Options
Assessing treatment readiness among incarcerated juvenile offenders in Singapore : the influence of social climate and the locus of control
Author
Ho, Angeline Ying Ying
Supervisor
Huan, Vivien Swee Leng
Abstract
The current study was undertaken to investigate the influence of social climate and locus of control on the treatment readiness among incarcerated male youth reformative trainees in Singapore. Addressing young offenders’ motivation for treatment has been a challenge that therapists often encounter, but has been overlooked in the literature. It is hoped that with an enhanced understanding of the factors that could impact treatment readiness, rehabilitation efforts could be better designed to address barriers to individual’s responsivity towards interventions.
Eighty-five male Reformative Trainees housed at the Reformative Training Centre under the Singapore Prison Service were recruited as participants in the present study and completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of the institution’s social climate on three dimensions, namely ‘Hold and Support’; ‘Social Cohesion and Mutual Support’; and ‘Experienced Safety’, locus of control and level of treatment readiness. Participants’ responses were examined using correlational analyses. While non-significant results were found among the main constructs, the “Hold and Support” subscale of the social climate survey which measured the extent to which correctional staff were supportive of therapeutic interventions and therapeutic change was found to have a significant positive correlation with treatment readiness. Other significant findings showed that individual’s risk of reoffending and criminogenic needs and number of institutional misconducts correlated negatively with treatment readiness.
The implications for practice from the findings highlighted the value of creating a supportive climate for rehabilitation in an institutional setting. Specifically, correctional staff, including both prison officers and correctional rehabilitation specialists, serve a vital role in creating a supportive climate through interactions with juvenile offenders in the criminal justice system. Other implications highlighted the relevance of having more targeted interventions and resources towards offenders assessed to be of higher risk of re-offending to enhance their readiness for interventions. Limitations of the study and future directions were also discussed.
Eighty-five male Reformative Trainees housed at the Reformative Training Centre under the Singapore Prison Service were recruited as participants in the present study and completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of the institution’s social climate on three dimensions, namely ‘Hold and Support’; ‘Social Cohesion and Mutual Support’; and ‘Experienced Safety’, locus of control and level of treatment readiness. Participants’ responses were examined using correlational analyses. While non-significant results were found among the main constructs, the “Hold and Support” subscale of the social climate survey which measured the extent to which correctional staff were supportive of therapeutic interventions and therapeutic change was found to have a significant positive correlation with treatment readiness. Other significant findings showed that individual’s risk of reoffending and criminogenic needs and number of institutional misconducts correlated negatively with treatment readiness.
The implications for practice from the findings highlighted the value of creating a supportive climate for rehabilitation in an institutional setting. Specifically, correctional staff, including both prison officers and correctional rehabilitation specialists, serve a vital role in creating a supportive climate through interactions with juvenile offenders in the criminal justice system. Other implications highlighted the relevance of having more targeted interventions and resources towards offenders assessed to be of higher risk of re-offending to enhance their readiness for interventions. Limitations of the study and future directions were also discussed.
Date Issued
2019
Call Number
HV9203.A5 Ho
Date Submitted
2019