Probation Setting Research Articles

Implementing evidence-based supported employment within specialty mental health probation: A hybrid type I implementation-effectiveness trial protocol

BackgroundPeople with serious mental illnesses who are involved in the criminal justice system face significant challenges in obtaining meaningful employment. Given the importance of employment in reducing recidivism, the field needs effective interventions to increase employment rates, address mental health needs, and reduce recidivism for justice-involved people with serious mental illnesses. Individual Placement and Support – Supported Employment (IPS-SE) improves employment outcomes among individuals with serious mental illnesses and has shown promising results when implemented with individuals with histories of justice involvement; however, IPS-SE has only been implemented in mental health service settings. Given lower levels of treatment engagement and completion among justice-involved populations, implementation of IPS-SE in specialty mental health probation (SMHP) is an opportunity to increase reach and engagement among justice-involved people with serious mental illnesses. MethodsThis article describes a hybrid type 1 implementation-effectiveness study that aims to: (1) assess the implementation enablers and barriers, as well as the feasibility, appropriateness, and acceptability of IPS-SE embedded within SMHP; (2) identify the multi-level factors (i.e., implementation determinants) that influence IPS-SE implementation within the context of a probation setting; and (3) assess the impact of IPS-SE on employment – our primary endpoint – and the impact of IPS-SE on a number of secondary outcomes and potential treatment mechanisms. The efficacy arm of the study will be a randomized controlled trial of 130 adults on community supervision who will either receive treatment as usual or IPS-SE. The implementation arm of the study will examine implementation determinants and implementation outcomes using qualitative methods.

The partner link worker: A vital but undervalued service for women who have been subjected to or at risk of domestic abuse

This study aims to explore the partner link worker (PLW) role in supporting women who have been subjected to or at risk of domestic abuse. Prior research in a probation setting tends to focus solely on the person on probation, failing to examine the experiences of people subjected to crime and support services on offer. The PLW role provides an essential service that has been undervalued and overlooked. The study begins to provide some evidence to counter the broader political rhetoric that people subjected to crime are central to probation practice within the criminal justice system. It draws on the findings from thirteen semi-structured interviews conducted across five Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs). The findings suggest that PLWs demonstrate a professional commitment to protecting and safeguarding vulnerable women and addressing domestic abuse. However, PLWs face many challenges and obvious gaps in provisions to provide a fully inclusive and accessible service to meet the individual needs of women and their children. The recently reunified probation service offers an optimum opportunity to review, resource and regenerate the PLW service to protect and safeguard people who have been subjected to or at risk of domestic abuse.

The journey from epistemic vigilance to epistemic trust: service-users experiences of a community mentalization- based treatment programme for Anti-Social personality disorder (ASPD)

ABSTRACTMentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) is a psychological intervention, delivered predominantly in a group-format, originally developed for individuals with a personality disorder. Evidence is growing for this approach as a successful model of treatment, with much of the research to date conducted within inpatient settings. This study explored service-users experiences of a community-based MBT programme in a probation setting for males, diagnosed with Anti-Social personality disorder (ASPD). Using thematic analysis, results from six semi-structured interviews revealed that individuals experienced MBT as largely positive and having had an impact on their lives. Five themes emerged; ‘Experience of the group’, ‘Attachment’, ‘Learning flexibility’, ‘Individual sessions’ and ‘Impact’ with associated categories and sub-categories. Participants appeared to reflect not only on their experiences but also the internal process that occurred during their time within MBT. This was understood as the transition from chronic epistemic vigilance to epistemic trust and implications for practice are discussed. Despite its limitations, this study contributes to the growing evidence-base for MBT and specifically its positive application within community contexts for offenders with ASPD – a traditionally ‘difficult to reach’ client group.

The complexities of managing gendered violence in an English probation setting

Examined in this article are two cases of women who have committed offences causing serious harm to others. Responses from probation practitioners are explored in the context of the women also being viewed as victims of extreme, long-term abuse and subsequent trauma. Organisational pressures and practitioners’ personal values are analysed to see in what ways interventions attempt to balance individuals’ offending and victimisation aspects, whilst also being mindful of traumatising effects of the criminal justice system itself and the impact on practitioners.

