1. EPICS-II Effective Practices in Correctional Settings-II

2. Introductions
Melanie Lowenkamp
Jen Kisela

3. “When I read about the training I thought “I already do that”…
“When I read about the training I thought “I already do that”….when I went to the training I thought “I already do this”….when I got back and did it how I was trained I thought “I have been doing this”….it wasn’t until I got this incredibly different response from the offenders that I realized I had never done this before.”
-Federal Probation Officer Anna Pakiela, Personal Communication 2009.
EPICS-II
Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

4. Ohio Community Corrections Data
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

5. What Do You Feel Responsible For?

6. Inter Heart Study Risk factors for heart attack
Identified 9 factors that predicted 90% of all heart attacks
First 2 predicted 2/3rds

7. Risk Factors For Heart Attack
Cholesterol
Current smoking
Diabetes
Hypertension
Abdominal obesity
Psychosocial
Failure to eat vegetables and fruits daily
Failure to exercise
No alcohol consumption

8. Comparison of HA & Crime Risk Factors
Cholesterol
Current smoking
Diabetes
Hypertension
Abdominal obesity
Psychosocial
Failure to eat fruits & veg
Failure to exercise
No alcohol consumption
Attitudes
Peers
Personality
Employment
Family
Substance abuse
Housing, finances
Personal distress
Lower socio-economic status

9. How Does What We Target & How We Target Make A Difference
Plenty of current research indicating that when we incorporate core correctional practices we see reductions in recidivism
Using core correctional practices ensures we are targeting relevant criminogenic needs & using a general model to change behavior

10. Skeem et al, 2007, Trotter, 1996 & 1999, Paparozzi & Gendreau, 2005, and others
Quality and nature of relationship
Andrews & Dowden, 1999 and others
What we talk about
Taxman 2008
Moving beyond the check in
Bonta et al., 2008, Dowden & Andrews, 2004
Core Correctional Practices

11. The Balanced Approach
Paparozi and Gendreau. An Intensive Supervision Program that Worked: Service Delivery, Professional Orientation, and Organizational Supportiveness. The Prison Journal, Vol. 85 No. 4, December 2005.

12. Core Correctional Practices
Dowden and Andrews, 2004

13. How well we do both What to target How to target Relationship Skills
Behavioral Analysis
RACE
CHART-session structure
How to target
Bridging skills
Intervention skills
How well we do both
Fidelity of implementation
Peer coaching
Relationship Skills

14. Relationship Skills
What type of relationship yields the highest benefit
How to coach and mentor your clients & peers
Important factors associated with effective correctional programs
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

15. Relationship “a connection, association, or involvement”
Professional and work related
Friendly, but not friends
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

16. Discussion
Think about an effective coach you’ve had in your life (for sports, work, etc.)
What qualities did that person have?
What made him/her a good coach?
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

17. Relationship Skills
Spiegler and Guevremont note that the relationship “…is a necessary but not a sufficient condition of treatment.”
Must also target criminogenic needs
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

18. Relationship Skills Skills: Collaboration, autonomy, self-efficacy
Empathy
Active listening
Giving feedback
Role Clarification
Structured skill building and graduated practice
EPICS-II
Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

19. Role Clarification Key skill in working with involuntary clients
Helps the client understand what to expect and what is expected of them
Should be covered at the beginning of supervision
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

20. Role Clarification Explain the supervision process
Explain the various roles and responsibilities of a supervision officer
What are we (officer/offender) here for?
What are we hoping to get out of this?
What is required?
What can be negotiated?
Confidentiality of information
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

21. Steps of Role Clarification
Identify the agency’s goals for the supervision process
Ask the client to identify what he hopes to accomplish during the supervision process
Identify what you, as a representative of the agency, hope to accomplish
Define the supervision process
Identify and discuss expectations of confidentiality 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

22. CHART-session structure
What to target
Behavioral Analysis
RACE
CHART-session structure

23. Risk Assessment
Important for driving case planning, management, and risk reduction
The results direct:
Whom to target (high risk)
What to target (criminogenic needs)
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

24. Sample assessment scores
Criminal History=MODERATE
Education, Employment, and Financial situation=LOW
Family and social support=LOW
Neighborhood Problems= LOW
Substance Use= HIGH
Peer Associations= HIGH
Criminal Attitude and behavior problems= MODERATE

