The view that lawbreakers are in one way or another "sick" has drawn behavioral scientists into the arena of criminal rehabilitation. Issues and controversies surrounding recent experiments using some form of behavior modification for prisoner rehabilitation are discussed. (JP)

Reviews research on the Transcendental Meditation (TM) program relevant to the treatment and prevention of criminal behavior and substance abuse. Incarcerated offenders show rapid positive changes in risk factors associated with criminal behavior, including anxiety, aggression, hostility, moral judgment, in-prison rule infractions, and substance…

Describes the boot-camp prison program, its goals, and its drug-treatment and drug-education activities, and its development and change. The article presents the results of a multisite study from eight states that examined the variations in the shock-incarceration concept and its effect. (GLR)

Rehabilitation programs for adult violent offending are still novel, and few published studies examine the recidivism outcomes of those who complete such programs. This study describes a New Zealand prison program for high-risk violent men. The program is intensive and cognitive behavioral. Preliminary outcome data are presented for three indices…

Describes the application of the Positive Peer Culture (PPC) treatment methodology to a population of troubled girls in a residential setting. The peer group utilizes naturally occurring problems as vehicles to teach girls about errors in behavior and thinking. Community activities are used to practice newly obtained prosocial behaviors. (LSR)