In my previous writings I spoke about group work and in particular group based intervention whereby I identified the benefits and limitations of using this approach within a therapeutic setting. …

Punishment within the criminal justice system remains the cornerstone and is one of the primary objectives of sentencing in all western countries (Ward and Salmon 2009). As Foucault (1995) explains, the prime purpose of punishment is based around reducing the desire that makes crime attractive and to make the penalty to be feared. The process of offender rehabilitation is based around two distinctive and overlapping domains within the criminal justice system and correctional intervention programs. The criminal justice system’s approach is based on punishment and risk management, while correctional treatment programs are focused on assisting people to lead more fulfilling and less harmful lives (Casey, Day, Vess and Ward, 2013).

In my previous blogs I discussed disenfranchised grief and provided the framework of the stages of grief and loss in which people progress through when it comes to coping with any form of loss. When it comes to coping with loss it is important to remember that each person’s journey…

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy which involves one or more therapists working with several people at the same time. As Cartwright and Zander (1968) explain a group is a collection of individuals who have relations to one another that make them interdependent to some significant degree. Therefore according…

In my previous blog I spoke of disenfranchised grief and how people who are close to us and those in the community experience may at some stage experience some form of loss which is not acknowledged or recognized. When people experience a loss they often go through a range of…

In my previous blog regarding the historical overview of risk assessment tools utilised within the criminal justice system I focused mainly on the assessment tools that are used. In this blog I will be focusing on the theoretical frameworks that have been used to underpin the assessment and treatment process…

“Grief that cannot be openly expressed because the death or other loss cannot be publicly acknowledged.” (Doka, 1989) Throughout out our lives we will all experience some form of loss and grief. Hopefully, during this time we are all provided with the support, love and understanding to help us during…

The criminal justice system uses a range of risk assessment tools to identify the level of risk and treatment targets for offenders. Bonta (1996) describes that there has been three generations of risk assessment tools used to identify the level of risk for violent and sexual offenders. The first generation…