Correctional Case Management

Juveniles

Case managers may encounter juvenile offenders in either the adult system or the juvenile justice system. And while the terminology may be different, the needs of juveniles remain the same. Current research tells us that the adolescent brain is far from fully developed. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2011), "the parts of the brain involved in emotional responses are...even more active than in adults, while the parts of the brain involved in keeping emotional, impulsive responses in check are still reaching maturity."[28]     

Juvenile offenders account for 17% of all violent offenses and 26% of all property crimes in the US[29]. We have seen the rate of juvenile violent offenses increase in recent years. Standard risk/needs assessment tools are not appropriate for juvenile offenders. Some of the more popular juvenile instruments include

• Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory
• Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale
• Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth
• Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version

Given the development of the adolescent brain, most treatment approaches focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and social learning methods. Adolescents are much more susceptible to change in maladaptive thought processes, making CBT an ideal approach.

Case managing juvenile offenders offers unique advantages and challenges. Case managers should take time during assessment to obtain as much information as possible from a variety of sources. The advantage we have with juveniles is access to so many sources of information, including parents, school counselors, teachers, and sometimes even employers. Of course, some of those advantages can present unique challenges, as well. Case managers have to be prepared to deal with resistant or even destructive parents. They may also be involved with motivating a resistant juvenile to comply with school attendance. Whatever the advantages and challenges faced, it is important for case managers to remember that working with juveniles provides us with an opportunity to motivate positive change in a population that is generally more adaptable than adult offenders.

Listen to this podcast presented by DC Public Safety on Youthful Offender Programs     

Trauma in Juvenile Offenders

Rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in juvenile offenders (3%-50%) are comparable to those of soldiers returning from deployment in Iraq (12%-20%).

Trauma experienced in early childhood impacts a critical developmental period.

More than 60% of justice-involved youth experienced a trauma within the first five years of life.

Approximately 1/3 of justive-involved youth have experienced multiple traumas.[30]

Resiliency Theory

Resiliency Theory suggests that by establishing and increasing protective factors, counselors can lessen the long-term impact of trauma in children and adolescents. Protective factors fall under three categories: individual (intelligence and education), family (supportive parents), and community (connections to adults in the community).

Labeling Theory

Labeling theory is another popular theory applicable to juvenile offenders. Research indicates that people are very susceptible to the power of expectation and individuals will live up or down to the expectations set for them. As such, Labeling Theory suggests that adolescents labeled as delinquent or with mental disorders strongly linked to juvenile delinquency (ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, etc.) will internalize that label. This will lead to further negative behaviors based on the expectations associated with that label.     

Adults

Carey (2010), in a coaching series he developed for the 2007 Prisoner Reentry Initiative Grant Program, defines case management as

The strategic use of resources - including staff time, correctional programs, and other types of resources - at the case level to enhance the likelihood of success following institutional release and discharge from supervision, decreasing the likelihood of offender recidivism[31].

It is important to keep in mind that case management begins with intake and continues through release. It is an ongoing and changing process that relies on continuous evaluation of offender progress. An approach growing in popularity throughout the criminal justice system is Evidence-Based Practice (EBP). EBP, put simply, means that we utilize interventions and approaches that are based in research and demonstrate positive outcomes when assessed. The process requires individualized case plans for offenders and consistent measurement and feedback throughout the treatment process.

EBP utilizes eight basic steps to ensure the highest rates of success.

1. Assess offender risk/needs: The Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) is one of the most popular tools that allows us to assess both static and dynamic risk factors.
2. Enhance offender motivation: Motivational Interviewing (MI) utilizes effective listening and questioning to allow an offender to arrive at the decision to change on his/her own.
3. Target interventions: Interventions should be specific to the offender's risks and needs.
4. Monitor delivery of interventions: Cognitive behavioral strategies are most supported by EBP research.
5. Increase positive reinforcement: Researchers have found that optimal behavior change results when the ratio of reinforcements is four positive to every negative reinforcement.
6. Engage in ongoing support via natural communities: Therapeutic Communities (TCs) offer a supportive, prosocial community to effect offender change during incarceration.
7. Measure processes: An accurate and detailed documentation of case information, along with a formal tool for measuring outcomes, is the foundation of evidence-based practice.
8. Provide feedback: Offenders need feedback on their behavioral changes, and program staff need feedback on program integrity[32].      

While case managers working in corrections should utilize a high level of care and empathy for the populations they are helping, they should also maintain an awareness of offender attempts to manipulate and triangulate staff. Learning to detect inmate deception and avoid manipulation generally comes with experience. However, some books that can help familiarize you with basic inmate deception and manipulation tactics include:

Games Criminals Play: How You Can Profit By Knowing Them

The Art of the Con: Avoiding Offender Manipulation

Game Over! Strategies for Redirecting Inmate Deception

Special Populations

Female Offenders

We have seen a steady increase in the percentage of female offenders in the US over the last forty years[33]. These offenders bring with them unique issues for case managers to be aware of.

• Pregnancy
• History of abuse
• Self-esteem and emotional issues

Offenders with Mental Illness

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 56% of state inmates have a diagnosable mental illness[34]. Those with severe mental illness may be close to 10% [35]. These inmates pose particular challenges for correctional staff due to their tendency towards psychosis and paranoia. They may struggle to understand prison rules and spend large amounts of time in segregation. In the community, it can be challenging to keep these offenders compliant with medication to control their symptoms.

The Frontline documentary below highlights the issue of mental illness in our jails and prisons. 

Elderly Offenders

Most offenders age out of criminal behavior, so elderly offenders represent a small percentage of the offender population. A large portion of this population have lower IQs than average inmates, unstable employment histories, and high rates of alcoholism. Their age and physical stature makes them vulnerable targets in prison and many struggle to adapt to the physical environment of prison. They also require greater access to health care than younger inmates. Falter (1999) found that over 80% of elderly inmates have at least one chronic health problem, with 50% having at least three[36].

Sex Offenders

Perhaps the most challenging offender for case managers to work with is the sex offender. The challenge comes not only in the form of encouraging change in a population known for high rates of recidivism, but also in maintaining an objective approach to a population that elicits such intensely negative emotions in most people.

It is important for case managers to recognize the different category of sex offender, as treatment approaches will vary depending on their motivation and target victim.