International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Opportunity, Choice, and Burglary Victimization in Taiwan
This study examined burglary victimization in Taiwan with an application of the structure-choice model that included four theoretical dimensions: proximity to crime, exposure to crime, target attractiveness, and guardianship. Drawing on the 2000 Taiwan Areas Criminal Victimization Survey, the results of the current study showed a moderate effect of the opportunity model on Taiwan’s burglary victimization. Also, this study found both consistent and conflicting findings in the current data. The null effect of motorcycles (including scooters) that represented the concept of target attractiveness in relation to burglary ...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - June 15, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Kuo, S.-Y. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Religiously Motivated Desistance: An Exploratory Study
This article examines the life-history narratives of 25 successful ex-offenders professing Christianity as the source of their desistance. Unstructured in-depth life-history interviews from adult male desisters affirm use of a "feared self" and "cognitive shifts" regarding perceptions of illegal behavior. "Condemnation scripts" and "redemption narratives," however, differ radically from those uncovered in previous research. Stories of behavior change and identity transformation achieved through private religious practice and energetic church membership dominate the narratives. Findings suggest there are diverse phenomenolo...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - June 15, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Hallett, M., McCoy, J. S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Rethink, Reform, Reenter: An Entrepreneurial Approach to Prison Programming
This study discusses three approaches to better prepare inmates for a mindset change. The rethink, reform, and reenter approaches help break the traditional cycle of release, reoffend, and return. (Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology)
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - June 15, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Keena, L., Simmons, C. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Influence of Music Therapy on Coping Skills and Anger Management in Forensic Psychiatric Patients: An Exploratory Study
This study explores the following research question: Can music therapy treatment contribute to positive changes in coping skills, anger management, and dysfunctional behavior of forensic psychiatric patients? To investigate this question, first a literature review is offered on music therapy and anger management in forensic psychiatry. Then, an explorative study is presented. In the study, a pre- and post-test design was used with a random assignment of patients to either treatment or control condition. Fourteen participants’ complete datasets were collected. All participants received "treatment as usual." Nine of th...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - June 15, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Hakvoort, L., Bogaerts, S., Thaut, M. H., Spreen, M. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Performing Desistance: How Might Theories of Desistance From Crime Help Us Understand the Possibilities of Prison Theatre?
This article seeks to address this deficit and argues that positioning prison theatre within the discipline of positive criminology, specifically contemporary theories of desistance from crime, provides a theoretical framework for understanding the contribution that prison theatre might be making in the correctional setting. Through a review of related literature, the article explores how prison theatre may be motivating offenders toward the construction of a more adaptive narrative identity and toward the acquisition of capabilities that might usefully assist them in the process of desisting from crime. (Source: Internati...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - June 15, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Davey, L., Day, A., Balfour, M. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Why Inmate # 62456L Doesn't Speak: A Case for Alternative Therapies in Prison
(Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology)
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - June 15, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Gussak, D. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research

Public Support of Community Corrections in China
There are a variety of factors that have been associated with support for the use of community corrections in the West. However, little research has been completed to examine if these same factors are also associated with support for the use of community corrections in China. This exploratory study examined the degree of agreement and support of 764 Chinese citizens on the use of community corrections methods. Results indicated that most respondents supported the use of community corrections methods rather than traditional incarceration methods. In addition, five attitudes (the punishment perspective, the rehabilitation pe...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - May 14, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Jiang, S., Xiang, D., Chen, Q., Goodlin-Fahncke, W., Huang, C., Yang, S., Zhang, D., Zhao, A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Effectiveness of Choice Theory Connections: A Cross-Sectional and Comparative Analysis of California Female Inmates
In the past 30 years, the rates of incarceration and recidivism for women in the United States have increased dramatically. Choice Theory® Connections (CTC) is a gender-tailored pre-release intervention program based on Choice Theory® (Glasser, 1999), and designed to achieve meaningful and sustainable cognitive and behavioral change. This evaluation examines CTC among 96 female participants in a California state prison enrolled in an introductory (n = 58) or advanced (n = 38) course. CTC significantly improved perceived stress, mindfulness, emotion regulation, impulsivity, and well-being on completion; effects were...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - May 14, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Grills, C., Villanueva, S., Anderson, M., Corsbie-Massay, C. L., Smith, B., Johnson, L., Owens, K. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

