Using Bibliotherapy to Enhance Probation and Reduce Recidivism

Abstract

Prior research indicates that probation programs that include efforts to change cognitive orientations and social patterns can enhance their effectiveness. This article reports an evaluation of an enhanced probation program, Changing Lives Through Literature, which uses a form of bibliotherapy to increase its rehabilitative effect. Controlling for offense histories, offender characteristics, jurisdiction, and propensity scores, rates of recidivism are compared between probationers who participated in the program and a random sample of potentially eligible probationers in the same jurisdictions and time periods. A limited observational study of program process suggests that changes occurred in participants' cognitive orientations and social styles. As hypothesized, the rate of recidivism and offense severity declined for program participants more than for those in the comparison group, after the controls and in all jurisdictions studied. Possible reasons for the program's value are reviewed, including its adherence to evidence-based principles recommended by the National Institute of Corrections (2005); recommendations are made for more extended program sessions and more extensive evaluative research.

KEYWORDS:

• group therapy
• probation outcomes
• probationers
• program evaluation
• recidivism

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the support of Robert P. Waxler and for the assistance of the Massachusetts Office of the Commissioner of Probation, especially Dr. Carmen A. Cicchetti and John Wade, as well as for the participation in various ways of probation officers in the District Courts of Dorchester, Fall River, Framingham, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, and Roxbury. We thank Shaunalynn Duffy, Alec Resnick, Mark Pearrow, and Andrew Zwicker for assistance in programming; and the graduate students in Methods of Research I, Fall 2004, for their interviews and observations. We also thank Melissa Morabito and Bianca Bersani and the anonymous Journal of Offender Rehabilitation reviewers for their comments.

Notes

Note. ^a J2–J8 are dummy variables that indicate the jurisdiction and gender of the CLTL program.

*p < .01. **p < .001.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Russell K. Schutt

*Dr. Schutt is also affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.