Goals and Plans Card Sort Task: A Psychometric Assessment Tool to Measure and Support Life Goal Pursuits in People Who've Offended

Abstract

Models of offender motivation to change exist, however there is a lack of theory-driven psychometric tools that measure motivational constructs to support offenders in positive life goal pursuits. This research extends the Personal Concerns Inventory (Offender Adaptation), presenting a Goals and Plans tool that supports users to: identify and prioritize goals in life domains of importance to them; detail how a goal can be attained; and consider obstacles to attainment. Literature informed the benchmark for the tool, which was evaluated through implementation in Prisons (n = 62) and Approved Premises (n = 105) across Wales, UK. Results indicate that goals in the life domains of Home & Future Living, Relationships, Physical & Mental Health and Learning & Working were prioritized. Goal attainment/restrictions were influenced by perceived control over a goal. Goals that relied upon external factors (i.e., services) reflected a more maladaptive motivational structure, whereas those that relied upon internal (self-focused) barriers to participation reflected an adaptive structure. This research offers practitioners a tool to assist users to ‘plan for the future’ and monitor progress by capturing motivations and assessing factors that might impact the likelihood of a goal being pursued.

Keywords:

• Offender motivation
• assessment
• goals
• rehabilitation

Acknowledgments

The team would like to thank Catherine Roberts for her contribution to the development of the Goals and Plans format. We also thank the residents who participated in this research and the staff who facilitated visits to sites, including those from prisons and approved premises across Wales, UK. Thanks to Karys Thomas and Charlotte Pitt for supporting data collection.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Additional information

Funding

This research formed part of a wider project jointly funded by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and the National Health Service (NHS).