25. To be effective at reducing an offender’s risk we have to understand what puts them at risk.
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

26. Behavioral Analysis “How do I know what to target?”
Identifies high risk people, places, things, thoughts
Uncovers specific targets for discussion
Given as homework
Used throughout supervision
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

27. Behavioral Analysis
Process where offender reports the offense chain for the last ten times he/she was in trouble or could have been in trouble
Allows you and offender to look for patterns in behavior.
These patterns tell us what to extinguish, identify situations to avoid, skills to develop, and what to reinforce
This process makes supervision proactive instead of reactive!

28. Behavioral Analysis When (day of week and time)
Who were you with (before/during)?
Where were you?
What were you thinking/feeling (before/during)?
What did you do?
What were you thinking/feeling after?

29. Sample BA Weekday Afternoon Guys at Community service downtown
When (day of week and time)
Who were you with before/during?
Where were you?
What were you thinking/feeling before/during?
What did you do?
What were you thinking/feeling after?
Weekday
Afternoon
Guys at Community service
downtown
I got time to stop by my house and see my grandma and get something to eat.
Stopped by the house for a few minutes then went back
I shouldn’t have done that.
That was stupid
I could’ve gotten caught
Sunday morning
Andre
Da’shon
Prison
I’m gonna play this football ticket and make some money
I played it and got caught with it afterwards
That’s a petty rule
It’s not about the ticket.
Annoyed
Weekday morning
Self
My house
I could get a good chunk of money for my mom’s TV
I took the TV to the pawn shop
I need help.
Guilt
Sample BA

30. RACE
Relapse prevention model used to help understand how to respond to their high risk people, places, things.
Along with BA used early in supervision
Implementing the steps of RACE will be an ongoing process
Helps the client learn to make responsible choices
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

31. R A C E RACE RECOGNIZE AVOID COPE EVALUATE
High risk influencers that tempt the offender
AVOID
By taking steps away from situations
COPE
In situations where the high risk influencer cannot be avoided
EVALUATE
Evaluate progress, make changes to the plan R A C E

32. RACE Recognize Avoid Cope Evaluate
Learn to recognize high-risk situations
Avoid
Can you avoid? Plan to avoid
Cope
If you cannot avoid, plan to manage
Evaluate
How can you better handle the scenario? What did you do well?

33. RACE Audio example EPICS-II
Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

34. Avoidance Worksheet
Can you realistically avoid this high risk person, place, thing, trigger (PPTT)?
List all of the situations you might encounter this PPTT?
If you avoid this situation what will you do instead?
What specific steps will you take to avoid this situation
What problems do you anticipate in avoiding this situation?
What skills will you need to successfully implement the plan?
After completing avoidance worksheet proceed to coping-contingency plan

35. Avoidance Worksheet - R=Stress
Can you realistically avoid this high risk person, place, thing, trigger (PPTT)?
List all of the situations you might encounter this PPTT?
If you avoid this situation what will you do instead?
What specific steps will you take to avoid this situation
What problems do you anticipate in avoiding this situation?
What skills will you need to successfully implement the plan?
Conflict with girlfriend (screaming at each other)
Separate from each other when tension is present.
Calmly discuss issue.
Talk to her when we are both calm.
Create a plan that we both agree on.
Difficulty learning a new way to communicate.
Going back to old habits.
Communication skills
3 Step
Time out technique

36. Coping Worksheet-contingency
Complete the following worksheet to be used in situations where unforeseen high-risk situations occur
List some potential situations where the avoidance plan may fail:
What specific steps will you take to remove yourself with minimal risk of relapse or other problems
What potential problems can you anticipate by implementing your plan?
How will you handle these problems?
What skills will you need to successfully implement the plan?

