Reduction In Reoffending Research Articles

Desistance from Offending: Experiences of Probation

This article seeks to make connections between two different research fields: the ‘What Works?’ literature on the effectiveness of community programmes in bringing about a reduction in reoffending; and, from the criminal careers literature, the discussion of the wider social processes by which people themselves come to stop offending. It does this by examining desistance from the point of view of a group of probationers and their supervisors. Reporting the extent to which probationers who were interviewed linked their experiences of supervision to a reduction in their offending, the article discusses the contribution which they saw those experiences as making to changes in their behaviour. Relating these accounts to what is known about the factors which cause people to desist from crime, the article considers the implications for how probation officers might be able to motivate and assist moves towards law‐abiding conduct.

What Works for Female Offenders: A Meta-Analytic Review

Although the question of what works for general offender populations has received considerable attention within the rehabilitation literature, very little research has examined female offenders. The present investigation examined the principles of effective correctional treatment for female offenders through a meta-analytic review. The results indicated that the clinically relevant and psychologically informed principles of human service, risk, need, and responsivity identified in past meta-analytic reviews were associated with enhanced reductions in reoffending.

Working with mandated clients: A pro-social approach

This paper outlines an approach to routine work with mandated clients using child protection as a case example. It refers to a study undertaken in corrections in Victoria which found that the use of a pro-social approach (i.e. use of skills in modelling and encouraging desirable or pro-social behaviour and challenging anti-social or pro-criminal behaviour) integrated with other casework skills led to a reduction in re-offending of 30 to 50 percent. It is pointed out that a number of research studies have found that this approach is related to improved outcomes with a range of other mandated clients. It is argued that the systematic use of rewards and encouragement and the challenging of anti-social or unacceptable comments and behaviour should be seen as one of a range of key skills in casework with mandated clients. The detail of how such an approach might be used in child protection work is discussed and some possible objections to the approach are considered.

Designing a progressive penology: the evolution of Canadian federal corrections

The Canadian Federal Corrections System is generally reserved for more serious offenders and is a predominantly institution‐based service, with less than 10% of its staff working in the community. Nevertheless, its emphasis is on reduction of reoffending and effective reintegration of offenders to the community rather than a simplistic just‐deserts’ model. The evolution of the system to this point is discussed and the elements of the low‐key components of the correctional process set out in some detail. These are the assessment of risk and criminogenic factors, the intervention strategies, the development of the correctional environment itself and community risk management.