Thinking for a Change

Program Description

Bush, Glick, and Taymans have noted that the major impetus to developing this program was founded on the experience that criminal behavior was more susceptible to positive social change when offenders were able to implement and to incorporate both cognitive-restructuring and cognitive skills programs. Generally, cognitive behavioral therapies administered to offender populations have been designated as cognitive-restructuring, coping-skills, or problem-solving therapies. Cognitive restructuring focuses on the makeup of an offender's thinking in an effort to change those core attitudes and beliefs that can lead to criminal behavior. The coping-skills therapy approach emphasizes attempts to improve an individual's inability to adapt to demanding and difficult situations involving interpersonal skills and critical reasoning. Problem-solving approaches assist offenders in how to think, solve problems, and engage in prosocial behavior. Most cognitive behavioral therapies for offenders incorporate some combination of these three approaches.

The Thinking for a Change program consists of 22 lessons generally delivered over an eleven-week period. Each lesson is approximately two hours in length. Essentially, each lesson is similarly formatted, beginning with a summary and rationale portion; the beginning section covers the scope, breadth, and reason for teaching the lesson. Next, the lesson presents concepts and definitions, followed by lesson objectives and major activities. For instance, one activity uses role-play to illustrate an escalating conflict between an offender and someone in authority, such as a probation officer, a correctional officer, or a police officer. One suggested example provided for program trainers is the following: A correctional officer keeps an inmate waiting at the door of his living unit while the officer finishes a conversation with another officer about the duty schedule for the next work shift. The inmate expresses irritation with sarcasm (“Take your own sweet time”). The officer expresses irritation at this by asserting his authority in a gruff tone (“Jones, you stand behind that line until this door is open and you're clear to pass”). He points to a line on the floor some feet behind where the inmate is standing.

Participants are instructed that neither side is completely right or wrong. The point is to demonstrate two different viewpoints in a conflicting situation. Next, the participants are asked what they think each person is thinking and feeling.

Specifically, Sessions 1 to 9 focus on the cognitive-restructuring approach. These lessons teach offenders to self-reflect on their attitudes, beliefs, and feelings. Offenders are also taught, and practice, the objective observation of these thoughts, feelings, and attitudes. Next, the sessions focus on helping offenders recognize those cognitive processes that led them to maladaptive behavior, followed by helping them find more adaptive forms of thinking and acting.

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