A Quasi-Experimental Study on the Effectiveness of Dutch Cell Dogs in Incarcerated Youth

This study examined the effectiveness of Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD), a prison-based dog training program that aims to improve socioemotional functioning of incarcerated youth by giving them the opportunity to train a shelter dog. Primary (aggression and institutional infractions) and secondary (wellbeing and therapeutic functioning) outcomes were assessed for the intervention ( n = 61) and comparison group ( n = 77) before the start of DCD, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks at posttest. Overall, DCD participation was not effective. Compared to the comparison group, institutional infractions decreased in DCD participants with an immigrant background and increased in DCD participants with a native Dutch background. In addition, DCD participation reduced the quality of the therapeutic alliance for younger participants and those in secure residential facilities. The current study demonstrated heterogeneity in DTP responsiveness. Future research with robust designs and sufficiently large samples is needed to further identify who benefits from DTPs.

The Role of Impulsivity in Antisocial and Violent Behavior and Personality Disorders Among Incarcerated Women

This study investigated the relationships among impulsivity, antisocial and violent behavior, and personality disorders in 590 female inmates of a maximum-security female prison. Measures included the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, Prison Violence Inventory, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders Screening Questionnaire, numbers of institutional infractions recorded in inmate files, and violent versus nonviolent offending. Results showed that impulsivity was associated with personality psychopathology and aggressive and antisocial behavior. In contrast to findings of studies with male inmates, female violent offenders did not demonstrate higher levels of impulsivity than nonviolent offenders.

Measuring Alcohol Abuse and the Incidence of Serious Misconduct in Violent Offenders

This study investigated the relationship of a self-report measure of alcohol abuse (Alcohol Dependence Scale [ADS]) and subsequent serious institutional infractions. A correctional sample of 207 violent offenders participated in the study. Results showed a difference in the total number of infractions among levels of alcohol dependence. Specifically, offenders with substantial alcohol dependence, which has been shown to be indicative of polysubstance abuse, were involved in more serious incidents than those with other levels of dependence. However, there was no direct correlation between the ADS total score and the outcome variables. Implications for institutional classification and prediction of misconduct are discussed.