Generic Correctional Programming for Mentally Ill Offenders: A Pilot Study (original) (raw)
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Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice, 2020
This study adapts and validates a scale designed to measure Attitudes Toward Mentally Disordered Offenders (ATMDO). It is thought that by monitoring and subsequently improving attitudes, negative potentially damaging milieus within criminal justice, forensic mental health, and society in general can be minimized. Participants (N = 364) were recruited via snowball technique and data collected using an online version of the ATMDO. Psychometric properties were assessed. Test-retest and convergent validity was assessed with additional samples A (N = 30) and B (N = 50) respectively. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, differences in ATMDO scores across occupational groups were compared. The ATMDO demonstrates robust internal structure, reliability, and validity. Although ATMDO scores did not differ significantly across occupational groups, some differences were seen at a factorial level. Regression analysis demonstrates the influence of both demographic and occupation-related variables in predicting ATMDO scores. The ATMDO is robust and has clinical utility for comparison of professional groups or institutions, and within recruitment procedures. A model is proposed for the effects of exposure (catalyst factor) and professional certification training (moderating factor).
Offenders living with mental illness: How are they perceived by future professionals?
Journal of Social Work, 2018
This study investigates the attitudes of Criminal Justice and Social Work majors toward offenders living with mental illness. Multivariate regression analyses were used to explore differences in attitudes between student majors, controlling for factors such as age, race, and political ideology among a sample of 358 respondents. Participant attitudes and beliefs were assessed using the Attitudes toward Mentally Ill Offenders scale which consists of four factors: negative stereotypes, rehabilitation/ compassion, community risk, and diminished responsibility. Findings: Results of multivariate regression analyses indicated that Social Work students were less likely to have negative stereotypes toward offenders with mental illness and tended to be more supportive of their potential for rehabilitation. Applications: It is important to understand attitudes toward and beliefs about adult offenders living with mental illness among future professionals likely to serve this population. Understanding these attitudes has the potential to both inform the higher
Treating offenders with mental illness: A research synthesis
2012
The purpose of this research synthesis was to examine treatment effects across studies of the service providers to offenders with mental illness. Meta-analytic techniques were applied to 26 empirical studies obtained from a review of 12,154 research documents. Outcomes of interest in this review included measures of both psychiatric and criminal functioning. Although meta-analytic results are based on a small sample of available studies, results suggest interventions with offenders with mental illness effectively reduced symptoms of distress, improving offender's ability to cope with their problems, and resulted in improved behavioral markers including institutional adjustment and behavioral functioning. Furthermore, interventions specifically designed to meet the psychiatric and criminal justice needs of offenders with mental illness have shown to produce significant reductions in psychiatric and criminal recidivism. Finally, this review highlighted admission policies and treatment strategies (e.g., use of homework), which produced the most positive benefits. Results of this research synthesis are directly relevant for service providers in both criminal justice and mental health systems (e.g., psychiatric hospitals) as well as community settings by informing treatment strategies for the first time, which are based on empirical evidence. In addition, the implications of these results to policy makers tasked with the responsibility of designating services for this special needs population are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved). (journal abstract)
A multi-site controlled trial of a cognitive skills program for mentally disordered offenders
BMC Psychiatry, 2012
Background The effectiveness of offending behaviour programs in forensic mental health settings is not well established. Thus this study aimed to evaluate the Reasoning and Rehabilitation Mental Health program (R&R2 MHP) among a mentally disordered offender (MDO) population. Methods A sample of 121 adult males drawn from 10 forensic mental health sites completed questionnaires at baseline and post-treatment to assess violent attitudes, locus of control, social problem-solving and anger. An informant measure of social and psychological functioning, including disruptive behaviour, was completed by unit staff at the same time. At three month follow-up patients completed again the violent attitudes and locus of control questionnaires. The data of 67 patients who participated in the group condition were compared with 54 waiting-list controls who received treatment as usual. Results 78% of group participants completed the program. In contrast to controls, significant treatment effects wer...
BMC Psychiatry, 2013
Background: The growing popularity of offending behavior programs has led to the interest of whether such programs are effective with mentally disordered offenders. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Reasoning and Rehabilitation program adapted for offenders with severe mental illness (R&R2 MHP). Methods: A sample of 59 adult high risk males detained in a high secure hospital completed questionnaires at baseline and post treatment to assess violent attitudes, anger, coping processes and social problem-solving. An informant measure of social and psychological functioning, including disruptive behavior, was completed by staff at the same time. The data of 30 patients who participated in the group condition were compared using intention to treat analysis with 29 controls who received treatment as usual. Results: 80% of group participants completed the program. In contrast to controls, significant medium-large treatment effects were found at outcome on self-reported measures of violent attitudes, social problem-solving and coping processes. Improvements were endorsed by informant ratings of disruptive behavior, social and psychological functioning.
Prevalence of criminal thinking among state prison inmates with serious mental illness
Law and Human Behavior, 2010
To examine the prevalence of criminal thinking in mentally disordered offenders, incarcerated male (n = 265) and female (n = 149) offenders completed measures of psychiatric functioning and criminal thinking. Results indicated 92% of the participants were diagnosed with a serious mental illness, and mentally disordered offenders produced criminal thinking scores on the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) and Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified (CSS-M) similar to that of non-mentally ill offenders. Collectively, results indicated the clinical presentation of mentally disordered offenders is similar to that of psychiatric patients and criminals. Implications are discussed with specific focus on the need for mental health professionals to treat co-occurring issues of mental illness and criminality in correctional mental health treatment programs.
2008
Many scholars contend that the criminal justice system is not equipped to handle mentally ill offenders. Students from various majors were surveyed at a large Ohio university. Most did not feel that individuals with a mental illness were dangerous and felt that, with proper treatment, a mentally ill person could lead a productive life. The respondents were split on whether mentally ill offenders should be treated differently, whether mentally ill persons should be incarcerated in correctional facilities, and whether "not guilty by reason of insanity" should be allowed. In multi-variate analysis, gender was the best predictor of responses.