Association Between Betrayal Trauma and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Among Adolescent Offenders: Shame and Emotion Dysregulation as Mediating Factors

abstracthildhood trauma has been identified as a strong risk factor for non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI; Gratz, 2006). Existing literature suggests that the degree of betrayal involved in a traumatic experience may have an impact on NSSI behaviors (Gómez & Freyd, 2013), but little work has examined the potential relationship between betrayal trauma and NSSI. This cross-sectional study examined the association between history of high betrayal trauma and engagement in NSSI, as well as explored shame and emotion dysregulation as potential mediators of the association. A total of 100 adolescent offenders in Singapore were recruited from a probation setting, and administered measures assessing betrayal trauma, shame, emotion dysregulation, and NSSI behaviors. A history of high betrayal trauma was significantly associated with both lifetime and past-year engagement in NSSI. Mediation analysis using bootstrap resampling indicated that both shame and emotion dysregulation individually mediated the association between high betrayal trauma and frequency of past-year NSSI. In a multiple mediation analysis, emotion dysregulation emerged as a significant mediator of the association, whereas shame did not. The findings highlight the importance of betrayal trauma as a correlate of NSSI, and point to emotion dysregulation as a key mechanism underlying the relationship between betrayal trauma and NSSI.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A Guide for Probation Officers

Referred to as a “silent epidemic,” traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are disruptions in normal brain functions caused by an external force to the head (Center for Disease Control, 2017). Ranging from mild to severe in nature, TBI’s can result in physical, cognitive, emotional, social, personality, adaptive, and behavioral changes in an individual. These devastating symptoms render individuals with TBI’s disproportionately likely to become involved in the criminal justice system. Once arrested, the symptoms of TBI make it difficult to make important legal decisions, stand trial, and meet the conditions of probation, which results in an elevated risk for rearrests relative to those individuals without a TBI. Despite these difficulties, probation officers have the potential to help improve outcomes for clients with TBI. In particular, these professionals can help ensure that clients with TBI are referred to proper assessment and diagnosis, individualized supervision that accounts for their strengths and weaknesses, and receive appropriate treatment and medical assistance. As such, this article is intended to raise awareness of the challenges of TBI in a probation setting and offer tips, strategies, and solutions for probation officers working with this clientele.

Probation officer use of client-centered communication strategies in adult probation settings

ABSTRACTGrowing research identifies the importance of communication between probation officers and probationers. The current study examines use of motivational, client-centered communication strategies in an adult probation setting. Using surveys and observational data, this work explores: (a) whether probation officers are comfortable using motivational communication strategies and (b) how probation officers communicate with probationers. Findings suggest probation officers attempt to integrate motivational techniques in their interactions, directive, but authoritarian strategies dominate probation officer– probationer interactions. Study implications emphasize the need to enhance implementation of client-centered communication strategies to improve offender outcomes and move away from authoritarian and risk management practices.

A rapid systematic review of what we know about alcohol use disorders and brief interventions in the criminal justice system.

The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence of alcohol use disorders within the different stages of the criminal justice system in the UK. Furthermore it reviewed the worldwide evidence of alcohol brief interventions in the various stages of the criminal justice system. A rapid systematic review of publications was conducted from the year 2000 to 2014 regarding the prevalence of alcohol use disorders in the various stages of the criminal justice system. The second part of the work was a rapid review of effectiveness studies of interventions for alcohol brief interventions. Studies were included if they had a comparison group. Worldwide evidence was included that consisted of up to three hours of face-to-face brief intervention either in one session or numerous sessions. This review found that 64-88 per cent of adults in the police custody setting; 95 per cent in the magistrate court setting; 53-69 per cent in the probation setting and 5,913-863 per cent in the prison system and 64 per cent of young people in the criminal justice system in the UK scored positive for an alcohol use disorder. There is very little evidence of effectiveness of brief interventions in the various stages of the criminal justice system mainly due to the lack of follow-up data. Brief alcohol interventions have a large and robust evidence base for reducing alcohol use in risky drinkers, particularly in primary care settings. However, there is little evidence of effect upon drinking levels in criminal justice settings. Whilst the approach shows promise with some effects being shown on alcohol-related harm as well as with young people in the USA, more robust research is needed to ascertain effectiveness of alcohol brief interventions in this setting. This paper provides evidence of alcohol use disorders in the different stages of the criminal justice system in the UK using a validated tool as well as reviewing the worldwide evidence for short ( < three hours) alcohol brief intervention in this setting.

