Problem Statement & Significance to Social Work
- Problem Statement-
- Non-rehabilitated sex offenders pose a greater risk of recidivism
- Research Question-
- How do rehabilitation centers contribute to a reduction in the rate of recidivism among convicted sex offenders?
- Hypothesis-
- If offenders live in a healthy environment that models positive behavior, then they will start to exhibit positive behavior
Data Collection Plan
How to obtain & store the data:
Significance
- To get a better understanding of how offenders are rehabilitated
- Discover how we can make rehabilitation centers better
- Show that it is worthwhile to fund rehabilitation centers and their programs
- Send out questionnaire via email to CEO of rehabilitation center
- Provide researcher contact information for clarification or assistance
- Follow up with CEO to make sure the questionnaire was received
- Ask for questionnaire to be returned via email within 30 days
- If not received within 30 days, follow up with reminder email and/or phone call to CEO
- Store results in secure, locked computer file and on backup hard-drive
Sampling Plan
Strengths and Weaknesses:
- Live-in rehabilitation centers
Threats to External Validity:
- Reactivity (CEO)
- Research bias
- Multiple Treatment Interference
- Gain access to a quality sampling frame:
Measurements
- Contact all 50 states mental health boards and business licensing agencies to obtain names of potential rehabilitation centers
- Do online search & call rehabilitation center to ensure they meet criteria for inclusion
- If requirement is met, add to sampling frame
Threats to internal Validity:
- Instrumentation Errors (observer)
- Specific to this research
- Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, Ratio
- Probability sampling approach
Variable - Work
Measure - Nominal
Variable: Positive Safe Living Environment
Measure - Ordinal
Effectiveness of community notification
Rehabilitation after incarceration
Variable - Recidivism Rates
Measure - Ratio
Variable - Length of stay
Measure - Interval
Variable - Treatment
Measure - Nominal
Methodology
Quantitative: Based on numbers
- How many therapy sessions?
- Does facility assist in obtaining outside employment?
- Based on the staff's perception, what was the sex offfender's experience like while living in the center?
Explains what programs and treatments live-in rehabilitation centers provide that lead to a lower likelihood of recidivism
Data Analysis Plan
Does a relationship exist between the live-in rehabilitation center and the reduction in the rate of recidivism among the sex offenders that live there?
Research Method
Statistical Test: Independent Samples T-Test:
- Comparing the variable of receiving treatment in the center, against an offenders recidivism.
- Null Hypothesis: There is going to be a decrease in the recidivism rate after treatment
- Independent Variable - Nominal (Treatment)
- Dependent Variable - Ratio (Recidivism Rate)
Statistical Test: Paired Samples T-Test:
Strengths and Limitations
- Using pre-test, post-test comparing the variable of a sex offender's RRASOR score before going into the rehabilitation center and the RRASOR score after going through the treatment.
- Null Hypothesis: This is going to be a positive increase in the RRASOR score between the pre-test and post-test.
- Independent Variable - Nominal (Pre-test & Post-test)
- Dependent Variable - Interval (RRASOR score)
Funding for Live-In Rehabilitation Centers
Amber Barnard
Britt Charron
Judy Lewis