Grendon and the Emergence of Forensic Therapeutic Communities: Developments in Research and Practice

Product Description This unique collection of research and practice papers highlight HMP Grendon’s groundbreaking and sustained contribution to our understanding of the role therapeutic communities have in effective interventions with offenders. Reveals the history and research behind HMP Grendon, one of the first prisons to develop therapeutic communitiesCombines a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research papers, coupled with historical, theoretical and practice commentaryFeatures quantitative research based on unusually complete and extensive records, collected over an extended period and stored in Grendon’s databaseProvides an international perspective with prominent figures from America and Holland Review ‘Shuker and Sullivan are to be congratulated for editing this wonderful collection of papers, not only in the year that HMP Grendon celebrates its 50th birthday, but also at a time when our prison population seems to be moving inexorably towards 100,000. This book should remind us all that positive work can be done with even the most serious offenders, and that the therapeutic community model remains the only ray of hope for those who are serious about prison reform.’ ―Professor David Wilson, Birmingham City University, UK ‘Grendon is a worldwide beacon of enlightened prison practice that shows a real alternative to “making bad people worse”. This book offers valuable help for those wanting to understand “the Grendon phenomenon”, and learn about it from several different, evidence-based viewpoints. It should provide inspiration and ideas for anybody working in a custodial setting.’ ―Dr Rex Haigh, National Personality Disorder Programme, Department of Health, UK From the Inside Flap Described as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the prison service, HMP Grendon is a unique, prison-based Democratic Therapeutic Community (DTC). Historically, it is the first prison DTC of its kind, and the forerunner to several recent similar initiatives. Its theoretical significance lies in its therapeutic regime, and its particularly challenging client profile. In practical terms, it has achieved remarkable results, and set the standards for staff-inmate relationships. For the first time in a single volume, a unique collection of research and practice papers has been created which highlights Grendon’s sustained contribution to our understanding of the role therapeutic communities have in effective interventions with offenders.With detailed analysis, and access to extensive records from Grendon’s database, papers focus on a wide range of inter-relating issues; for example, decency and quality of prison life, personality disordered and sex offender prisoners, and a range of therapies and security in a DTC setting. Chapters also discuss concept DTCs in the USA, the democratic nature of high security forensic psychiatric hospitals in Holland, and the pros and cons of doing research in prisons. The result is an in-depth and fascinating understanding of prison regimes. From the Back Cover Described as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the prison service, HMP Grendon is a unique, prison-based Democratic Therapeutic Community (DTC). Historically, it is the first prison DTC of its kind, and the forerunner to several recent similar initiatives. Its theoretical significance lies in its therapeutic regime, and its particularly challenging client profile. In practical terms, it has achieved remarkable results, and set the standards for staff-inmate relationships. For the first time in a single volume, a unique collection of research and practice papers has been created which highlights Grendon’s sustained contribution to our understanding of the role therapeutic communities have in effective interventions with offenders.With detailed analysis, and access to extensive records from Grendon’s database, papers focus on a wide range of inter-relating issues; for example, decency and quality of prison life, personality disordered