Motivational Interviewing Fidelity in a Community Corrections Setting: Treatment Initiation and Subsequent Drug Use

IntroductionAlthough substance use is common among people in the U.S. criminal justice system, treatment initiation remains an ongoing problem. This study assessed the reliability and predictive validity of the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity 3.1.1. (MITI) coding instrument in a community corrections sample. MethodsWe used data from 80 substance-using clients who were participating in a clinical trial of MI in a probation setting. We analyzed 124 MI counseling sessions using the MITI, a coding system for documenting MI fidelity. Bivariate associations and logistic regression modeling were used to determine if MI-consistent behaviors predicted substance use or treatment initiation at a 2-month follow-up. ResultsWe found a high level of agreement between coders on behavioral utterance counts. Counselors met at least beginning proficiency on most MITI summary scores. Probationers who initiated treatment at 2-month follow-up had significantly higher ratings of clinician empathy and MI spirit than clients who did not initiate treatment. Other MITI summary scores were not significantly different between clients who had initiated treatment and those who did not. MI spirit and empathy ratings were entered into a forward logistic regression in which MI spirit significantly predicted 2-month treatment initiation (χ2 (1)=4.10, p<.05, R2=.05) but counselor empathy did not. MITI summary scores did not predict substance use at 2-month follow-up. ConclusionsCounselor MI-consistent relational skills were an important predictor of client treatment initiation. Counselor behaviors such as empathy and MI spirit may be important for developing client rapport with people in a probation setting.

Defining quality indicators for practices, instruments, and programs across the JJ-TRIALS behavioral health services cascade

In order to address JJ-TRIALS goals of: a) improving behavioral health services for youth with substance use problems; and b) advancing the investigation of implementation efforts in the field of behavioral health, the JJ-TRIALS Workgroup on Evidence-Based Practices (EPA) was first charged with defining quality indicators for practices and programs. We limited that effort to programs, practices, and instruments relevant to the steps in the Behavioral Services Cascade (Screening, Referral and Linkage, Assessment, Prevention and Psychosocial Treatment) for five identified clinical problem areas (Substance use, Mood disorder, ADHD, Trauma exposure, HIV risk). Problem areas were selected as those of moderate prevalence among adolescents in community justice systems with problem substance use. Quality indicators were consistent with the AACAP Practice Parameters Clinical Standard, as reflecting either “rigorous empirical evidence” or “overwhelming clinical consensus” (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2013). In a series of directed literature reviews, we catalogued evidence-based programs and instruments addressing these problem areas that had been identified as most strongly supported by existing systematic reviews (e.g., SAMHSA, 2011) and then categorized them into tiers, based on their applicability for JJ-TRIALS efforts (e.g., number of TRIALS problem areas addressed, administration format, delivery setting, inclusion of family collaterals). These reviews identified 18 psychometrically sound screening instruments (3 tiers), 16 sound assessment instruments (4 tiers), 43 EB prevention programs (3 tiers), and 39 EB treatment programs (3 tiers). While the evidence base regarding programs that focus on cross-system linkage (e.g., from screening in a probation setting, with a subsequent referral to a behavioral health provider) is less established, EPA was able to designate three tiers of such programs, defined both by their soundness and their applicability to juvenile justice community settings. As a second set of quality indicators, we considered core content components (that may cut across particular instruments or programs). For assessment, these included eight elements essential for clinical treatment planning for adolescents (e.g., family relationships, readiness for change: American Society of Addiction Medicine, 2013). For treatment programs, these included treatment modalities identified as effectively addressing one or another of the TRIALS problem areas (e.g., CBT; Chorpita, et al., 2011). A final quality indicator for assessment and treatment considered procedural elements (that relate to how an instrument or program is used by a service provider), such as manualization, staff training, and fidelity monitoring (e.g., Brannigan, 2004; Howell & Lipsey, 2012). EPA workgroup products will be incorporated into future JJ-TRIALS training efforts; they will be used to generate menus of high-quality instrument and program options to help juvenile justice partners and the behavioral health agencies with which they collaborate to set implementation goals for participation in JJ-TRIALS.

