Correctional Interviewing & Counseling
Prof. M. L. Beshears

ADJU-17

Orientation/Lecture One

Understanding Theories

Quick Overview

Welcome to the course! Let’s do a few housekeeping functions, if you have not already done so prior to moving-on. Please do the following: 

1. Submit the syllabus for this class by right click here and then click on "open in new window". Note: This is a must, as I will not recognize you, as enrolled in this course unless you do this. This is also another way which, I obtain your e-mail address. So, be sure that your email address is correct i.e., no errors. I also prefer that you only use "one email address", if possible while taking this course and that you always include your full name in the email message to me. I will not try to figure out who you are by a message's email address e.g., (gonefishing@xcv.com) does not tell me who you are and I will not try to figure it out. So, if you want credit for an assignment or want me to respond/reply to your email. The emails you send me needs to have your full name on the message. Make sense? (no answer required)
2. I also ask, that you email me a short email message to confirm that I have received your syllabus and that you have been recognized, as an enrolled student in the course.
3. REMEMBER you must read and respond to the interactive syllabus - right click here and then click on "open in new window". 
4. Write your introduction paragraph and post it to the online discussion group. (You can access the online Discussion Area by clicking on "Discuss" at the bottom of this page.
5. After reading week one's assigned readings (pages 1 through 72) of the text and the following lecture information; take the online quiz. Once again, you may access the quiz via the classroom's discussion area by clicking on the "Discuss Button" located at the bottom of this page.

Welcome to Correctional Interviewing and Counseling!

Lecture One

Understanding Theories
Objectives: (at the completion of this lecture the student will)

1. Have an overall understanding of the basic theories used in interviewing and counseling.
2. Have completed the personal survey The Self.
3. Post a response to weekly online discussion topic.

Reading Assignment:

1. Read Chapters One, Two, Three, and Four in the Textbook. (Pages 1 - 72)
   
2. Take the exercise Self-exploration beginning on pages 69-71 of the text. Please, do not post the results to the online classroom discussion area, as this is for you and you only. The Self (summary excerpt from the textbook): Nothing is more important to the success or failure of a counseling relationship than the quality of the helper's self. The self-concept is the product and producer of experience. Positive experiences lead to a positive self-concept, and a positive self-concept leads to further positive experiences. There are various attributes that characterize the professional criminal justice worker. You should examine these attributes closely to determine how you measure up. Deficiencies and weaknesses in any of the areas can be explored in the process of self-disclosure. There are few bits of advice more useful than the ancient injunction to know thyself.

Theories - Correctional counseling workers believe that theories correctly applied can help to reveal, explain, and treat criminal behavior. Proactive interviewing, classifying, and counseling inmates is a positive force in the rehabilitation process in the correctional setting.

Anomie and Differential Association - theories locate the causes of crime in the criminal's environment, and both theories would agree with the proposition that societies get the type criminals they deserve. Anomie theorists believe that American socioeconomic conditions, which emphasize monetary success, but at the same time deny access to legitimate avenues to this goal to a significant number of people, manufacture criminals. 

Anomie – a disruption or breakdown of norms in a society e.g., per Emile Durkheim i.e., created as the norm-less-ness produced when societies are somehow disrupted by various events such as economics or political upheaval. One byproduct of anomie being by virtue of “deregulation” is a higher crime rate. This being said, the strain theory also postulates that depending upon the degree of anomie, so varies the rate of deviance.  In other words the greater the anomie the more deviant behavior or more crime within the society.  

1. Crime and delinquency are caused primarily by social structure factors (economic and/or political).
2. Components of social structure are seen as unfair towards a sector of the population (status-deprivation).
3. Social symbols of success seen by all not attainable by all creating class lines. (effects being worse on the so called lower classes creating a focus on opportunity and crime by individuals felt to be caught in the lower class)
4. Subculture formation especially in the form of delinquent gangs to achieve or obtain status, as well as a distinctive cultural system with in society often centered on a focus towards actions associated with criminality and opportunities to commit crime.