The Factor Structure of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (Expanded Version) in a Sample of Forensic Psychiatric Patients
Severe behavioral problems, aggression, unlawful behavior, and uncooperativeness make the forensic psychiatric population both hard to treat and study. To fine-tune treatment and evaluate results, valid measurement is vital. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale–Extended (BPRS-E) is a widely used scale for assessing psychiatric symptoms, with a stable factor structure over various patient groups. For the first time, its usefulness for forensic psychiatric patients was studied by means of an exploratory factor analysis on 302 patients in a penitentiary psychiatric center. A five-factor solution fitted the data best and s...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - May 14, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: van Beek, J., Vuijk, P. J., Harte, J. M., Smit, B. L., Nijman, H., Scherder, E. J. A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

The Pains of Permanent Imprisonment: Examining Perceptions of Confinement Among Older Life Without Parole Inmates
Previous research has found commonality in the pains of imprisonment reported by English and American long-term inmates. Using a triangulated research methodology, this study examined the hardships associated with permanent incarceration as reported by 18 older male inmates serving a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Strong agreement existed between the present sample and previous samples as to the most and least difficult aspects of imprisonment. Consistent with the previous studies, outside problems were perceived as being more severe than inside problems. Overall, this study found agreement in the pain...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - May 14, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Leigey, M. E., Ryder, M. A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

A Systematic Review of Interventions for Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD in Adult Offenders
There is a high prevalence of anxiety and depression in offender populations but with no recent systematic review of interventions to identify what is effective. This systematic review was undertaken to identify randomised controlled trials of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in adult offenders in prison or community settings. A search of five databases identified 14 studies meeting inclusion criteria, which considered the impact of psychological interventions, pharmacological agents, or exercise on levels of depression and anxiety. A narrative synthesis was undertaken and Hedges g effect sizes calcula...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - May 14, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Leigh-Hunt, N., Perry, A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

Specific Risk Factors of Arsonists in a Forensic Psychiatric Hospital
Arsonists are often treated in forensic settings. However, high recidivism rates indicate that treatment is not yet optimal for these offenders. The aim of this case series study is to identify arsonist specific dynamic risk factors that can be targeted during treatment. For this study, we used patient files of and interviews with all patients that were currently housed at a forensic psychiatric hospital in the Netherlands (14 arsonists, 59 non-arsonists). To delineate differences in risk factors between arsonists and non-arsonists, scores on the risk assessment instrument the Historical Clinical Future–30 (HKT-30; c...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - May 14, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Hagenauw, L. A., Karsten, J., Akkerman-Bouwsema, G. J., de Jager, B. E., Lancel, M. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

A Look at Firesetting, Arson, and Pyromania
(Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology)
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - May 14, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Palermo, G. B. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research

Barred From Each Other: Why Normative Husbands Remain Married to Incarcerated Wives--An Exploratory Study
This study explores men’s motivation and justification to remain married to their criminal, imprisoned wives. Using semistructured interviews and content-analysis, data were collected and analyzed from eight men who maintain stable marriage relationships with their incarcerated wives. Participants are normative men who describe incarceration as a challenge that enhances mutual responsibility and commitment. They exaggerate the extent to which their partners resemble archetypal romantic ideals. They use motivational accounts to explain the woman’s criminal conduct, which is perceived as nonrelevant to her real i...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - May 7, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Einat, T., Harel-Aviram, I., Rabinovitz, S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research

The Impact of Reality Therapy on Self-Efficacy for Substance-Involved Female Offenders in Taiwan
This study aimed to fulfill a twofold purpose. First, a 12-session reality therapy drug treatment program to enhance substance-involved females’ self-efficacy in three aspects, which have been demonstrated to be essential to recovery, was designed and implemented. Second, to test the effectiveness of the treatment program, the Index of Sense of Self-Efficacy Scale was developed and validated using Principal Component Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The participants in the drug treatment program were 40 incarcerated substance-involved female offenders, who were randomly assigned to equal-sized experimental ...
Source: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology - May 7, 2015 Category: Criminology Authors: Law, F. M., Guo, G. J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research