In this article, we take a look at five important principles involved in designing an educational program to teach Blue, Gold, Green, and Orange offenders how to improve their behavior once they are released from jail, prison, or probation. Failing to pay attention to these factors will dramatically hinder rehabilitation success.
Principle #1: Most programs designed to help offenders change their behavior are based on traditional educational strategies.
Examine the classic drug campaign, "Just say no." It speaks to those who see "no" as a viable option. Nontraditional learners respond to "Just say no" with a resounding "How do you spell it?" In the same way, most cognitive restructuring and life-skills programs utilize traditional educational paraphernalia such as overhead projectors and transparencies.
Many are based on a lecture format with slight variations on the old theme of teacher talks while student listens or student talks while everyone else listens. This "one versus everybody" approach rarely generates the personal involvement necessary to create an intrinsic bond with the material or skills being taught.
Principle #2: Skill-based programs must provide a balanced educational approach.
In education, as well as corrections, we keep getting ourselves caught in a cyclic time warp. We are presently entering the period where we are beginning to reuse the failed programs and philosophies of the 1960s. We have witnessed the staggering increases in crime during our more recent "lock 'em up" period and therefore many are looking elsewhere for answers.
The key to success is not to abandon altogether former approaches by jumping from bandwagon to bandwagon. It is by adopting sound educational philosophies that have proven to be successful. Typically, these successes have come from creating a balanced attack.
From the traditional educational approaches, we need to hold people accountable and be accountable ourselves. We need to become more competency-based and result-oriented. From the non-traditionalist, we need to involve the whole person in the process. We need to make things immediately practical and usable. We need to allow for process and not be more concerned with product.
Principle #3: We need to stop spending our precious resources on offenders who are trying to con the system.
Offenders that ruin the opportunity for others to learn should not be tolerated in programs. Ways should be found to make it less rewarding for them to disrupt the process so that those who wish to apply themselves can become the real winners. We spend entirely too much time dealing with troublemakers at the expense of those who are looking for a positive way out of their present situation. As heartless as it may seem, it is often necessary to sacrifice the one for the needs of the whole.
Principle #4: External changes last only as long as a person in under supervision or in custody.
Programs look good when an individual feigns compliance to reduce the pressure placed on them. When the pressure to perform is lifted, all motivation to comply is also lost. Though it may look like a change has been made on the surface, in reality, nothing changes and the individual uses the same old con to get what they want.
These programs must generate deep personal involvement in order to crate the internal atmosphere necessary to motivate a lasting change. This approach must not be superficial; rather it must be deep-rooted and cause serious introspection and self-examination.
Principle #5: Lasting change is internal.
Programs that generate this serious introspection and self-examination can create internal change. This type of change is difficult to achieve but it is wonderful to witness. It is when the lights turn on and a person realized they have the ability to open up new worlds of personal discovery. Witnessing this type of intrinsic change is often the goal of individuals who have chosen this profession. It need not to happen so rarely and can be greatly enhanced by making sure that these then factors are considered carefully before implementing a cognitive/life-skills program.
If you're not exactly sure if you are primarily a Blue, Gold, Green, or Orange personality type, then check out the free test at http://gaininginsight.com/ where you can learn more about human temperament. When you subscribe to the free blog, you'll also receive a number of tips and strategies for finding more success with the people in your life, both at home and in the workplace.
About the Author: Nathan Bryce is the inventor of the world's first patented personality system, the Insight Temperament System, which applies the research of Carl Jung, David Keirsey, Isabel Myers (and many others) into real-life settings. His educational company, the non-profit Insight Learning Foundation, teaches hundreds of thousands of people all around the world how to understand people better. Please visit http://www.insightlearning.com/ for more information.
By Nathan Bryce
Principle #1: Most programs designed to help offenders change their behavior are based on traditional educational strategies.
Examine the classic drug campaign, "Just say no." It speaks to those who see "no" as a viable option. Nontraditional learners respond to "Just say no" with a resounding "How do you spell it?" In the same way, most cognitive restructuring and life-skills programs utilize traditional educational paraphernalia such as overhead projectors and transparencies.
Many are based on a lecture format with slight variations on the old theme of teacher talks while student listens or student talks while everyone else listens. This "one versus everybody" approach rarely generates the personal involvement necessary to create an intrinsic bond with the material or skills being taught.
Principle #2: Skill-based programs must provide a balanced educational approach.
In education, as well as corrections, we keep getting ourselves caught in a cyclic time warp. We are presently entering the period where we are beginning to reuse the failed programs and philosophies of the 1960s. We have witnessed the staggering increases in crime during our more recent "lock 'em up" period and therefore many are looking elsewhere for answers.
The key to success is not to abandon altogether former approaches by jumping from bandwagon to bandwagon. It is by adopting sound educational philosophies that have proven to be successful. Typically, these successes have come from creating a balanced attack.
From the traditional educational approaches, we need to hold people accountable and be accountable ourselves. We need to become more competency-based and result-oriented. From the non-traditionalist, we need to involve the whole person in the process. We need to make things immediately practical and usable. We need to allow for process and not be more concerned with product.
Principle #3: We need to stop spending our precious resources on offenders who are trying to con the system.
Offenders that ruin the opportunity for others to learn should not be tolerated in programs. Ways should be found to make it less rewarding for them to disrupt the process so that those who wish to apply themselves can become the real winners. We spend entirely too much time dealing with troublemakers at the expense of those who are looking for a positive way out of their present situation. As heartless as it may seem, it is often necessary to sacrifice the one for the needs of the whole.
Principle #4: External changes last only as long as a person in under supervision or in custody.
Programs look good when an individual feigns compliance to reduce the pressure placed on them. When the pressure to perform is lifted, all motivation to comply is also lost. Though it may look like a change has been made on the surface, in reality, nothing changes and the individual uses the same old con to get what they want.
These programs must generate deep personal involvement in order to crate the internal atmosphere necessary to motivate a lasting change. This approach must not be superficial; rather it must be deep-rooted and cause serious introspection and self-examination.
Principle #5: Lasting change is internal.
Programs that generate this serious introspection and self-examination can create internal change. This type of change is difficult to achieve but it is wonderful to witness. It is when the lights turn on and a person realized they have the ability to open up new worlds of personal discovery. Witnessing this type of intrinsic change is often the goal of individuals who have chosen this profession. It need not to happen so rarely and can be greatly enhanced by making sure that these then factors are considered carefully before implementing a cognitive/life-skills program.
If you're not exactly sure if you are primarily a Blue, Gold, Green, or Orange personality type, then check out the free test at http://gaininginsight.com/ where you can learn more about human temperament. When you subscribe to the free blog, you'll also receive a number of tips and strategies for finding more success with the people in your life, both at home and in the workplace.
About the Author: Nathan Bryce is the inventor of the world's first patented personality system, the Insight Temperament System, which applies the research of Carl Jung, David Keirsey, Isabel Myers (and many others) into real-life settings. His educational company, the non-profit Insight Learning Foundation, teaches hundreds of thousands of people all around the world how to understand people better. Please visit http://www.insightlearning.com/ for more information.
By Nathan Bryce
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