A brief intervention to reduce offending : the study of a faith-based programme : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University
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Date
2007
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Massey University
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Abstract
Concern about the growing level and cost of criminal behaviour in New Zealand has resulted in
a high priority being given to the research and development of effective interventions. The
targeting of appropriate interventions to those at greatest risk of reoffending is identified as a
key to successful outcomes. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of
the Making Right Choices (MARC) programme in reducing offending of those at moderate to
high risk of persisting in criminal conduct. MARC is a brief, faith-based, biblical approach to
curtailing offending, developed at Tauranga Community Probation Service between 1993 and
2003. Seven recidivist male offenders, 19 – 26 years of age, volunteered to participate in this
study. Five of the participants were prison inmates serving short sentences and two were on
supervision in the community. Two risk measures (RoC*RoI and YLS/CLI) were used to
ensure that participants met the medium/high risk criteria. In addition to attending the 10-session
MARC course, participants were asked to undertake pre- and post-treatment assessments of
antisocial attitudes, criminal associations and offending. Sessions were on average 60 minutes
long, delivered one-on-one in an office setting. In addition to conviction history from the Law
Enforcement System (LES), measures included the Measure of Criminal Attitudes and
Associates (MCAA), the Social Problem Solving Inventory for Offenders (SPSIO), the Marlowe
Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS) and the MARC Self-report Measure of Offending
(MSMO).
Follow-up assessment was carried out 6 months and 12 months after completion of the
programme and/or release from prison. Results at six and twelve months after MARC showed
that of the seven MARC participants, five had markedly reduced their offending on the selfreport
measure, three had significantly less conviction on the LES measure, four recorded a
distinct drop in contact with criminal companions and two had noticeably ameliorated their
antisocial attitudes. Five participants were able to describe ways they had been helped by the
programme. While the limitations of the methods preclude certainty about this programme’s
effectiveness, the positive outcomes provide tentative support to the hypothesis that facilitating
spiritual change can be an effective way to bring about cognitive and behavioural change with
recidivist offenders.
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Keywords
Criminals, Recidivists, Church work with criminals and prisoners, New Zealand, Criminal behaviour, Rehabilitation