Andrew Bland wrote a journal article entitled Corrective Experiences in Corrections Counseling in the Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Criminology. This journal article discusses the early correctional counselor’s responsibilities and relationships between counselors and inmates. It also discusses more recent practices and what can be improved in the future to help keep people out of jail and prison. Bland feels as though if there was a way to continue the counseling services after the inmates leave jail or prison and build better bonds and relationships with the counselors, then there would be less people returning to jail or prison for the same illegal activities.
Bland’s theory is that inmates only see correctional counselors just …show more content…
“The interpersonal and emotional aspects of the therapeutic relationship… linked to increased neural plasticity, emotional regulation, and attachment behavior,” (Bland, 2014). Bland believes that when the inmates are given time with the correctional counselors they have to create a relationship with that counselor in order to open up and discuss ways to make their situation better. Because inmates are not given enough time with the correctional counselors, they are unable to make that close relationship and make their situations better. One perspective of correctional counseling is that by telling the inmate that, “they are valuable only if they behave, think, and feel a certain way,” (Farber, Bohart, and Stiles, 2012). Bland disagrees with this perspective because if you tell an inmate just to believe that things can get better, they are not learning how to change their situation and they are not bonding with their counselor. Believing is only half of the battle. There has to be a plan of how the inmate is going to make themselves and their situation …show more content…
Correctional counselors must help an inmate figure out the best plan of action when they get back into society. Correctional counselors must also create a bond with inmates and create a sense of trust and safety. By creating trust and safety, the inmate is more likely to tell the counselor exactly what they will be going home to. When an inmate is given more time with the correctional counselor they are more likely to follow along with the plan that was made, and they would be able to move forward with their life.
With the extended counseling outside of prison or jail, convicts would be able to keep that bond and that trust going and they will be able to keep themselves focused on doing the right thing. This journal article was clear and concise about how Bland truly felt about the methods of correctional counseling and how the rapport between correctional counselors and inmates. This article is great for people doing research because it gives the history and different perspectives of how correctional counseling should work and how a relationship needs to be built and kept between inmates and correctional
Bland’s theory is that inmates only see correctional counselors just …show more content…
“The interpersonal and emotional aspects of the therapeutic relationship… linked to increased neural plasticity, emotional regulation, and attachment behavior,” (Bland, 2014). Bland believes that when the inmates are given time with the correctional counselors they have to create a relationship with that counselor in order to open up and discuss ways to make their situation better. Because inmates are not given enough time with the correctional counselors, they are unable to make that close relationship and make their situations better. One perspective of correctional counseling is that by telling the inmate that, “they are valuable only if they behave, think, and feel a certain way,” (Farber, Bohart, and Stiles, 2012). Bland disagrees with this perspective because if you tell an inmate just to believe that things can get better, they are not learning how to change their situation and they are not bonding with their counselor. Believing is only half of the battle. There has to be a plan of how the inmate is going to make themselves and their situation …show more content…
Correctional counselors must help an inmate figure out the best plan of action when they get back into society. Correctional counselors must also create a bond with inmates and create a sense of trust and safety. By creating trust and safety, the inmate is more likely to tell the counselor exactly what they will be going home to. When an inmate is given more time with the correctional counselor they are more likely to follow along with the plan that was made, and they would be able to move forward with their life.
With the extended counseling outside of prison or jail, convicts would be able to keep that bond and that trust going and they will be able to keep themselves focused on doing the right thing. This journal article was clear and concise about how Bland truly felt about the methods of correctional counseling and how the rapport between correctional counselors and inmates. This article is great for people doing research because it gives the history and different perspectives of how correctional counseling should work and how a relationship needs to be built and kept between inmates and correctional