The general responsivity principle in community supervision: the importance of probation officers using cognitive intervention techniques and its influence on recidivism

Abstract

The present study examines the General Responsivity Principle of the Risk–Need–Responsivity model of offender assessment and treatment which holds that employing cognitive social learning methods to influence the behavior of offenders is the most effective approach to reduce recidivism. In this study, the prevalence rates of probation officers discussing procriminal attitudes and their use of cognitive intervention strategies during one-on-one supervision sessions with their clients was assessed and the impact of these discussions and strategies on reoffending was examined. Audio-recorded supervision sessions from officers engaging in routine practice as well as from officers who were trained in the Strategic Training Initiative in Community Supervision (STICS) model were rated. Results indicated that without this training, officers infrequently (i.e., approximately 5% of the recorded sessions) discussed procriminal attitudes/cognitions and rarely used cognitive intervention techniques with their clients (i.e., approximately 1% of sessions). Officers who were STICS trained showed significant improvement in talking about attitudes and using cognitive intervention techniques (i.e., 39 and 42% of sessions, respectively). Cox regression survival analysis found the use of cognitive intervention techniques was significantly related to lower rates of reoffending. These findings support the General Responsivity Principle within the context of one-on-one community supervision.