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY, AND COUNSELING BY INMATES. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS THREE MONOGRAPHS, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS CONCERNED WITH ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES WITHIN PRISONS THAT ARE NECESSITATED BY THE INCREASING USE OF GROUP WORK. THE SECOND DEALS WITH THE ROLE OF CENTRAL CORRECTIONAL ADMINISTRATIONS IN PROVIDING CHANGED APPROACHES IN THE HANDLING OF OFFENDERS. THE THIRD IS CONCERNED WITH THE PROBLEMS OF EVALUATING REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMS. AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PREDOMINANTLY EUROPEAN CITATIONS IS ALSO APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)