A Comprehensive Cognitive Behavioral Program for Offenders

Download or read book A Comprehensive Cognitive Behavioral Program for Offenders written by Granville Bud Potter and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-06-18 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents Responsible Adult Culture (RAC), a truly comprehensive program for helping offenders to think and act responsibly. It provides the tools of the program with great clarity. In addition to exploring the needs of all offenders, the book addresses the special needs of both female and dual-diagnosis offenders. Responsible thinking means habitually seeing others and situations accurately, rather than in self-serving and egocentrically distorted ways. Because self-centered thinking is typically reinforced by negative group norms, RAC starts with the cultivation of a constructive climate (“mutual help” groups) to motivate change. Motivated group members then gain tools for responsible thinking through “equipment” (cognitive behavioral) meetings. These tools pertain to social skills, anger management, and the correction of self-centered thinking through social perspective taking (cognitive restructuring). Beyond documented reductions in distorted thinking and recidivism rates, RAC’s synergy or round-the-clock interpenetration of positive groups and tools promotes a safer and more humane institutional culture.