Restoration of Rights Summit

1
Restoration of Rights Summit

• Criminal Thinking

2
Effective/Ineffective Elements

• Ineffective Elements
• Few carrots, too many sticks
• Insufficient empirical research and outcome
  studies in criminal thinking interventions.
• Insufficient resources identification,
  assessment, intervention, and referrals.
• Unknown whether cognitive restructuring within
  prison system will generalize within the
  community.

• Effective Elements
• Commitment to successful re-entry strategies.
• Reliable and valid assessment instruments to
  identify criminal thinking styles.
• Early identification and on-going intervention
  (post-assessment).
• Standardize cognitive restructuring programs.
• Holistic approach.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Model
• Consistent training on errors in thinking to
  include restorative justice.

3
Recommendations

• Paradigm expansion, paradigm shift.
• Expand the title to the Department of
  Corrections and Rehabilitation.
• Develop a Cognitive Community Model within the
  entire criminal justice system
• Combination of therapeutic community and
  cognitive intervention used to change criminal
  thinking.
• Addresses destructive belief systems, criminal
  thinking, and pro-social decision-making.

4
RecommendationsContinued

• Train all levels of the criminal justice system,
  non-governmental organizations including all
  faith-based, and community service providers on
  criminal thinking in all areas (e.g., at risk
  youth, families, pre-intervention). Boundary
  spanners.
• All inmates should be assessed to identify risk,
  need, and appropriateness for cognitive
  restructuring for criminal thinking as it relates
  to re-entry.
• Pre-release, appropriate inmates should receive
  intensive cognitive restructuring programming.

5
RecommendationsContinued

• Consider split-sentencing to mandate completion
  of evidence-based cognitive behavioral
  programming for criminal thinking as a condition
  of release to community supervision.
• Integrate criminal thinking within existing
  programs to address mental illness and substance
  abuse.

6
RecommendationsContinued

• Consistent training on errors in thinking to
  include restorative justice and impact on
  victims.
• Adopt evidence-based methodology, evaluation, and
  cost-benefit analysis.