How Do We Choose the Clients for Treatment

1
How Do We Choose the Clients for Treatment?

• Anna Arola
• Assessment and Allocation Unit
• Regional Prison of Southern Finland
• anna.arola_at_om.fi

2

• The new legislation on imprisonment, which
  entered into force in October 2006, emphasizes
  the promotion of the prisoners abilities to live
  without crime
• Imprisonment is seen as a three-phase, planned
  process, which consists of 1) arrival in prison,
  2) serving the sentence and 3) release

3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
DISTRICT PRISON OF SOUTHERN FINLAND
ASSESSMENT AND ALLOCATION UNIT
NEEDS
RISKS
MEANS
PROBATION
Hev
VERDICT
Häv
Heva
Vanv
Vava
Jov
Riv
Kev
SUPERVISION
6
the assessment and allocation process

• risk and needs assessment
• assessment of the functioning capacity of the
  prisoner
• ? detailed plan of the sentence term
• the allocation institution is chosen according to
  the activity and rehabilitation needs of the
  prisoner and the required level of security in
  the institution

7
SENTENCE PLAN

• The measures recorded in the sentence plan are
  aimed to help the prisoner to live without crime
  and promote his/her reintegration into the
  society
• The plan also prevents recidivism in the
  institutions and during prison leaves or
  supervised probationary freedom
• The allocation institution is responsible for
  implementing and updating the sentence plan

8
RISK ASSESSMENT
STATIC FACTORS, i.e. criminal history, age,
gender
DYNAMIC FACTORS, i.e. cognitive defects,
behavioral preferences, substance abuse
risk of re-offending

• the risk principle the intensity of services and
  supervision should
• be matched to the level of offender risk
• the need principle identifies appropriate needs
  to be targeted by
• correctional interventions in attempting to
  reduce offender recidivism
• the responsivity principle correctional
  intervention should be matched to
• an offender's learning style and abilities

(dynamic) criminogenic needs
individual sentence plan
9
the need of the prisoner?

• what the prisoner wants, for example study
  spanish and earn money
• where the prisoner is needed, for example the
  skilled carpenter is needed in the prison
  workshop
• area, which has been shown to be associated
  with recidivism and can be changed

10
Is substance abuse a criminogenic need?
11
ILTA-SANOMAT 14.11.2006

• Police two schoolboys were drinking alcohol in
  the woods. Two of the boys went home leaving the
  third one to sleep on the snow, the temperature
  was -17. The boy was found dead in the morning.
• Matti (2,88 prom.) ja Mervi (2,45 prom.) were
  celebrating Mattis release from the prison.
  Result four months of unconditional imprisonment
  for Matti.
• The police is investigating a case in which an
  8-year-old was beaten with cleaning equipment
  while trying to protect her mother. The mother
  and the child were hiding from the drunken father
  in the toilet and the mother was dialing 112.

12

• The serial killer met the victim in a mall.
  They spent hours drinking until he lost his
  temper and stabbed her six times.I get along
  with people quite well if Im sauber, but if Im
  drunk this might happen. I have always been under
  influence when killing someone.
• A drunken driver caused the death of an old man
  and then crashed.
• Tallink-directors were partying on MS Silja
  Symphony. The financial director behaved
  violently towards the bartender after he refused
  to serve more alcohol.

13
Is substance abuse a criminogenic need?

• Which dynamic factors are actually criminogenic
  needs and which are not does not always match
  some of the commonly held perceptions and beliefs
  of the staff
• Substance abuse both is and is not a criminogenic
  need individual assessment essential
• Prioritizing?

14
What do we know?

• 90 of male prisoners and 65 of female prisoners
  have either alcohol or drug dependency or both
• 70 of prisoners are diagnosed with personality
  disorder(s)
• the number of lifers is rising
• ? the numbers have grown since 1985

15
LÄHDE Hypén 2004
16
CRIME-SCENE BEHAVIOUR AND OFFENDER
CHARACTERISTICS Stoat et al. 2005

• ARSONISTS
• crime-scene behaviour did not differentiate
  between the recidivists and non-recidivists
• factors which predict recidivism
• previous criminal history
• suicidal behaviour
• substance abuse

• THOSE UNDER RESTRAINING ORDER / STALKERS
• violence of the stalkers increases the likelihood
  of recidivism
• young age and versatile criminal history predict
  the likelihood to commit drug and property
  offences

17
WHAT CAN WE OFFER?

• Nearly all institutions have intoxicant
  rehabilitation programmes and contract wards
• An individual intoxicant continuum may be
  established up to release
• The rehabilitation programmes are based on
  cognitive-behavioural therapy, various group
  therapy forms and community treatment models
• Commitment to abstinence is a condition to enter
  open institutions

18
Challenges

• attitudes
• understanding change
• motivational work
• relapse prevention
• cooperation ? the treatment continuum
• lack of services (quantity and quality)