Introduction
This topic covers guidelines for motivating offenders. It is applicable to all relevant sentences/orders (provided the offender meets the criteria outlined below).
Who to motivate
Provide motivational interventions to offenders who:
- have been referred to an intervention, but face a period of waiting before the programme starts
- are not motivated to undertake programmes, but who have identified needs or conditions requiring programme attendance or intervention, and
- are attending a programme, but require support to maintain their motivation.
Motivation strategies
In order to engage or maintain the offender???s motivation to change, work with the offender using:
- cost/benefit analysis
- problem-solving techniques
- shared programme information
- motivational interviewing, and
- meetings with family/wh??nau to reinforce the importance of the programme for the offender.
It may also be appropriate to consider referring offenders who are not motivated to address their offending behaviour to a:
- Tikanga M??ori programme (if the offender is willing to attend), or
- DVA programme or AOD counselling (both are designed to challenge people who do not acknowledge their behaviour should change).
Unmotivated offenders
An offender who is not motivated to change will not initially be eligible for:
- departmental
- intensive, and/or
- residential programmes.
Use the following table to decide on the next appropriate action.
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If the offender... |
then... |
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is assessed pre sentence as:
- unresponsive
- high-risk, and
- shows some readiness to change
|
- use problem-solving techniques/motivational interviewing to increase motivation.
|
- has special conditions of their sentence requiring them to attend intervention, but
- remains unresponsive after motivational interventions
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consider either:
- breach action, or
- an application for variations of conditions, or recall/ cancellation/cancellation and substitution if appropriate.
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