Can an Applied Behavior Specialist be Beneficial to Inmates?

Can an Applied Behavior Specialist be Beneficial to Inmates?
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Can an Applied Behavior Specialist be Beneficial to Inmates?
The goal of incarceration of individuals found guilty of criminal behaviors is to rehabilitate them and turn them into upstanding citizens. According to Apel and Diller (2017), imprisonment is considered a punishment for criminal behavior. However, there are concerns that imprisonment is not an effective intervention for addressing criminal behavior. As such, being locked up is not enough; there is a need for programs, interventions, and activities that can actually reform the behaviors of inmates before and after they leave the prison setting. To create effective interventions, it is important to understand and analyze the behavior of inmates. This is where applied behavior specialists come into play because they can utilize applied behavior analysis (ABA) to understand human behavior. According to Dixon et al. (2020), ABA helps professionals not only predict and explain human behavior but also influence it. As such, through ABA, applied behavior specialists can modify human behavior to promote positive behavior. The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing literature to establish whether applied behavior specialists can be beneficial to inmates.
Role of Applied Behavior Specialists in Reducing Inmates’ Criminal Behavior
According to Brogan et al. (2018), ABA plays a significant role in criminal rehabilitation. What inmates need to achieve during their imprisonment is rehabilitation. Criminal rehabilitation ensures that the issues that contribute to criminal behaviors in an individual are addressed. Through ABA, applied behavior specialists can address any behavioral issues that contribute to criminal behavior. In a study examining the effect of ABA in a youth correctional facility, Brogan et al. (2018) found that ABA addressed behavior problems among adjudicated youths and improved their compliance and respect towards the facility’s staff. This supports the use of ABA in improving the behavior of inmates. Applied behavior specialists can use ABA techniques to increase compliance among inmates. They can reinforce good behavior among inmates and make sure that prisons are safe for inmates as well as prison staff. For instance, through ABA, they can reduce violence in prisons by ensuring that inmates follow orders and prison rules. In a prison setting, the best approach to risk monitoring is the behavioral assessment of inmates to gain a deeper insight into the factors that contribute to violent and criminal behaviors (Hausam et al., 2020). Once the factors that contribute to criminal behaviors have been identified, it would be easier to address them. Below are some of the behavior analysis methods that applied behavioral specialists can use to reduce criminal behavior among inmates:
1. Contingency Management: Token Economies
Applied behavior specialists can improve the behavior of inmates and reduce recidivism through operant conditioning to reinforce positive behavior and discourage negative behaviors. According to Gendreau and Listwan (2018), applied behavior specialists use conti...