Purpose & Effectiveness of Counseling in Correctional Setting

Purpose & Effectiveness of Counseling in Correctional Setting

Sabrina Serrano

Counseling

Resubmitted 9/11/11

Abstract

The effectiveness and purpose of correctional counseling in a correctional system can go about many different ways. The two ways being discussed provide information on how to handle offenders and the problems they face. As correctional counselors they need to create a relationship with them, so that the offenders will open up to you and trust you.

Introduction

The intention of this paper is to prove the purpose and effectiveness of correctional settings and how counseling makes a positive difference in many of the offender's lives. For my paper I chose two articles the first one was" The strengths perspective: A paradigm for correctional counseling;" Van Wormer, K. (1999). The strengths perspective: A paradigm for correctional counseling. Federal Probation, 63(1), 51. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. For the second one I chose "Managing Offender Resistance to Counseling;" Elliott, W. N. (2002). Managing Offender Resistance to Counseling--The '3R's'. Federal Probation, 66(3), 43. Retrieved from EBSCOhos.t.

The main points in article one is that people can get better if they receive the appropriate assistance. Many clients in the correctional system define themselves as criminals because of the crimes they have committed. Offenders look at most people with authority negatively. For example; probation officers, judges, police officers etc... Because they most likely bring them bad news so they will not earn their trust. A correctional counselor first has to build trust with them and observe their lifestyle and the way they think to get effective results.

The second article mainly deals with offenders non-willingly going to counseling. They don't like to go because they have to look within themselves to fix the problem. They don't participate by not talking or really letting the counselors in to help them. This discourages the counselors from being able to do their job. It also deals with "3R's" redirection, refraining, and reversal of responsibility. These are the 3 ways that offenders refrain from assistance; the hardest thing for them is looking at them and knowing that they have to face the problem.

The two articles are similar in a number of ways because in each way the author believes that correctional counseling will be beneficial to offenders but they go about it different ways. They differ in that way that in article one it gets more personally involved with the offender. For example; where there form, their background, where they