Mr Joshua Hindle, Dr Joseph Sakdalan, Dr Matt Frize & Mr Alejandro Avendano-Jones
The Cairnmillar Institute, Hawthorn East, Victoria, 3123, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Forensic Disability Services Victoria, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065
Abstract:
Offenders with cognitive disability (CD) constitute a prevalent and poorly recognised group of individuals. Much of the existing psychological literature targets a mainstream cohort, meaning that there is currently a lack of research surrounding offenders with CD, and hence, an area that merits attention.
In conjunction with Forensic Disability Services Victoria, the present study seeks to examine which factors are associated with offender rehabilitation program completion within a cohort of cognitively disabled offenders. Additionally, the study aims to develop an actuarial model that can be utilised to predict program completion.
Understanding why offender rehabilitation program attrition occurs is important, not only because it is a barrier to effective treatment, but it has also been found that offenders who engage in treatment and dropout before treatment is complete, are significantly more likely to re-offend when being compared to offenders who do not engage in treatment at all. Not only do non-completers pose a risk to public welfare through elevated risk of recidivism but may possibly lose motivation to address and change their behaviour entirely. Actuarial models can be used as predictive measures of treatment completion, considering both static and dynamic factors at the individual level.
Findings will aim to broaden the understanding of factors that relate to treatment completion in offenders with CD and may elicit which factors need targeting to promote readiness to intervention within this cohort.