A systematic review with a meta-analysis evaluated the role of the application of certain correctional practices (effective use of authority, pro-social models, effective problem-solving strategies, use of tailored resources, and interpersonal relationship factors) to reduce recidivism and found evidence of their effectiveness. The authors conclude that staff characteristics (profile) and practitioner training in core correctional skills are key elements to enhance the impact of therapeutic treatment programs in a correctional setting.
A qualitative meta-synthesis explored how interactions between inmates and prison officials can affect the former’s behavioral patterns and attitudes, with consequences that affect their ability to rehabilitate. The study was aimed at investigating the mechanisms whereby inmates internalize and adopt stigmatized identities that end up harming the reintegration process. The study concludes that, with the passage of time, moreover as the social distance between agents and inmates decreases and familiarity between those groups grows, a dynamic is established whereby the agents become integrated, to a certain extent, into the inmates’ support network, as they come to support them in transforming their self-perceptions as “delinquents” and replacing those stigmatizing labels with pro-social identities (as spouses, parents, friends, employees, etc.) and their self-perception as “ex-offenders” who deserve redemption and a second chance, which has positive repercussions in promoting continuous vigilance and a proactive attitude toward change and non-recidivism [2].
A meta-analytic review presented evidence of the effectiveness of the training offered to community professionals in charge of supervising law offenders, especially where this training focuses on core correctional practices (e.g., effective use of authority, pro-social modeling, effective problem-solving strategies, use of community resources, and interpersonal relationship factors). A meta-analysis of 10 studies evaluated the effect of this type of training on recidivism of supervisees in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, and found that training supervisors in those correctional practices reduced recidivism (36.2% vs. 49.9%) [3].
Other research evaluated the Strategic Training Initiative in Community Supervision (STICS) in British Columbia, Canada [4]. This training focuses on cognitive behavioral interventions aimed at addressing the criminogenic needs of supervisees. Following the training, there were improvements in the content of discussions and intervention techniques employed by the officers. In particular, the use of cognitive behavioral interventions to address criminogenic needs was associated with significant reductions in overall recidivism (43.0% in the treatment group vs. 61.4% in the control group) and violent recidivism (14.9% vs. 21.2%).