Correctional Psychology
Duties of a Correctional Psychologist
An increasing rate of violation of crimes characterizes the current global environment. Different forms of violence and aggression, including drug trafficking and abuse, robbery, and rape cases among other forms of violence necessitates the need for analyzing the roles of a correctional psychologist. The special roles played by the correctional psychologists such as providing environments that improve the safety of the staff and inmates, psychological services, inmate management, and conducting an evaluation of the inmate/prison population and its influence on inmates' health necessitated the study into the topic. In addition, the fact that the correctional psychology has numerous ethical dilemmas and conflicts makes it wanting to study the topic.
The working environment, professional and personal experiences made me interested in studying the duties and challenges facing correctional psychologist. The fact that correctional psychologists work in a simulative and challenging environment attracts my interests into the topic. Job duties such as preparing case files and reports, performing psychological tests to the incoming inmates, provision of therapy groups to the violent inmates, and managing inmates with different behaviors such as suicidal attempts make it interesting to study the topic. The educational requirements for one to practice as a correctional psychologist also make it more than psychology itself. For example, one has to acquire a master's degree in correctional psychology to practice as a correctional psychologist. It is highly recognizable that biases that surround correctional psychology often affect the ability of an individual to make sound decisions related to the status of the inmates. Such biases include behavioral, social, memory error biases, and stereotypes. Overcoming these, biases entail understanding their existence, exploring their dynamics, developing and implementing strategies, and evaluating their effectiveness.
Part 2: Annotated bibliography
The following research materials were obtained by conducting a literature search in research websites including Google Scholar, JSTOR, Google Books, and EBSCO. The keywords used for obtaining the research materials include; correctional psychologists, role, challenges, biases, opportunities, and ethical dilemmas.
Ax, R.K., & Morgan, R.D. (2002). Internship Training Opportunities in Correctional Psychology: A Comparison of Settings. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 29(3), 332-347.
The article analyzes the opportunities available for the correctional psychologists as they venture into the field of correctional psychology. It uses surveys to identify the gaps that exist in the field of correctional psychology; hence, the need for a study in this field.
Boothby, J.L., & Clements, C.B. (2000). A National Survey of Correctional Psychologists. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 27(6), 716-732.
The article provides a comprehensive profile of the correctional psychology. The article also provides analysis of the different roles of the correctional psychologists, including administration, counseling, and management of correctional facilities. It is important for the study as it provides insights on the work of correctional psychologists.
Martino, B.D. (2006). Frames, Biases, And Rational Decision-Making In The Human Brain. Science, 313(5787), 684-687.
The article provides an analysis into the different factors that contribute to biases in correctional psychology. The article is important for the study because it will illuminate the light into the factors that cause professional biases and ways of preventing its occurrence as a professional correctional psychologist.
Haag, A.M. (2006). Ethical Dilemmas Faced By Correctional Psychologists In Canada. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 33(1), 93-109
The article focuses on the different issues facing the correctional psychologists in Canada. Among the ethical issues, include the definition of a client, confidentiality, protection of clients' records, informed consent, collaboration, competence, and accuracy among other issues. The article is important as it provides an understanding of the different ethical dilemmas that influence the behavior of the correctional psychologists.
Heilbrun, K. (1992). The Role Of Psychological Testing In Forensic Assessment. Law and Human Behavior, 16(3), 257-272.
The article shows the ways in which psychological testing aids in decision-making. Psychological testing provides a criterion for relevance of the legal decisions and accuracy of the decisions that define the roles of the psychologists in correctional facilities.
Kahneman, D. (2003). Maps Of Bounded Rationality: Psychology For Behavioral Economics. American Economic Review, 93(5), 1449-1475.
The article provides insights into the factors that contribute to the ability of individuals to make rational decisions. The article uses an in depth analysis of the different literature to bring understanding of the forces that drive rationality in decision-making. The article is important because it provides information related to the causes and the possible management of biases that might affect decision-making by the correctional psychologists.
Podsakoff, P.M., MacKenzie, S.B., Lee, J., & Podsakoff, N.P. (2003). Common Method Biases In Behavioral Research: A Critical Review Of The Literature And Recommended Remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879-903.
Job Satisfaction in Correctional Officers Current Situation One of the enduring problems in modern law enforcement is the high rate of job dissatisfaction among correctional officers, which, anecdotally is even higher than job dissatisfaction rates in other law enforcement professionals. There are a number of factors believed to contribute to this job dissatisfaction, which, in turn, contributes to other problems for correctional facilities, such as high rates of employee turnover. Job dissatisfaction
To the best of his or her ability, the forensic psychologist must communicate the details of his or her relationship to the client, in ways that respect the client's mental capacity and level of education. The value of respect is founded upon the free exchange of ideas, and the client in a therapeutic relationship must be able to speak to the therapist in an open fashion. Yet the therapist must
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