What Works and What Doesn

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What Works and What Doesnt in Reducing
Recidivism The Principles of Effective
Intervention

• Presented by
• Edward J. Latessa, Ph.D.
• Center for Criminal Justice Research
• Division of Criminal Justice
• University of Cincinnati
• www.uc.edu/criminaljustice

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Applying the Principles of Effective
Interventions with Juvenile Offenders

• Presented by
• Edward J. Latessa, Ph.D.
• Center for Criminal Justice Research
• Division of Criminal Justice
• University of Cincinnati
• www.uc.edu/criminaljustice
• Edward.Latessa_at_uc.edu

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Evidence Based What does it mean?

• There are different forms of evidence
• The lowest form is anecdotal evidence, but it
  makes us feel good
• The highest form is empirical evidence results
  from controlled studies, but it doesnt make us
  feel good

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What does the Research tell us?

• There is often a Misapplication of Research
  XXX Study Says
• - the problem is if you believe every study we
  wouldnt eat anything (but we would drink a lot
  of red wine!)
• Looking at one study can be a mistake
• Need to examine a body of research
• So, what does the body of knowledge about
  correctional interventions tell us?

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Prior Research Has Indicated.

• .that correctional services and interventions
  can be effective in reducing recidivism for
  offenders, however, not all programs are equally
  effective
• The most effective programs are based on some
  principles of effective interventions
• Risk (Who)
• Need (What)
• Treatment (How)
• Program Integrity (How Well)

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Risk Principle

• Provide more intense services to higher-risk
  offenders
• Targeting lower risk offenders can lead to
  increases in recidivism rates

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The Risk Principle Correctional Intervention
Results from Meta Analysis
Dowden Andrews, 1999
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Average Effect Size for Juvenile Residential
Facilities compared to Community Programs and
Adherence to Risk Principle
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Risk Level by New Conviction Results from 2005
Ohio Study of over 14,000 Youth
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Need Principle

• Target crime producing needs and risk factors
• Not met as often as neededmany programs practice
  correctional quackery

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Definitely NOT Criminogenic Needs
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Need PrincipleBy assessing and targeting
criminogenic needs for change, agencies can
reduce the probability of recidivism

• Criminogenic
• Anti social attitudes
• Anti social friends
• Substance abuse
• Lack of empathy
• Impulsive behavior

• Non-Criminogenic
• Anxiety
• Low self esteem
• Creative abilities
• Medical needs
• Physical conditioning

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Targeting Criminogenic Need Results from
Meta-Analyses from Youthful Offenders
Reduction in Recidivism
Increase in Recidivism
Source Dowden and Andrews (1999). What Works
in Youthful Offender Treatment. Forum on
Correctional Research..
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Treatment Principle Provide Behavioral Treatment
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Behavioral vs. NonBehavioral Results from Meta
Analysis
Reduced Recidivism
Andrews, D.A. 1994. An Overview of Treatment
Effectiveness. Research and Clinical Principles,
Department of Psychology, Carleton University.
The N refers to the number of studies.
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Type of Treatment and Effect Sizes for Youthful
Offenders
0.25
0.2
0.15
Reductions in Recidivism
0.1
0.05
0
Non-Behavioral
Behavioral
Effect Size
0.04
0.24
Source Dowden and Andrews (1999), What Works in
Young Offender Treatment A Meta Analysis. Forum
on Correctional Research.
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Attributes of Behavioral Treatment

• Focus on current factors that influence behavior
  
• Action oriented
• Offender behavior is appropriately reinforced

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Most Effective Behavioral Models

• Structured social learning where new skills and
  behavioral are modeled
• Cognitive behavioral approaches that target
  criminogenic risk factors
• Family based approaches that train family on
  appropriate techniques

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Social Learning Refers to several processes
through which individuals acquire attitudes,
behavior, or knowledge from the persons around
them. Both modeling and instrumental
conditioning appear to play a role in such
learning
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The Four Principles of Cognitive Intervention

1. Thinking affects behavior
2. Antisocial, distorted, unproductive irrational
   thinking causes antisocial and unproductive
   behavior
3. Thinking can be influenced
4. We can change how we feel and behave by changing
   what we think

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Relationship between Treatment Model and
Treatment Effect for Residential Programs
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Why practice? Relationship between Treatment
Activities and Treatment Effect for Residential
Programs
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Recent Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Behavioral
Treatment for Offenders by Landenberger Lipsey
(2005)

• Reviewed 58 studies
• 19 random samples
• 23 matched samples
• 16 convenience samples
• Found that on average CBT reduced recidivism by
  25, but the most effective configurations found
  more than 50 reductions

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Factors Not significant

• Setting - institution (generally closer to end
  of sentence) versus community
• Juvenile versus adult
• Minorities or females
• Brand name

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Significant Findings (effects were stronger if)

• Sessions per week (2 or more)
• Implementation monitored
• Staff trained on CBT
• Higher proportion of treatment completers
• Higher risk offenders
• Higher if CBT is combined with other services

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Effects based on Cognitive targets

• Cognitive restructuring
• Anger control
• Individual attention in addition to group
  sessions
• Landenberger, N, and M. Lispey (2005). The
  Positive Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Programs
  for Offenders A Meta Analysis of Factors
  Associated with Effective Treatment. Journal of
  Experimental Criminology.

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Some Examples of Cognitive Behavioral
Correctional Curriculums

• Controlling Anger and Learning to Manage It (CALM
  and CALMER)
• Aggression Replacement Therapy (ART)
• Criminal Conduct and Substance Abuse Treatment
  (adult adolescent version)
• Thinking for a Change (T4C)
• Choices, Changes Challenges

• Persistently Violent Curriculum
• Corrective Thinking/Truthought
• Reasoning and Rehabilitation
• Moral Reconation Therapy
• Drug Abuse Treatment Program (FBOP)
• Moving On (Female Offenders)

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Of course some things dont work
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Ineffective Approaches

• Drug prevention classes focused on fear and other
  emotional appeals
• Shaming offenders
• Drug education programs
• Non-directive, client centered approaches
• Bibliotherapy
• Freudian approaches
• Talking cures
• Self-Help programs
• Vague unstructured rehabilitation programs
• Medical model
• Fostering self-regard (self-esteem)
• Punishing smarter (boot camps, scared straight,
  etc.)

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Fidelity Principle Make Sure Programs Are
Delivered With Fidelity and Integrity

• Importance cant be stressed enough
• Can make or break a program
• Can be measured
• Most importantly it is dynamic and can be changed

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ResultsImpact of Program Factors Predicting
Felony Adjudication Recidivism Measure
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Lessons Learned from the Research

• Who you put in a program is important pay
  attention to risk
• What you target is important pay attention to
  criminogenic needs
• How you target youth for change is important
  use behavioral approaches

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Important Considerations
o

• Assessment is the engine that drives effective
  programs
• helps you know who what to target
• use valid third generation instruments
• Program Integrity make a difference
• Service delivery, disruption of delinquent
  networks, better training supervision of
  staff, QA are all important aspects of
  effective programs
• Dont be afraid to evaluate what you do

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Many Programs Use the Christopher Columbus Style
of Program Design
WHEN HE SET OUT He didnt know where he was
going. WHEN HE GOT THERE He didnt know where
he was. WHEN HE GOT BACK He didnt know where
he had been.
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Use Evidence Based Approaches and Design Programs
Around the Empirical Research