Motivational interviewing training in juvenile corrections: A comparison of outside experts and internal trainers

Purpose. This study was designed to compare expert consultant trainers and less experienced, in‐house trainers in providing basic training in motivational interviewing (MI) for juvenile corrections employees. Methods. Trainees (n= 1,552) attended a 3‐day workshop administered by either a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) or a corrections staff member who had been trained by a MINT trainer. Results. Pre‐ to post‐test MI knowledge and skill gains did not vary between MINT expert and internal trainers, and increased for both groups. MINT trainees were more motivated to learn MI and expected it to be more effective in their work compared with those trained by corrections staff. MINT trainers were perceived as more knowledgeable about the topic, whereas corrections staff trainers were rated as better at utilizing handouts and visual aids. The groups did not differ on other measures of trainee satisfaction. Conclusions. These data suggest that a train‐the‐trainers model, in which expert consultants provide initial trainings to develop a pool of staff to provide subsequent trainings, may be as effective as a model that relies exclusively on expert trainers.     

Audiovisual communication and therapeutic jurisprudence: Cognitive and social psychological dimensions

The effects of audiovisual communications on the emotional and psychological well-being of participants in the legal system have not been previously examined. Using as a framework for analysis what Slobogin (1996) calls internal balancing (of therapeutic versus antitherapeutic effects) and external balancing (of therapeutic jurisprudence [TJ] effects versus effects on other legal values), this brief paper discusses three examples that suggest the complexity of evaluating courtroom audiovisuals in TJ terms. In each instance, audiovisual displays that are admissible based on their arguable probative or explanatory value - day-in-the-life movies, victim impact videos, and computer simulations of litigated events - might well reduce stress and thus improve the psychological well-being of personal injury plaintiffs, survivors, and jurors, respectively. In each situation, however, other emotional and cognitive effects may prove antitherapeutic for the target or other participants, and/or may undermine other important values including outcome accuracy, fairness, and even the conception of the legal decision maker as a moral actor.     

Measuring the Performance of Community Organisations in Queensland and New Zealand

The need to measure qualitative outcomes is well documented. This article argues that despite this recognition many programs are still evaluated using unreliable numerical indicators. This has particular ramifications for community service programs that deal with the sharp end of social problems. While the New Zealand government has instigated a comparatively detailed approval standards, the Queensland government's community service guidelines are still applied almost on an ad hoc, case by case basis. Both New Zealand and Queensland performance indicators are directed towards process outputs, with a primary focus of government being centred on financial accountability. The satisfaction of the client remains the core responsibility of the service provider, but there is little assessment of how successful programs are in meeting individual requirements. This article suggests that there needs to be the development of a more collaborative relationship between governments and community service organisations, to ensure both financial and social objectives are fully realised.     

Ethnographic Methods in Criminological Research: Rationale,Reprise, and Warning

Use in criminological research of observation, semi-structured interviewing, and analysis of personal documents has been commonplace for more than a century. These research techniques can be employed to develop and test theoretical explanations and to examine the process of policy implementation. This paper briefly explicates how they were used in studies of the decision making and criminal careers of street-level thieves and hustlers, to test theoretical notions about the delegitimantion effects of white-collar crime, and to examine the implementation of a crackdown campaign by Australian tax authorities direct at crash transactions in the small building and construction industry. Investigations may profit, however, from awareness of recurrent challenges in the use of ethnographic methods before launching research of this type.