American sociologist Robert Merton spoke of a disorganized society were a high degree of emphasis is placed on culturally common success goals, which are to be achieved via a means acceptable and/or approved by society. Yet, he notes that the “means” is not always equitably disseminated among societies members. This inequitably of the “means” or non-access to the “means” to successfully achieve cultural goals is in it self, anomie. The anomie, due to the lack of “means” access and/or non-equal “means” distribution within society, especially towards those groups deprived of the means to achieve cultural goals, would likely increase deviant behaviors from members within the deprived group. 

Merton’s five adaptations to anomie are:  

Conformity: Merton contents that this is a mode of deviant behavior. In other words, one by being submissive to the fact that he/she cannot achieve cultural goals, due to their non-access to the means to do so is in a manner rejecting the goals, as well as the means to achieve the goals. I equate this with the so-called Self-fulfilling Prophecy whereas one takes the stance, okay you say I’m lazy, so I’ll show you just how lazy I can be and let you take care of me. This could also be associated with the passive aggressive attitude of those that postulate, “The so-called system has caused me to be on welfare, so I’ll take all the government assistance money I can qualify for i.e., I’ll show them.”   

Innovation: Those that want to work to achieve goals incorporate this form of deviant behavior. However, they reject the traditional “means” for an alternate “means”, usually a means, which violates societies laws. An example would be a person robbing a bank to obtain wealth rather than doing so legally, through obtaining an education, working hard and investing wisely. 

Ritualism: This applies to those that have basically rejected societal goals, as they have deemed the goals, as unachievable. Nevertheless, the “means” are kept and sought after, as if they were the goals. In other words it’s more important to fill-out or create bureaucratic forms correctly than actually achieving the end result, which the form is to accomplish. 

Retreatism: Here both goals and means are not recognized, as achievable. These individuals are associated with the so-called societal dropouts, such as those living on the streets in shelters. 

Rebellion: In this mode of adaptation both goals and means are totally rejected and replaced with new goals and means. An example of this would be; those that rebel against a perceived injustice, as in America’s War for Independence during the 1700s.

Differential Association (DA) - Edwin Sutherland (1883-1950) is called the father of American criminology.  In 1924, he wrote a book called Criminology, the first fully sociological textbook in the field.  He first put forth his theory in the second edition of 1934, revised it again in 1939, and the theory has remained unchanged since the fourth edition of 1947.  When Sutherland died in 1950, Donald Cressey continued to popularize the theory.  It's called Differential Association (DA) theory, and Sutherland devised it because his study of white collar crime (a field he pioneered) and professional theft led him to believe that there were social learning processes that could turn anyone into a criminal, anytime, anywhere. 

 Let's look at 9 points of DA theory:

1. Criminal behavior is learned....

2. Criminal behavior is learned in interaction with others in a process of communication....

3. Learning criminal behavior occurs within primary groups (family, friends, peers, their most intimate, personal companions)

4. Learning criminal behavior involves learning the techniques, motives, drives, rationalizations, and attitudes....

5. The specific direction of motives and attitudes is learned from definitions of the legal codes as favorable or unfavorable....

6. A person becomes a criminal when there is an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law. (This in a so called nut shell is the principle of differential association).

7. Differential associations vary in frequency, duration, priority, and intensity (frequent contacts, long contacts, age at first contact, important or prestigious contacts).

8. The process of learning criminal behavior involves all the mechanisms involved in any other learning.

9. Although criminal behavior is an expression of general needs and attitudes, criminal behavior and motives are not explained nor excused by the same needs and attitudes (criminals must be differentiated from non-criminals).

Sutherland’s differential association in essence stated that all behavior is learned via one’s social environment, were individuals communicate, and interact with others. In other words, criminal, as well as non-criminal behavior is learned from those one associates with and particularly from those individuals one is extremely close to i.e., one’s intimate personal groups. 

