“The Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of the Parts”: Prison Staff Perceptions of Domestic Violence Rehabilitation Programs

Abstract

This qualitative study is part of a mixed methods research project that examined the effectiveness of the primary rehabilitation program for domestic violence offenders in the Israeli Prison Services-the "House of Hope." The quantitative part of the study showed that the "House of Hope" program was effective in reducing recidivism among participating inmates. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the rehabilitation program according to the perspectives of the program staff. For this purpose, semistructured interviews were conducted with the department staff during the study as well as with past directors. The qualitative findings suggested that the success of the program probably stemmed from a synergistic combination of several components, for example, identifying the characteristics of domestic violence offenders and adjusting treatment programs to their needs, along with exposure to psychological treatment in varied therapies (cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoeducational, and psychodynamic) and formats (group therapy and individual therapy) during a 1-year stay in a hierarchical therapeutic community. Other components mentioned are staff professionalism, stability, and the program's location in a therapeutic-oriented prison that is architecturally designed and built to create a less stressful environment for the inmates and the staff.

Can Rehabilitation Work in Military Prison? A Theoretical Framework Based on the Israeli Case

“…The researchers found a significant correlation between incorporating the three principles in formulating a treatment program and reducing recurrent imprisonments (Andrew & Bonta, 2010). Thus, for example, a research study that examined the treatment package administered to prisoners found a significantly lower incidence of recurrent imprisonments during 4 years following participation in the rehabilitation program (Shoham et al, 2018).…”

Ethnic affiliation and reentry difficulties and barriers among parolees

“…For example, paroled prisoners cannot be hired by relatives or employers with a criminal background. In addition, other than in rare cases, paroled prisoners must work as salaried employees even if they were self-employed before their imprisonment (Shoham et al, 2017). In light of these restrictions, it seems safe to assume that the employment difficulties reported by the study participants stem, at least partially, from the restrictive parole conditions, which unfortunately add to the employment difficulties generally encountered by released prisoners (Peled-Laskov et al, 2018).…”

Can Yoga Overcome Criminality? The Impact of Yoga on Recidivism in Israeli Prisons

“…As part of an attempt to address this recidivism issue, together with the growing emphasis on prisoner rights, prisons in the Western world offer a variety of rehabilitation programs aimed at assisting people who are incarcerated and ex-prisoners with recovery and reintegration into society through the acquisition of certain life skills (Andrews et al, 1990(Andrews et al, , 2011Enosh et al, 2013;Lipsey & Cullen, 2007;MacKenzie, 2006;McGuire, 2003;Shoham et al, 2017Shoham et al, , 2018. The objectives of such programs include, inter alia, changing prisoners' state of mind, reducing risk factors in their lives, and developing prosocial skills, which, in turn, are designed to reduce and stop antisocial behaviors (Ross, 1980;Ross & Hilborn, 2008).…”