Prison Climate
Crime and recidivism rates for children and young adults are slowly declining but remain alarmingly high troughout the world.
There is increasing evidence social climate in (youth)prison, psychiatric or secure care matters for treatment results and recidivism for children and young adults.[1].
Secure Institutions and Prisons who focus on a positive social climate, treatment and aftercare have significant better results compared to institutions who mainly focus on punishment [2] [3]. However, due to the ambiguity of the climate concept empirical research has moved away in the past from this subject, focusing on ‘treatment methods’ (for instance ‘anger replacement training’ or ‘learning from crime’ programmes). In neglecting institutional climate treatment methods could have lesser effect or even have adverse effects (i.e. 'deviancy training', ‘school for crime’).
Recent research [4]; [5]) shows the social climate can be adequately measured with high validity and reliability in Dutch, English, German, Russian and Estonian language and even non-European languages (Papiaments, Hindi, Tamil, Xhosa and Swahili). These measurements open the way for evidence based climate improvement in secure residential care and prisons. But also climate instruments have been developed for younger children in secure and residential care [6].
Research shows climate improvement to be related to less aggression and less incidents and improving developmental tasks for youth and young adults like developing empathy and treatment motivation, an internal locus of control, les criminal cognitions and even more acceptance of society and less radical toughts ([7]
Recently empirical methods have been developed for improving climate using a continuous Plan-Do-Check-Act feedback-cycle for staff as well as inmates/patients in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Estonia combined with staff-coaching resulting in evidence based improvements. Using this concept, even improvements in school climate in secure residential care and youth prisons were measured as well as improvements in the work climate for guards, staff, social workers and teachers.
Still many possibilities for scientific- and practice based advances in this area remain, as well as the applicability of prison climate change in other countries with different penal systems and different opinions on task characteristics. According to Marshall & Burton [8]urgent research is needed to stimulate reduction of recidivism and incident rates and a better work climate for staff as well. Special attention is needed for children and young adults with a mild intellectual disability who make up a sizable portion of youth prison population and have high incident- and recidivism rates[9]. Also patient in high secure psychiatric care can benefit from a better climate [10]. In the Netherlands and Belgium (KU Leuven) comprehensive research has been started to improve the social climate in psychiatric residential care[11]. Social climate matters everywhere, also for out-of-home treatment in family home houses in the Netherlands has shown good results[12]
In the last 10 years it has been shown to be possible to improve secure residential and psychiatric care and prison climate for violent and agressive youth and young adults with beneficial effects for offenders, staff as well as society and a reduction of costs related to imprisonement and recidivism. The Dutch and Estonian governements are currently working on longitudinal schemes to improve their prison climate [13], but also German Youth Prisons [14]. A consortium of Belgium facilities and the University of Gent called 'Back to Basics' works together with the University of Leuven (psychiatry) to improve youth residential and prison climate in Belgium.
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- ↑ Stams, G.J.J.M. & Van der Helm, G.H.P (2016 in press). What works in programs for Aggressive and Violent Youth? In: Sturmey, P.(Ed). The Wiley Handbook of Violence and Aggression. Volume 3. Societal Interventions. NY: John Wiley & Sons Publisher
- ↑ Schubert, C. A., Mulvey, E. P., Loughran, T. A., & Losoya, S. H. (2012). Perceptions of institutional experience and community outcomes for serious adolescent offenders. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 39, 71–93.
- ↑ De Valk, S. , Van der Helm, G.H.P, Beld, M. Schaftenaar, P., Kuiper. C. & Stams, GJJM (2015). That will teach them to behave! Punishment in secure care. Journal of Children’s Services 10 (1) 3-16.
- ↑ Helm, G.H.P. van der, Stams, G.J.J.M., & Van der Laan, P.H. (2011). Measuring Group Climate in a Forensic setting. The Prison Journal. 91, 158-177.
- ↑ Measuring group climate in a German youth prison: a German validation of the Prison Group Climate Instrument, E.J.E. Heynen, G.H.P. van der Helm, G.J.J.M. Stams, A.M. Korebrits in: Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice, Vol. 14, (2014), p. 45-54.
- ↑ E.L.L. Strijbosch, G.H.P. van der Helm, M.E.T van Brandenburg, M. Mecking, I.B. Wissink & G.J.J.M. Stams (2014). Children in residential care: development and validation of a group climate instrument. Research on Social Work Practice, 24 (4), 462-469. doi: 10.1177/1049731513510045
- ↑ Stams, G.J.J.M. & Van der Helm, G.H.P (2016 in press). What works in programs for Aggressive and Violent Youth? In: Sturmey, P.(Ed). The Wiley Handbook of Violence and Aggression. Volume 3. Societal Interventions. NY: John Wiley & Sons Publisher.
- ↑ Marshall, W. L., & Burton, D. L. (2010). The importance of group processes in offender treatment. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 15, 141-149.
- ↑ Kaal, H. (2013). Unusually difficult: Youthful offenders with mild intellectual disabilities, a (constant) source of care. The Hague, Netherlands: Boom Lemma Uitgevers.
- ↑ Ros, N., van der Helm, G.H.P., Wissink, I., Schaftenaar, P., Stams, G.J.J.M., (2013). Institutional climate and aggression in a secure psychiatric setting. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/14789949.2013.848460.
- ↑ Ros, N., van der Helm, G.H.P., Wissink, I., Schaftenaar, P., Stams, G.J.J.M., (2013). Institutional climate and aggression in a secure psychiatric setting. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/14789949.2013.848460.
- ↑ Bekken, F. & Van der Helm, G.H.P (2017). Hoop een huis geven: eerste resultaten leef- en werkklimaatonderzoek bij Gezinshuizen-Plus . Tijdschrift voor Orthopedagogiek 1, 17-22.
- ↑ https://www.hsleiden.nl/.../jaarrapportage-dji-justitiele-jeugdinrichtingen-2014.pdf
- ↑ Heynen, E..J.E & van der Helm, G.H.P., (2014). Das Gruppenklima im Deutschen Jugendstrafvollzug, ein Sachstandbericht zur aktuellen 'Prison group Climate' Forschung in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Bewaeungshilfe, 61 p. 410-421.