The principle part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs with intimate personal groups:

Sutherland recognized that certain criminal behaviors required special skills or techniques, which have to be learned from others, in order to be attempted with any level of calculated success. I’ll present the example of one hotwiring an automobile, as a specialized skill, which must be acquired in order to possibly perpetrate a motor vehicle theft.  Sutherland also, presents that in order for one to be accepted, as part of a criminal or non-criminal culture one’s behaviors must meet the defined definitions of what is or is not acceptable behavior within that culture. Consequently, one must be taught the required specialized criminal techniques, as well as the appropriate criminal demeanor one is to portray to be acknowledged, as a member of an intimate personal group, which is prone to criminality.

A person may turn to a life of crime or for youths (delinquent behavior) because of an excess of definitions favorable to violation of law over definitions unfavorable to violation of law 

Sutherland presents that a youth is influenced to violate law, due to the (frequency, intensity, duration and priority), which he/she is given definitions favorable to the violation of law. Sutherland, stated that one’s non-criminal parents may even influence their son’s or daughter’s likelihood towards criminality; simply by the their excessive conversations/definitions favorable to the violation of law. Here Sutherland presents that the sheer association with those known to be criminals will not influence a youth or adult to violate the law, but more so the (frequency, intensity, duration and priority) of the association.

Here are some of the key ideas, terms, and definitions shared by the theories in this section: 

Shared Commonalities or basic ideas: 

1. Crime and delinquency are caused primarily by social factors (environmental determinism);
2. Components of social structure are unstable (conflict, anomie, social disorganization; conflict or anomie if talking about political economy or society; social disorganization if talking about cities and neighborhoods);
3. Instabilities and their effects are worse for the lower classes (lower class crime focus);
4. Human nature is basically good (social ability thesis) but subject to vulnerability and inability to resist temptation.

Differential association theory concentrates on specific sub-cultural environments that predispose individuals to adopt specific modes of adaptation. This theory emphasizes that criminal behavior is learned within the subcultures where criminal behavior is more or less normal behavior. Differing levels of criminal behavior depend on the frequency, duration, priority, and intensity of association with criminals and criminal values and attitudes.

Psychopathic - The tendency towards crime is located in the individual. This does not mean that some people are born criminals or that crime is in the genes. We looked at psychopathy in terms of Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and Reticular Activating System (RAS) functioning. A person with a hypo reactive ANS doesn't feel the same level of fear and anxiety that those persons with more normally functioning ANS feel. Not being overly concerned with punitive consequences of criminal activity, lacking a sense of guilt, and lacking sympathy for their victims, psychopaths tend to engage in crime with alarming frequency. Love deprivation was examined as an explanatory variable in the etiology of psychopathy. The experiences that we undergo during phrases of rapid brain cell growth influence the structure and function of our brains. Positive experiences in the form of plentiful stimuli, especially tactile stimuli, have the effect of wiring the brain for love. Negative early experiences have the opposite effect. Extremely negative experiences during infancy and childhood may lead to future violent behavior of psychopathic proportions.

Reminder Reading Assignment:

1. Read Chapters One, Two, Three, and Four in the Textbook.
   
2. Take the exercise Self-exploration beginning on pages 69-71 of the text. Please remember, not to post the results in the online classroom's discussion areas, as the results are for you and you alone. 

Web Assignment:

Read about the Johari Window (You may also click on the boxes below.)

 

	Known to Self	- Not Known to Self
Known to Others
Not Known to Others

Weekly Online Discussion:

Post your introduction to the introduction - discussion area. Speak to your academic goals, as well as what you want to get out of this course and anything else you may wish to share with the class.

Week One - Discussion Topic: Express, what your views are reference differential association, and anomie. How might you apply these theories or other theories discussed in the text so far, as a correctional counselor? Please comment on your classmates postings in the discussion area. This only makes the course more enjoyable and informative. However, I do expect postings to be tactful and in good taste i.e., no profanity etc.

Weekly Online Quiz - Access the quiz in the Classroom Discussion Area.