Introduction
The following strategies are useful if the person is ready to move on from the determination stage. Your goal is to ensure that the person has good advice and accurate information so that they know what to do about their problem.
What you can do to exert influence:
- Promote responsibility and choice.
- Provide good information.
- Gain the prisoner’s commitment.
Promote responsibility and choice
These strategies will help you to promote the prisoner’s responsibility and choice:
- Respond encouragingly to any statement that indicates the prisoner believes in their ability to change, or accepts the need to make an effort in working at change.
- Be tentative. Don’t talk as though you know what change option is right for them. Ask: “Why do you think this would work for you?”
- Always reinforce the idea that it is their choice.
Example, “It’s up to you – no-one can make you do this.”
Provide good information
These strategies will help you to provide good information:
- Convey accurate information about available programme options, both in and out of prison. You need to keep up-to-date in your knowledge of these services, for example:
- what they are
- how they work
- their goals
- what does and does not go on there, and
- any statistics about their success rates.
- Ask the prisoner if they have any fears or concerns about participating in a programme. Deal with misinformation about rehabilitation services such as programmes and special treatment units.
Gain prisoner’s commitment
These strategies will help you to gain the prisoner’s commitment:
- If you feel that the prisoner is ready, ask for a commitment: Say, “So, are you ready to commit yourself to doing this?”
- Help the prisoner to solidify their commitment to change by suggesting they fill out a change plan. They should write 2–6 things under each of the following headings:
The changes I want to make are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
etc.
The main reasons why I want to make these changes are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
etc.
The steps I plan to take in changing are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
etc.
