Key Point

Correctional agencies often partner with community volunteer organizations, and sometimes have to rely on these organizations to provide important services to inmates they cannot (such as chaplaincy services).  Just as the relationship between correctional agencies and volunteer organizations can be highly productive, but delicate (given separate perspectives and goals), so can offenders’ relationships with volunteers be an important catalyst for change, but only if these relationships have rehabilitative elements.  What are those elements, and how can correctional agencies foster them in volunteer organizations?

Key Findings

We had the opportunity to develop online training programs for all active correctional volunteers throughout one Northwest state.  We randomly assigned individuals to complete a risk-reduction training, a strengths-focused training, or a neutral (basic information) training.  Community volunteers tended to prefer the strengths-focused training (which was still grounded in evidence-based practices), and certain volunteers were more likely to be receptive to learning evidence-based practices (i.e., ex-offender volunteers, volunteers motivated by empathy, volunteers with more experience working with offenders), compared to other volunteers.

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This study is currently being prepared for submission by PhD student, Cole Higley.