Handbook of Offender Assessment and Treatment

Rating:
Summary: Do something rather than "do nothing"
Review: Although Hollin does not state the intended audience for the Handbook of Offender Assessment and Treatment, it is clear that the content gravitates toward faculty and students involved in the study of criminal justice. It is an excellent resource for legislators and policy. The book includes 36 short chapters (5 to 10 pages) that provide a comprehensive review and/or analysis of cutting edge issues related to assessment and/or treatment. Although these chapters are short, they are comprehensive.

The various authors in this volume make use of the current literature to identify causal relationships associated with successful treatment. Chapter 19 entitled "Anger Treatment with Offenders" is an excellent example. In addition and perhaps more importantly, we begin to see typology development. For example, in chapter 23 entitled "Adolescent Sexual Offenders," Hudson and Ward begin to identify characteristics of offenders which are critical in predicting successful treatment. An important policy question emerges, "Should we focus on treatment for offenders who have the highest probability of success?" Chapter after chapter provides convincing arguments that intervention is "better than nothing." The question is, "Are these better results worth the expenditure?" Hollin addresses this critical issue as well. Chapter 3 entitled, "To treat or not to treat? A financial perspective" by Cohen offers a decision-making model. The major strength of this book is that little is left out or forgotten.

Three additional patterns within this volume merit discussion. First, and most obvious, the authors consistently lament the lack of research. Although they do not offer an explanation, the reason is unmistakable. The arrogance of the 1970's reduced funding for such research. I suspect that if Martinson's paper had been given less credence, criminal justice intervention would be much more advanced.

Second, in terms of intervention, we see the concept of "thinking patterns." In virtually all types of offenses, there exists a need for intervention to induce changes in the manner in which offenders conceptualize their world. There are, of course, many exceptions to this, but the focus of therapy needs to be placed on thinking patterns of the offender. More research needs to focus on strategies of such patterns.

Third, nearly every author contends that a professional with experience must perform assessment and intervention. Although their plea makes sense, one problem is that not one single author operationalized the "experience" required. This point is the only frustrating aspect of the entire book. What type of experience and how much experience are needed? What kind of educational foundation is required to make the experience useful? Where can these experienced professionals be found? In providing an assessment, one must have insight into the reliability and validity of psychometric instruments employed for making decisions regarding the rehabilitation strategies for offenders. How much knowledge and experience are required? No author addresses these critical issues.

"Comprehensive" is the single best word to describe this fine monograph. However, as I read I found myself seeking out two treatment concepts that were never addressed. First, we see a plethora of research on the negative influences and consequences of watching television. It would be interesting to learn if constantly watching films with positive moral themes would have a significant rehabilitative effect on inmates. If such research has been completed, Hollin did not report it. Second, with the recent notoriety of Hong Kong's judicial caning and Hollin's wish to be comprehensive, it is surprising that no author addressed the recidivism effects of caning. Data from the Internet suggest that caning is abhorrent, but little to no research has be completed on the behavioral consequences of it. We simply do not know the social consequences of caning. With the international list of authors, it is surprising that no one addressed this issue.

A minor flaw in this book is that it ends abruptly. Hollin did not include a summary or conclusions chapter. Such a chapter would have been helpful, but this lack does not detract from the overall quality of this impressive work. In general, Hollin provides a most comprehensive volume. Every institution of higher education that offer degrees in law, criminal justice, social work, policy and rehabilitation should adopt this excellent monograph.