Repeat Offenders

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 According to the New Zealand Department of Corrections website, one in every two prisoners is re-convicted and re-imprisoned within four years of release. With a 50% failure rate, is what we are doing working? Anne Tolley, Minister of Corrections wants to reduce this rate by 25%.
        
How about 3.5%  That is the result of a 2012 longitudinal university study in the Californian Institution for Women. These inmates are being taught how they can have control over their lives  by Instructors from the William Glasser Institute.  Over a period of five years 500 women have spent over 100 hours learning Choice Theory.  There is currently a waiting list of 200 women wanting to be involved.  They request transfers from other prisons to be able to learn this life -changing program.

Of the 175 women paroled, only five have returned to prison.  That is 3.5% - a long way better than 25%.

This training is available in New Zealand.  Perhaps we need to look at what it can do for our women in prison.  They are the mothers of children now and in the future.  They can make a difference.

And at the same time we could be teaching students at school Choice Theory to enable them to make choices so they don’t end up in prison in the first place. Everyone is one choice away from prison; let’s teach these young people that they have the choice. 

Strengthen New Zealand through teaching Choice Theory Psychology.  Choosing, Connecting Changing.

Comments

  1. UnknownApril 23, 2013 at 2:03 PM

    I have started using choice theory with my students in class instead of withdrawal and while on duty. By laying out the road they are travelling on now and where it will lead and then describing an alternate more positive road I explain it is their choice what road they choose to travel, most have chosen to change their behaviour and return to class with much less fuss and disruption to other students.

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