Positive reinforcement in probation practice:The practice and dilemmas of praise

Positive reinforcement is a key part of probation practice, and linked to client desistance from offending. The main way practitioners positively reinforce clients’ prosocial comments or behaviours is through praising them. However, praise is tricky in interaction, as people are under pressure to accept the positive assessment whilst also avoiding self-praise. Applying conversation analysis to 21 video recordings of probation sessions originally collected for the Jersey Supervision Skills Study, we examine how this important aspect of probation features and functions in practice, and how clients respond. Our analysis shows how practitioners and clients manage the practice and dilemmas of praise

Prestige Maximization Model of Institutions of Higher Learning

The purpose of this research is to test an economic model of institutions of higher learning (IHLs). The Prestige Maximization Model suggests that college and university behavior, as measured by expenditure per student, will be affected by the sources of revenue available to an institution. The results of analysis of cross-sectional samples of IHL financial and enrollment data support the model's implication that IHLs placing greater reliance on non-students for revenue have greater expenditures per student.Economic

Machine Learning of Semi-Autonomous Intelligent Mesh Networks Operation Expertise

Operating networks in very dynamic environments makes network management both complex and difficult. It remains an open question how mesh or hastily formed networks with many nodes could be managed efficiently. Considering the various constraints such as limited communication channels on network management in dynamic environments, the need for semi-autonomous or autonomous networks is evident. Exploitation of machine learning techniques could be a way to solve this network management challenge. However, the need for large training datasets and the infrequency of network management events make it uncertain whether this approach is effective for highly dynamic networks and networks operating in unfriendly conditions, such as tactical military networks. This paper examines the feasibility of this approach by analyzing a recorded dataset of a mesh network experiment in a highly dynamic, austere military environment and derives conclusions for the design of future mesh networks and their network management systems

Dams, barriers and beating yourself up: shame in groupwork for addressing sexual offending

Shame is a powerful emotional experience embedded in prevailing social and cultural norms. It is the judgement or fear of judgement for who we are rather than what we have done. Braithwaite (1989) proposes shame can be re-integrative or stigmatising, where re-integrative shaming condemns the behaviour not the person, to enable their re-entry into society. Shame is relevant to sexual offending and its treatment, yet little research has explored how it is expressed or responded to in treatment programmes. We applied conversation analysis and discourse analysis to examine expressions of shame in 12 video recorded sessions of a court mandated groupwork programme addressing sexual offending. Both social workers and the other men on the programme distinguished between being a bad person (shame) and being responsible for a bad act (guilt) as a way to empathise with the individual, build motivation, instil hope and leverage optimism towards positive change. We demonstrate that shame constitutes topics, resources and actions drawn on to achieve the programme’s rehabilitative aims, including separating the person from the behaviour, as per re-integrative shaming, demonstrating empathy and congruence, and motivating change. We discuss the paradoxes and dilemmas of shame for practice that addresses sexual offending

Co-authoring desistance narratives: Analysing interactions in groupwork for addressing sexual offending

Research and theory suggest desistance narratives and pro-social identities are key to the process of desistance from crime. However, little research has examined how desistance narratives and related identities are produced in contexts other than research interviews or how core correctional skills intersect with the development of these narratives or identities. This study applies discourse analysis and conversation analysis to transcripts of 12 video-recordings of groupwork sessions for addressing sexual offending, examining how desistance narratives and identities are produced, and how practitioner skills and conversational styles intersect with their production. The analysis illustrates how criminal justice practitioners help to co-author desistance narratives through subtle and explicit aspects of interaction, although certain orientations to risk may limit this potential