Reflection on the book Last Chance In Texas
1) Describe the three main rehabilitative strategies demonstrated by the Giddings State School Capital Offender Program. Are these strategies effective? Why/why not?
2) What are the benefits of the Giddings State School Capital Offender Program? What are the challenges in taking this program to scale? 3) What questions did you have about the Program? What more would you like to know about the therapeutic intervention strategies? Any concerns?
4) Beyond the reduction of recidivism, what might be some of the intended/unintended outcomes of Giddings State School Capital Offender Program’s intervention strategies?
5) What are some of the recent developments and issues related to all of the above?
Sample Solution
The Giddings State School Capital Offender Program, established in Texas in the 1990s, is a model for reform and rehabilitation of offenders. The program uses three key rehabilitative strategies to help offenders make progress in their rehabilitation journey: cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), role-playing exercises, and case management with an emphasis on long-term goal setting.
Cognitive behavioural therapy works to change an individual’s thinking patterns by challenging negative beliefs and replacing them with more positive ones (Sabovic et al., 2020). This approach is used by the Giddings program to help inmates better understand themselves and learn how to manage their emotions. It also helps them develop new coping skills that can be applied to different situations they may encounter inside or outside prison.
Role-playing exercises are another strategy used in the Giddings program as a way for inmates to gain insight into how their actions impact others (Jones et al., 2018). This activity involves staff members acting out scenarios that inmates may potentially experience outside of prison walls so they can practice responding positively instead of negatively. This helps build empathy towards others which can aid in developing better decision-making skills.
Finally, case managers at Giddings provide tailored support plans focusing on long term goals such as job training or education (Shepherd & White, 2021). They work one on one with each inmate during monthly sessions where they discuss progress made since their last meeting and set future targets. The overall objective is helping inmates reintegrate back into society upon release.
In conclusion, these three strategies have been shown to be effective when it comes to offender rehabilitation. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helps individuals make changes from within while role playing activities foster empathy towards others. Finally, Case Management provides ongoing support which allows individuals tailor specific plans based on short -and –long terms goals.
