A group of probation officers attended a training session on how to deal with offenders. They each
offered suggestions and the group leader wrote some of the suggestions on a flip chart. Table 6
below shows some of the suggestions.
Table 6
Get him to talk about what makes him angry
Make him do something to help the victim
Give him points for TV time when he behaves well
Teach him how to calm himself down
Teach him to calm himself down
Teach him to link between behaviour and consequences
Discuss 1 or more ways of dealing with offending behaviour. Refer to some of the suggestions in
table 6 in your answer (16 marks)
Behaviour modification programmes make use of behavioural principles in order to attempt to
rehabilitate offenders. This involves making changes to their behaviour through operant
conditioning, often using token economy. Good behaviour is rewarded with tokens (secondary
reinforcers) that can be traded for desirable privileges (primary reinforcers) and bad behaviour is
discouraged through removing the tokens. This is what the guards are referring to when they are
saying ‘give him points for TV when he behaves well’. It should also help them to understand the
‘link between behaviour and consequences’.
Token economies are easy to implement and there is no need for specialist professionals, making
them cost effective. There is also research showing the use of token economies to be effective within
the institution. However, the effectiveness of the programmes depends on the prison staff showing a
consistent approach and evidence has shown that any benefits are lost if staff are not consistent due
to a lack of appropriate training or staff turnover. There is also a lot of evidence to show that the
effectiveness of token economies is often short term . for example, Cohen and Filipcjak found that a
group of young male offenders who had experienced a token economy within an institution were
less likely to have reoffended 1-2 years later compared to a control group of offenders. However,
when followed up 3 years after release, the recidivism rates were the same for both groups,
suggesting that the impact of token economies reduce over time.
Anger management programmes are cognitive-behavioural in nature and designed to help people to
learn how to control their anger in order to prevent reoffending. The first phase of such a
programme involves helping the offender to identify situations which trigger their anger, as in the
suggestion of ‘get him to talk about what makes him anger’. The therapist will also challenge any
irrational interpretations. The second phase is skill acquisition, referred to in the table as ‘teach him
how to calm himself down’. This could include relaxation, meditation, or assertiveness training. The
third phase is application practice, and this is where the offenders are able to role play and practice
their skills with the therapist who will provide positive reinforcement when they are successful.
There is evidence to support the effectiveness of anger management programmes for example.
Ireland compared a sample of 50 prisoners who completed an anger management course with a
control group which consisted of 37 prisoners who were assessed but did not complete the course.
offered suggestions and the group leader wrote some of the suggestions on a flip chart. Table 6
below shows some of the suggestions.
Table 6
Get him to talk about what makes him angry
Make him do something to help the victim
Give him points for TV time when he behaves well
Teach him how to calm himself down
Teach him to calm himself down
Teach him to link between behaviour and consequences
Discuss 1 or more ways of dealing with offending behaviour. Refer to some of the suggestions in
table 6 in your answer (16 marks)
Behaviour modification programmes make use of behavioural principles in order to attempt to
rehabilitate offenders. This involves making changes to their behaviour through operant
conditioning, often using token economy. Good behaviour is rewarded with tokens (secondary
reinforcers) that can be traded for desirable privileges (primary reinforcers) and bad behaviour is
discouraged through removing the tokens. This is what the guards are referring to when they are
saying ‘give him points for TV when he behaves well’. It should also help them to understand the
‘link between behaviour and consequences’.
Token economies are easy to implement and there is no need for specialist professionals, making
them cost effective. There is also research showing the use of token economies to be effective within
the institution. However, the effectiveness of the programmes depends on the prison staff showing a
consistent approach and evidence has shown that any benefits are lost if staff are not consistent due
to a lack of appropriate training or staff turnover. There is also a lot of evidence to show that the
effectiveness of token economies is often short term . for example, Cohen and Filipcjak found that a
group of young male offenders who had experienced a token economy within an institution were
less likely to have reoffended 1-2 years later compared to a control group of offenders. However,
when followed up 3 years after release, the recidivism rates were the same for both groups,
suggesting that the impact of token economies reduce over time.
Anger management programmes are cognitive-behavioural in nature and designed to help people to
learn how to control their anger in order to prevent reoffending. The first phase of such a
programme involves helping the offender to identify situations which trigger their anger, as in the
suggestion of ‘get him to talk about what makes him anger’. The therapist will also challenge any
irrational interpretations. The second phase is skill acquisition, referred to in the table as ‘teach him
how to calm himself down’. This could include relaxation, meditation, or assertiveness training. The
third phase is application practice, and this is where the offenders are able to role play and practice
their skills with the therapist who will provide positive reinforcement when they are successful.
There is evidence to support the effectiveness of anger management programmes for example.
Ireland compared a sample of 50 prisoners who completed an anger management course with a
control group which consisted of 37 prisoners who were assessed but did not complete the course.