The Relationship Between Drug Use, Drug-related Arrests, and Chronic Pain Among Adults on Probation

The intersection between chronic health conditions, drug use, and treatment seeking behavior among adults in the criminal justice system has been largely understudied. This study examined whether chronic pain was associated with opiate use, other illicit drug use, and drug-related arrests in a sample of substance-using probationers. We expected that probationers with chronic pain-related diagnoses would report more opiate use and drug-related arrests. This study used baseline data from 250 adults on probation in Baltimore, Maryland and Dallas, Texas who were participating in a larger clinical trial. Eighteen percent of probationers in this sample reported suffering from chronic pain. In bivariate analyses, probationers with chronic pain reported more drug-related arrests (t=−1.81; p<0.05) than those without chronic pain. Multivariate analyses support the hypothesis that probationers who reported chronic pain were marginally more likely to use opiates (OR=2.37; 95% CI .89–1.05) and non-opiate illicit drugs (OR=3.11; 95% CI 1.03–9.39) compared to offenders without chronic pain. In summary, these findings suggest that adults under probation supervision who suffer from chronic pain may be involved in criminal activity (specifically, drug-related criminal activity) in an effort to self-medicate their physical health condition(s). Screening probationers for chronic pain in the probation setting and referring these adults to pain management treatment may be an important step in advancing public safety.

Alcohol screening and brief interventions for offenders in the probation setting (SIPS Trial): a pragmatic multicentre cluster randomized controlled trial.

To evaluate the effectiveness of different brief intervention strategies at reducing hazardous or harmful drinking in the probation setting. Offender managers were randomized to three interventions, each of which built on the previous one: feedback on screening outcome and a client information leaflet control group, 5 min of structured brief advice and 20 min of brief lifestyle counselling. A pragmatic multicentre factorial cluster randomized controlled trial. The primary outcome was self-reported hazardous or harmful drinking status measured by Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) at 6 months (negative status was a score of <8). Secondary outcomes were AUDIT status at 12 months, experience of alcohol-related problems, health utility, service utilization, readiness to change and reduction in conviction rates. Follow-up rates were 68% at 6 months and 60% at 12 months. At both time points, there was no significant advantage of more intensive interventions compared with the control group in terms of AUDIT status. Those in the brief advice and brief lifestyle counselling intervention groups were statistically significantly less likely to reoffend (36 and 38%, respectively) than those in the client information leaflet group (50%) in the year following intervention. Brief advice or brief lifestyle counselling provided no additional benefit in reducing hazardous or harmful drinking compared with feedback on screening outcome and a client information leaflet. The impact of more intensive brief intervention on reoffending warrants further research.

