How to Choose an Educational Program That Changes Criminal Behavior (Part 2)
In a previous article, How to Choose an Educational Program That Changes Criminal Behavior, we took a look at the five factors involved in creating a systematic program to educate offenders. In this issue we look at five additional factors.
Factor 6: Most programs designed to help offenders change their behavior are based on traditional educational strategies.
Examine the classic drug campaign, “Just say no.” It speaks to those who see “no” as a viable option. Nontraditional learners respond to “Just say no” with a resounding “How do you spell it?” In the same way, most cognitive restructuring and life-skills programs utilize traditional educational paraphernalia such as overhead projectors and transparencies.
Many are based on a lecture format with slight variations on the old theme of teacher talks while student listens or student talks while everyone else listens. This “one versus everybody” approach rarely generates the personal involvement necessary to create an intrinsic bond with the material or skills being taught.
Factor 7: Skill-based programs must provide a balanced educational approach.
In education, as well as corrections, we keep getting ourselves caught in a cyclic time warp. We are presently entering the period where we are beginning to reuse the failed programs and philosophies of the 1960s. We have witnessed the staggering increases in crime during our more recent “lock ’em up” period and therefore many are looking elsewhere for answers.
The key to success is not to abandon altogether former approaches by jumping from bandwagon to bandwagon. It is by adopting sound educational philosophies that have proven to be successful. Typically, these successes have come from creating a balanced attack.
From the traditional educational approaches, we need to hold people accountable and be accountable ourselves. We need to become more competency-based and result-oriented. From the non-traditionalist, we need to involve the whole person in the process. We need to make things immediately practical and usable. We need to allow for process and not be more concerned with product.
Factor 8: We need to stop spending our precious resources on offenders who are trying to con the system.
Offenders that ruin the opportunity for others to learn should not be tolerated in programs. Ways should be found to make it less rewarding for them to disrupt the process so that those who wish to apply themselves can become the real winners. We spend entirely too much time dealing with troublemakers at the expense of those who are looking for a positive way out of their present situation. As heartless as it may seem, it is often necessary to sacrifice the one for the needs of the whole.
Factor 9: External changes last only as long as a person in under supervision or in custody.
Programs look good when an individual feigns compliance to reduce the pressure placed on them. When the pressure to perform is lifted, all motivation to comply is also lost. Though it may look like a change has been made on the surface, in reality, nothing changes and the individual uses the same old con to get what they want.
These programs must generate deep personal involvement in order to crate the internal atmosphere necessary to motivate a lasting change. This approach must not be superficial; rather it must be deep-rooted and cause serious introspection and self-examination.
Factor 10: Lasting change is internal.
Programs that generate this serious introspection and self-examination can create internal change. This type of change is difficult to achieve but it is wonderful to witness. It is when the lights turn on and a person realized they have the ability to open up new worlds of personal discovery. Witnessing this type of intrinsic change is often the goal of individuals who have chosen this professional It need not to happen so rarely and can be greatly enhanced by making sure that these then factors are considered carefully before implementing a cognitive/life-skills program.