ComCor’s mission is to aid offenders in reforming their anti-social behaviors through internalization of pro-social values. Since behavior proceeds from one’s internalized values, the offender is held responsible for external behaviors while learning to reorder the thoughts and feelings that motivate his or her particular value system. Thus, the interests of the criminal justice system are served, the community protected and the offender reformed. The goal of converting anti-social to pro-social behavior involves elements of assessment, management, intervention/treatment and evaluation.
All behaviors are learned and/or maintained by a combination of past experience, thoughts and beliefs, and social and environmental interactions. These factors comprise an individual’s value system, which determines actions and reactions in various situations. At times, this value system is manifested by criminal behavior. In addition, there are specific factors related to and predictive of crime that have been identified by Andrews and Bonta (1994) as criminogenic needs. These needs encompass an entire sphere of influence, from past criminal behavior, to financial and living circumstances, to personality and attitudes. Understanding an offender’s criminogenic needs is critical in all aspects of risk management and treatment within the ComCor milieu.
A broad-based assessment is the first step in determining the level of risk and pointing the way toward a corrections-relevant supervision plan. ComCor has a sophisticated assessment procedure that serves to identify offender needs. A three-tiered approach insures the proper level of management and intervention for each offender.
The first tier is a pre-placement screening that reviews criminogenic needs identified through a review of the offender’s file. Issues related to violence, including domestic violence and community safety, are carefully evaluated. Based upon this review, a decision is made to accept or not to accept the offender for ComCor placement. Once an offender is accepted into ComCor, the next two tiers of assessment occur.
For the second tier of assessment, the offender’s case manager administers the Level of Supervision Inventory-revised, which was developed and copyrighted by Andrews and Bonta (1994) in order to assess the risk level presented. ComCor is currently in the process of converting to the Level of Supervision Inventory-Revised as a component of the state’s newly adopted Standardized Offender Assessment-Revised assessment protocols.
Face-to-face interactions with the offender and a review of pertinent records are factored into the evaluation. Program Services staff conduct a psychological evaluation to assess the offender’s cognitive functioning, substance abuse issues and personality characteristics. They also identify current problems and generate an extensive developmental and social history.
At the third tier of assessment, the information developed by the case manager and Program Services becomes a basis for the staffing that then occurs. The staffing team consists of a multidisciplinary group of individuals: case managers, correctional representatives, nurse, vocational coordinator, mental health staff and other relevant contract staff. The staffing team identifies the offender’s primary criminogenic needs and plans the initial intervention and treatment. Risk management and risk reduction strategies are essential elements of each plan, and are applied simultaneously.
It is in the area of intervention and treatment that ComCor’s philosophy of individual change and personal responsibility is fully implemented. For every criminogenic need there are four potential areas of intervention: external, internal, family and environmental.
External interventions embody the traditional sanctions, mandates and controls of the criminal justice system. Internal interventions directly challenge the offender’s anti-social behavior, thoughts, feelings, attitudes and values from the inside through the use of cognitive behavioral and motivational interviewing strategies. Family interventions involve the participation of significant others in monitoring, treatment and strengthening pro-social ties and responsibilities. Environmental interventions include an appreciation of the wider social network within which the offender functions and how this network can be utilized to promote law-abiding behavior. This network can include work, church, mentors and friends. Management and supervision plans are constantly evaluated for effectiveness and meeting appropriate regulatory standards.
ComCor believes offenders can change and targets its efforts accordingly, while ensuring that the public is protected to the greatest extent possible. We do this by taking a broad-spectrum approach to the assessment, management, intervention/treatment and evaluation of offenders. |