Probation as a setting for building well-being through integrated service provision: evaluating an Offender Health Trainer service

The NHS Health Trainer Programme was launched in England and Wales in 2005 with the aim of tackling health inequalities. While initially focusing on geographical communities, the initiative has extended its reach to particular population groups, such as offenders and their families, who experience high levels of physical and mental health needs and wider social exclusion. This paper reports on the evaluation of the Offender Health Trainer service delivered in probation settings in Bury, Rochdale and Oldham (Greater Manchester). This service has sought to improve the health of offenders, improve their access to mainstream services, and help reduce health inequalities - as well as facilitate rehabilitation and improve job prospects for ex-offenders through employment as health trainers. This evaluative research study aimed to explore the delivery of the Offender Health Trainer service and examine its impact on service users. The study design and limited time frame meant that the research was focused on the journeys of service users rather than on long-term outcomes. The evaluation used a mixed-methods approach, comprising two key elements: the interrogation and analysis of routinely collected quantitative data extracted from the National Health Trainer Data Collection Recording System (DCRS); and in-depth qualitative research using interviews and focus groups with clients and health trainers. The evaluation points to the overall success of the service in meeting its aims and impacting positively on the lives of offenders. It reveals promising trends in behaviour change and self-perceived health and well-being, articulating a rich narrative detailing how the service has helped probation clients tackle multiple interwoven problems and build hope and self-belief. Of particular importance was the health trainers' experience of the criminal justice system, which resonated with and inspired clients, developing trust and motivation to change. While the research inevitably had limitations, this study suggests that the health trainer model can be effectively implemented within the probation setting, making a valuable contribution to the improvement of offenders' health and well-being by working in ways that acknowledge the connections between personal lifestyle and wider determinants of health. Within the context of forthcoming probation reforms, it will be increasingly important to develop services that highlight these links and to invest in appropriate evaluation that can generate further learning about 'what works and why'.

Doing ‘strengths-based’ research: Appreciative Inquiry in a probation setting

This article considers the application of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as a research methodology in the field of probation research. Although AI has previously been used in prisons research it has not to date been applied to research on probation. In this article we describe why and how AI was applied in an exploratory study of ‘quality’ in probation practice. The article includes some reflections from us as researchers and from the participants in our study (staff in three English Probation Trusts). It is argued not only that AI served our project well (in terms of furnishing us with a wealth of relevant, good quality data) but also that our choice of methodology rendered visible aspects of contemporary probation culture which, we believe, would have remained hidden had we not chosen to explore quality through an ‘appreciative’ lens. It is further argued that in organizations experiencing challenging times, an appreciative stance has ethical as well as instrumental advantages. There are, thus, both instrumental and normative rationales for recommending AI as a suitable approach in probation research.

Screening for Alcohol Use in Criminal Justice Settings: An Exploratory Study

To examine the feasibility and acceptability of alcohol screening and delivery of brief interventions within criminal justice settings. A quantitative survey of those aged 18 or over in English criminal justice settings (three custody suites within police stations, three prisons and three probation offices). The Fast Alcohol Screening Test (FAST) and a modified version of the Single Alcohol Screening Question (M-SASQ) were compared with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) as the 'gold standard'. Participants completed a health status questionnaire (EQ5D), questions on service utilization and the Readiness to Change Questionnaire. Questions relating to the acceptability and feasibility of delivering brief interventions and about perception of coercion were included. Five hundred and ninety-two individuals were approached and 251 were eligible. Of these, 205 (82%) consented to take part in the study. The mean AUDIT score was 19.9 (SD 13.5) and 73% scored 8 or more on AUDIT. A higher percentage of those approached in the probation setting consented to take part (81%: prison 36%, police setting 10%). Those scoring AUDIT positive were more likely to be involved in violent offences (36.5 vs 9.4%; P < 0.001) and less likely to be involved in offences involving property (27.7 vs 45.3%; P = 0.03). Three quarters of the sample (74%) reported that they would not feel coerced to engage in an intervention about their alcohol use. FAST and M-SASQ had acceptable screening properties when compared with AUDIT with area under the curves of 0.97 and 0.92, respectively. The results confirm that there is a major problem with alcohol use in the criminal justice system and this impacts on health and criminal behaviour. Of the three criminal justice settings, probation was found to be the most suitable for screening. Participants were positive about receiving interventions for their alcohol use in probation settings.