37. Coping Worksheet-primary plan
Complete the following worksheet to be used in situations where the high risk PPTT CANNOT be avoided.
When encountering this high risk PPTT my risk reaction is:_________________
List specific circumstances surrounding this PPTT that increase the likelihood of triggering your risk reaction
What specific steps will you take to effectively cope with these circumstances
What potential problems can you anticipate by implementing your plan
How will you handle these problems
What skills will you need to successfully implement the plan

38. Coping Worksheet-primary plan
Complete the following worksheet to be used in situations where the high risk PPTT CANNOT be avoided.
When encountering this high risk PPTT my risk reaction is: Anger/ Violence
List specific circumstances surrounding this PPTT that increase the likelihood of triggering your risk reaction
What specific steps will you take to effectively cope with these circumstances
What potential problems can you anticipate by implementing your plan
How will you handle these problems
What skills will you need to successfully implement the plan
She starts accusing me of being with other women
Explain to her that I don’t want to argue
Tell her we need to separate until we are both calm.
Leave the house.
She’ll continue to scream at me.
She won’t let me leave.
She’ll start hitting and kicking me.
Take a deep breath
Don’t raise my voice.
Explain that I will call her in an hour.
3-step
Skill step “responding to anger”
Skill step “responding to an accusation”

39. Structure of an interaction
Purposeful and Intentional
Focuses on addressing and changing target behaviors
Be prepared for meeting
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

40. Questions to ask yourself
What is the goal of the interaction?
What should I target?
What behaviors do I want to reinforce?
What behaviors do I want to disapprove of?
What are his/her high risk P,P,T,Ts?
What was the client’s homework?

41. Check-in C
Homework H
Assess & Apply A
Reinforce R
Teach T

42. Structured Skill building
Session 2- How to target
Bridging Skills
Intervention Skills
Structured Skill building

43. Bridging Skills EPICS-II
Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

44. Bridging Skills
Serve as a “bridge” between relationship and behavioral change
Development and maintenance of a relationship
Basis of behavioral change
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

45. Bridging Skills Changing offender behavior
Effective use of Reinforcement
Effective Use of disapproval
Effective Use of Authority

46. Changing Offender Behavior
Punishment and Reinforcement
Building blocks of operant conditioning
Behavior is developed and maintained through a series of consequences
Punishment stops a behavior/ Reinforcement strengthens and teaches a new behavior
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

47. Effective use of reinforcement
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

48. Reinforcement Positive reinforcement Negative reinforcement
Involves the application of a stimulus to increase behavior.
Example: A client reports getting a job and receives verbal praise.
Involves the removal of a stimulus to increase behavior.
Example: A halfway house client has clean U.A.s for an entire month and is taken off restriction

49. Types of Reinforcers Social reinforcers Reinforcing activities
Praise, acknowledgement, attention, approval, etc.
Advantages: ease of administration, limitless supply, can use immediately, naturally reinforcing
Social reinforcers
Watching television, playing sports, listening to music, playing computer games, and talking on the telephone
Reinforcing activities
Certificates, bus tokens, food, etc.
Hard to do in criminal justice system
Token items and material objects

50. Skill Steps for Effective Reinforcement
Tell the client what she did that you like and why it is important
Ask the client, in her own words and thoughts, what are the short and long term benefits of continuing to use the behavior
Contract with the client to use the skill/behavior, you are discussing, again in the future 1. 2. 3.

51. Audio Demonstration

52. Effective use of punishment and disapproval
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

53. Punishment (Positive) punishment (Negative) punishment
Involves the application of a stimulus to decrease behavior.
Example: An offender submits a positive drug screen and is required to report weekly.
Involves the removal of a stimulus to decrease behavior.
Example: An offender fails to report and has the privilege of picking report day and time removed.

54. Skill Steps for Effective Disapproval
Identify the inappropriate behavior and tell the client, in an objective manner, that you disapprove of what was said or done.
Ask the client to explore the short-and long-term consequences of continuing to engage in that behavior.
Ask the client to identify and discuss pro-social alternatives that could be used in place of the unacceptable behavior.
Contract with the client to use the pro-social alternative in the future. 1. 2. 3. 4.

55. Effective use of disapproval
IF YOU ARE ADMINISTERING A PUNISHMENT FOLLOW STEPS 5 & 6
Tell the client what the consequence will be
“Because you chose to ____, then your consequence will be ______”
Deliver the consequence 5. 6.

