Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
BMC Psychiatry. 2018 Jul 5;18(1):218. doi: 10.1186/s12888-018-1797-5.
Many former inmates recidivate, resulting in high costs for societies worldwide. Evidence based treatment practices may not work in prisons, due to detainees' lacking motivation, impaired well-being, and an unsafe group environment. One attempt to improve social group climate and well-being is the use of Prison-based Animal Programs (PAP). Using a quasi-experimental design, the aim of the current study is to examine the effectiveness of one such PAP in the Netherlands: Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD).
METHODS/DESIGN: Participants (N = 256) from 12 justice centers, including psychiatric, juvenile and adult facilities, will be recruited. Half of the sample (n = 128) will receive DCD training after voluntarily signing up (intervention group); The other half (n = 128) will be recruited to participate in the research and receive treatment-as-usual (TAU/Ccomparison group). Factors related to psychosocial functioning (e.g., self-esteem, empathy, self-control, life satisfaction, attention) and general therapeutic factors (i.e., therapeutic alliance, treatment motivation), expected to contribute to treatment success, will be assessed to measure the effectiveness of DCD. In addition, behavioral problems will be measured as well as recidivism rates. Questionnaires and neuropsychological tests will be employed to measure aforementioned outcome variables. Moreover, physiological data, based on heart rate and cortisol measures, will be collected to provide insight into the functioning of participants' physiological stress response and to determine whether stress reduction occurs over time. Multimethod data collection will occur at pre-training (T1), at 1-month (halfway training/T2), at 2-months (end training/T3), and 6-months after the end of the training (follow up/T4).
This is the first study to examine the effectiveness of a widely implemented PAP in the Netherlands. Challenges associated with conducting the proposed study are typical for practice based research in correctional settings (e.g., a demanding workload of staff, lack of motivation to participate in research). Study results on the effects of a PAP will have an impact on inmates, justice centers, and municipalities across the Netherlands.
Retrospectively registered. The Netherlands National Trial Register TC = 6894 .
许多前囚犯会再次犯罪，给全世界的社会造成高昂的代价。由于被拘留者缺乏动机、幸福感受损以及不安全的群体环境，基于证据的治疗实践在监狱中可能无法发挥作用。一种改善社会群体氛围和幸福感的尝试是利用监狱动物项目（PAP）。本研究采用准实验设计，旨在检验荷兰的一种此类 PAP（荷兰牢房犬（DCD））的有效性。
方法/设计：将从 12 个司法中心（包括精神病、青少年和成人设施）招募参与者（N=256）。样本的一半（n=128）将在自愿报名后接受 DCD 培训（干预组）；另一半（n=128）将被招募参与研究并接受常规治疗（TAU/C比较组）。将评估与心理社会功能相关的因素（例如自尊、同理心、自我控制、生活满意度、注意力）和一般治疗因素（即治疗联盟、治疗动机），这些因素预计将有助于治疗成功，以衡量 DCD 的效果。此外，还将测量行为问题和累犯率。将采用问卷和神经心理学测试来衡量上述结果变量。此外，还将收集生理数据，基于心率和皮质醇测量，以深入了解参与者生理应激反应的功能，并确定随着时间的推移是否会发生应激减轻。多方法数据收集将在培训前（T1）、培训期间的第 1 个月（T2）、第 2 个月（T3）和培训结束后的第 6 个月（T4）进行。
这是第一项检验荷兰广泛实施的 PAP 有效性的研究。与在惩教环境中进行拟议研究相关的挑战是实践基础研究中常见的挑战（例如，工作人员的工作量大，缺乏参与研究的动机）。关于 PAP 效果的研究结果将对荷兰的囚犯、司法中心和市政当局产生影响。
回溯注册。荷兰国家试验注册 TC=6894。