Screening and Brief Intervention for Alcohol use in a Custody Suite: The Shape of Things to Come?

Irresponsible and excessive consumption of alcohol and the associated problems it carries in its wake have become one of the key concerns for central government both in terms of community safety and public health. In response to the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England (DoH, 2007), the Department of Health (DoH) have announced a series of measures, one of which is to pilot screening and intervention for alcohol use programmes in a variety of locations, of which one is within a probation setting. This paper reports on the findings of a project that pre-empts the DoH initiatives, thus providing the opening comments in what is sure to be a debate about a new strategic and evidence-based approach to dealing with problematic alcohol use. The paper provides data and discussions on the Screening and Brief Intervention (SBI) project that screened 3,900 detainees in the Charles Cross custody suite in Plymouth, England during the period March 2007 to March 2008.

The link between childhood trauma and later violent offending: The application of attachment theory in a probation setting

This case-study identifies the links between an insecure-avoidant pattern of attachment organization, unresolved childhood trauma, emotional detachment, substance misuse and violent offending behaviour in adulthood. It demonstrates the way in which attachment theory may be used to explicate offending behaviour and to assess risk in a forensic setting. Further, the model illustrates that the clinical application of attachment theory in brief, time-limited work may enhance the offender's capacity for narrative intelligibility leading to an integration of dissociated thoughts and emotional affect, and to a concomitant cessation of violent behaviour. The process is intersubjective and involves the modification and updating of maladaptive, perceptually distorted cognitive-affective internal working models. This is accomplished by strengthening the offender's capacity for reflective thought, which, in turn, facilitates the organization and integration of error-correcting information.

Research note. An evaluation of motivational interviewing as a method of intervention with clients in a probation setting

There have been increasing calls on the probation service to demonstrate effectiveness with the recent Evidence Based Practice guide (Home Office, 1998) explicitly citing evaluative research as a means of achieving this. This article describes the quantitative part of a research project undertaken within Middlesex Probation Service to evaluate the introduction of motivational interviewing as a technique to aid probation officers in their assessment and supervision of offenders who misuse alcohol and drugs. Results suggest that, irrespective of stratification, all offenders indicated an improvement in their questionnaire scores during their contact with the probation service. However, there were more statistically significant improvements in the attitudinal scales amongst offenders whose officers were trained in the technique compared to officers who were not trained in motivational interviewing.

In defence of innovation. Integrating imaginative work and learning within the probation setting

This paper argues that there is much good practice within the field of social work generally and probation work in this particular case. It describes and reviews one small example of imaginative working that combined both social work education and a high quality service for the service user and employer in a potentially risky, but carefully thought out and planned way. The author argues that this produced considerable benefits both for Dip SW students and all others involved.

Using a videotape to overcome clients' reluctance to engage in family therapy—some preliminary findings from a probation setting

Journal of Family TherapyVolume 12, Issue 1 p. 59-71 Free Access Using a videotape to overcome clients' reluctance to engage in family therapy—some preliminary findings from a probation setting Pam Pimpernell, Pam Pimpernell Senior Probation Officer, H.M. Prison and Youth Custody Centre, Erlestoke, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 5TU, U.K.Search for more papers by this authorAndy Treacher, Andy Treacher Top Grade Clinical Psychologist, Department of Clinical and Community Psychology, Larkby, Victoria Park Road, Exeter EX2 4NU, U.K.Search for more papers by this author Pam Pimpernell, Pam Pimpernell Senior Probation Officer, H.M. Prison and Youth Custody Centre, Erlestoke, Devizes, Wiltshire SN10 5TU, U.K.Search for more papers by this authorAndy Treacher, Andy Treacher Top Grade Clinical Psychologist, Department of Clinical and Community Psychology, Larkby, Victoria Park Road, Exeter EX2 4NU, U.K.Search for more papers by this author First published: 1990 https://doi.org/10.1046/j..1990.00370.xCitations: 2AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume12, Issue11990Pages 59-71 RelatedInformation