56. Audio Demonstration

57. Effective use of Authority
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

58. Effective use of Authority
Using authority in an effective manner
Nature of our jobs: getting people to do what they don’t want to do
Gives the client control in making decisions
Firm, but fair approach

59. Skills steps for effective use of authority
Identify a situation where the client is in a decision-making position
Present the available choices and the attendant consequences
DO NOT USE DOOMSDAY ULTIMATUMS
At the next available opportunity, follow-up by determining if objectives were met (which choice did they make?)
Reward or praise compliance (if applicable) 1. 2. 3. 4.

60. Intervention Skills EPICS-II
Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

61. Intervention Skills Cognitive Model
Applying and reviewing the cognitive model
Problem-solving skills
Time out
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

62. Cognitive Model Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Evidence based treatment
Yields the strongest, most consistent benefit in reducing recidivism
Emphasizes the important role that thoughts and feelings have in determining behavior
The Cognitive Model:
A pictorial representation of external events, thoughts, and the resulting behavior.
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Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

63. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Everyone has thoughts before acting, we just aren’t always tuned into them

64. Cognitive Model Benefits of teaching the Cognitive Model
Increases awareness of high risk thoughts that typically lead to trouble
Helps the client see and understand the connection between thinking and behavior
Starts the process of restructuring antisocial thoughts and replacing them with alternative, pro-social thoughts

65. “Thinking Controls Behavior”
The Cognitive Model
EXTERNAL
INTERNAL
BEHAVIOR
“Thinking Controls Behavior”

66. Cognitive Model worksheet
EXTERNAL
INTERNAL
THOUGHTS
BEHAVIOR
REPLACEMENT
NEW BEHAVIOR
CONSEQUENCES
CONSEQUENCES

67. Sample worksheet INTERNAL EXTERNAL BEHAVIOR THOUGHTS CONSEQUENCES
REPLACEMENT
NEW BEHAVIOR
Friends that I used with in the past called me to see if I wanted to go out with them
This could be a lot of fun. I have been working hard. I deserve a break. I won’t use I’ll just watch and laugh. I might meet a guy.
Go hang out. Might use.
I will feel like hell tomorrow. I will feel guilty. I will worry about having to drop. I could get arrested. I might use. I might meet a guy but he’ll be a loser. I could go back to prison.
Told friends I can’t do that anymore. Stayed at home with my son. Felt a big relief after I hung up phone.
CONSEQUENCES
Get arrested. Test positive. Get revoked.
CONSEQUENCES
Felt proud and like “I can make it”. Spent time with son. Stayed out of trouble

68. Why does training fail? EPICS-II
Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II

69. Integrating Training into the Workplace
Joyce and Showers (2002): Training consisting of..
Theory and Discussion
Demonstration and Modeling
Practice and Feedback + +
Resulted in…

70. Only 5% of teachers using the skills

71. Demonstration and Modeling
Joyce and Showers (2002)
Theory and Discussion
Demonstration and Modeling
Practice and Feedback + + +
On-the-job training
Resulted in…

72. 95% of teachers used the skills

73. Integrating New Training in the Workplace
Rogers (2002)
“only about 10% of what is taught in training is transferred to the job”
Training alone is not sufficient to ensure fidelity

74. Why is it so difficult to adopt a new skill?

75. 2 main reasons: The training was inadequate.
Failure in the transfer of learning back to the workplace.

76. Why?
Newly learned behavior is fragile and needs to be supported in the face of reactions from clients
Initial reaction may be positive or negative
Negative reactions may cause the behavior to desist
Stress or discomfort may cause the behavior to desist
Difficult to extinguish old habits
Perception that new behavior will be too time consuming or difficult to master
Organizational characteristics do not support new behavior

77. EPICS-II
Assists in building the infrastructure to support implementation
Provides the keys for effective implementation
Training for “peer coaches”
Support staff through early stages of implementation until new behavior is embedded
Prepare staff for potential reactions
Work one on one with staff with master the skills
Direct observation & providing feedback

78. Keys to Effective Implementation
Start small, train staff
Ensure program integrity through consistent coaching and careful monitoring
Tape interactions
As supports are in place continue to train staff
Pick one target and target it well!

79. Closing & Questions
Assessment, Relapse Prevention and Session Structure
Relationship & Coaching Skills
Bridging Skills
Intervention Skills
Fidelity of Implementation
EPICS-II
Effective Practices In Correctional Settings-II