Overview
The first objective of this chapter is to tell the “what works” story of rehabilitation. The chapter begins with an overview of the “nothing works” position, which launched the deterrence and “get tough” movement in criminal justice (to be described in more detail in Chapter 13). The second aspect of the story describes recognition of the value of human service in justice contexts (that is, the debate moved toward a “what works” position). Another objective of this chapter is to summarize the meta-analytic evidence regarding the value of adhering to the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model. Finally, the chapter ends with a consideration of “what works” from the perspective of GPCSL. Much of the quantitative detail is located in the Resource Note. Making “what works” to actually “work” in the real world is presented in the next chapter of this book.
Technical Notes 11.1 and 11.2
Videos
Criminal Behaviour: Female Offenders
Dr. Shelley Brown is a professor of forensic psychology within the Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada. Shelley’s program of research aims to improve gender responsive services for girls and women in conflict with the law. Shelley studies complex trauma, violence, strengths, risk assessment and desistance among justice-impacted girls and women with various collaborators from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health , Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, Canada, Orbis Partners Inc., Ottawa, Canada, and the Department of Sociology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Pakistan.
Shelley has published various articles, reports, book chapters and books about criminal behavior in general, as well as works specific to justice-impacted girls and women. Her most recent publication includes the edited book: The Wiley handbook on what works with girls and women in conflict with the law: A critical review of theory, practice, and policy (Brown & Gelsthorpe, 2022). Shelley teaches courses in criminal behavior and supervises an active team of undergraduate and graduate students engaged in gender responsive corrections-based research.
This video was recorded in the summer of 2016 as part of a criminal behavior course offered at Carleton University. Notably, Dr. Don Andrews was the first professor to have taught this course.
A few caveats are in order. First, I use the word “offender”. Terms such as “offender” are stigmatizing and are no longer consistent with contemporary person-first, language rules. Second, although the video still captures contemporary thought, much has transpired in the field. Scholars have provided more concrete guidance in terms of what it means to be truly gender responsive. Criticisms levied against the RNR model have also evolved. Moving forward, finding humane and ethical solutions to treat all needs (regardless of their empirical association with criminal justice outcomes) that do not inadvertently elevate risk or security classifications levels is paramount.
Discussion questions:
- What are the similarities and differences between the gender responsive and the RNR models?
- How can correctional systems work collaboratively with other systems to successfully address all needs of justice-impacted girls and women in a holistic fashion?
- Should gender responsive principles be conceptualized as specific responsivity principles within the RNR model?
- What criticisms have been levied against cognitive behavioral treatment?
Worth Remembering
- 1. From “nothing works” to “what works” is an astonishing story at the nexus of ideology, professional identity, science, and public policy. Literally, the evidence did not matter for many years. Now, evidence does matter and evidence-based practice is an ideal in many justice, correctional, forensic, and community prevention agencies.
- The positive effects of adherence to RNR are very robust across different types of programs, persons, settings, and methodological conditions. The effectiveness of treatment has been attributed to a host of variables outside the RNR principles. However, even after accounting for these factors, the RNR principles continue to offer the major explanation for program effectiveness.
- Specific responsivity recognizes the importance of trauma-informed rehabilitation in facilitating humane and effective interventions.
Quiz
Further Reading
Cullen, F. T. (2012). Taking rehabilitation seriously: Creativity, science and the challenge of offender change. Punishment & Society, 14, 94–114.
Cullen, F. T. (2013). Rehabilitation: Beyond nothing works. In M. Tonry (Ed.), Crime and justice, Vol. 42, Crime and justice in America 1975–2025 (pp. 299–376). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.