Abstract
This thesis describes the use of experimental evaluation methods to test the impact of brief, psychologically informed, interventions in prisons and courts in England and Wales. The findings are relevant to criminal justice practitioners, academics and policy makers who are interested in understanding how to design, implement and test interventions to promote behaviour change in forensic settings.Chapter one summarises the literature on brief psychological interventions, and experimental research in criminal justice settings. Chapter two describes the four studies that make up the thesis: 1) a rapid evidence assessment aiming to learn from well-evaluated interventions that have failed to reduce, or increased, proven reoffending, 2) a randomised controlled trial of a brief intervention with women serving short sentences in an English prison, 3) a multi-arm randomised controlled trial in a men’s prison in England, to test a brief intervention to help prisoners take on board health messages about the risks of psychoactive drug use, with the aim of reducing prison drug use, and 4) a large-scale multi-site randomised controlled trial of a brief intervention designed to reduce the chances of disproportionality in sentencing proposals put forward for people in different ethnic groups. Chapter three brings together the findings from these studies and reflects on the potential efficacy and effectiveness of brief psychological interventions, and on the challenges and opportunities of designing and implementing experimental research, in criminal justice settings. This chapter presents conclusions and limitations of the thesis and implications for practice and further research.
In order to work in the field, there must be considerable and careful attention paid to implementation of brief interventions, oversight by experts in the theories underlying them, upfront and continued effort to engage and persuade staff of their merits, and opportunities for people to benefit from the changes the interventions bring.
| Date of Award | 4 Oct 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Sponsors | HM Prison and Probations Service |
| Supervisor | Daniel Boduszek (Main Supervisor) & Susanna Kola-Palmer (Co-Supervisor) |