Focus Groups for Criminal Offenders Term Paper

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Employing qualitative research, I would conduct a focus group (minimum, 8-12 participants for 1 hour) where one session would feature a particularly controversial discussion conducted using active listening and almost passive involvement enabling participants to free-associate and emote, followed by the same issue reduced to its H.P. fundamentals using If.. Then connectives validated according to real life instances. I would then present participants with a questionnaire regarding their experiences of the sessions, involving questions such as which type of exercise / discussion they felt to be more useful, which empowered them more, and which produced greater action-oriented processing.

I would use a focus group for various reasons: Focus groups are helpful in evaluation research or in understanding how people regard a specific experience or event (Krueger, 1994). More importantly, focus groups have the advantages of flexibility, economy of time, and direct contact between researchers and participants.

Hypothesis

Human reasoning is conducted in terms of cycles of rule-based If/Then/Therefore hypothetico-predictive (H.P.) reasoning, presumably because the brain is "hard-wired" to process information in this way (Sternberg, 2001). My idea, therefore, is that individuals may achieve independent reasoning by reducing problems to their very core (i.e. p and q exist -- or my mother murdered my aunt -- what should I do); brainstorming solutions (s, t, u, v; e.g. 'killing her, reporting her to police and so forth); assessing these solution according to Reality (thereby averting impact of emotions) ("if p then q") followed by comparing the expected conclusion with predicted reality. Going to the core of the matter may not only help clients, in general, achieve independent solutions to their problems, but may also reduce recidivism that frequently (although not always) occurs as a result of weak problem and decision making ability.

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Part 2

According to Office of Policy and Management for Criminal Justice rates of Recidivism for offenders are approximately the same across the United States (U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ), 2010). Some of the statistics in the 2010 report state that within the first three years of release from incarceration due to discharge over 2/3 are arrested again. Over 50% of them face conviction due to a new crime. More than half of the criminals are sent back to prison for a new crime serving another sentence.

In addition to these statistics there were over 1,500 offenders that had as part of their terms parole, supervision program such as focus groups that are designed to transition them into civilian life. Of those the recidivism was significantly lower than for those released directly into civilian life. (USDOJ, 2010).

The rates for those that were part of a supervisory transition such as a focus group or parole were 24% and 28% respectively. This would indicate that with assistance of a supervisory focus group, offenders are close to 25% more successful in transitioning back into public life (USDOJ, 2010).

There are Parole officers and supervisory programs that apply Johari window concept a way to learn more about their parolees in the attempt to assist them with personal challenges that interfere with their adaptation to civil life. The strategy for the Johari Window calls for getting insight of how the parolee sees himself or herself to gain an understanding of how others see them (Mckean & Ransford, 2004). This allows them to gain a perspective of what others may be thinking or feeling as well. Building a relationship with a parole officer starts out for many offenders.....

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