Ideas

FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IIF / IEF

Marie Curie Incoming Fellowships ( European and International)

We are seeking a researcher from a Member State or Associated Country with a PhD or 4 years full time research experience in Psychology/Criminology (or relevant areas) as an applicant to our university as an incoming fellow for two years.

Persistent and prolific offenders (PPOs) are among the most resource intensive group of offenders, in terms of financial and service support that is required to try to reduce reoffending rates. PPOs are defined as adults who have committed six or more offences in the previous 12 months (National Probation Service, 2006). Estimates suggest that PPOs make up about 10% of the offending population, but are responsible for more than half of all crime, with the majority of crimes being acquisitive (e.g., theft). On leaving prison PPO’s become the responsibility of Probation Services who are faced with the challenge of motivating PPOs to keep to court referred probation orders. Such orders might include a requirement to attend drug rehabilitation courses, skills training and education classes, as well as probation supervision. However, many PPOs frequently break the terms of their orders, resulting in not only in referral back to court and possibly prison, but also a failure to complete important intervention programmes, such as drug rehabilitation programmes. For treatment to be effective, offenders need to complete treatment and not drop out part way through (McMurran & Theodosi, 2007). This, together with the fact that approximately 50% of the PPOs in South Wales are also active drug abusers, makes adherence to court orders and programme completion vital to reducing reoffending.

The aim of this project is to examine how motivation in prolific and persistent offenders can be enhanced for adherence to court orders and probation supervision, in turn effecting behaviour change and reducing reoffending.

To achieve this aim, the objectives are to:
a) Examine how the PACIO can contribute to better adherence to court orders and in turn to reduced reoffending in PPO’s
b) Examine how the PACIO can improve treatment engagement for specific orders, such as attendance to a drug rehabilitation programme;
c) Examine how the PACIO (Campbell, Sellen & McMurran, 2010) can help individuals to see how court orders are supporting their own personal goals for change (e.g., where a drug user wants to stop using drugs and has an order to attend a drug rehabilitation programme.

We are seeking a researcher from a Member State or Associated Country ( for an Incoming European Fellowship) or from a Third Country ( for an International Fellow) with a PhD or 4 years full time research experience in Psychology/Criminology (or relevant areas) as an applicant to our university as an incoming fellow for two years.

Peter Quantick

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Western Avenue

CF5 2YB

Cardiff

United Kingdom

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0044 2920205861