Group work in an institution for young offenders : an analytical study of the introduction and development of group work services at the Young Offenders' Unit of Oakalla Prison Farm, 1951-1959.
department or school: Arts, Faculty of
department or school: Social Work, School of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Montpellier, Alfred Louis
issued: 2011-12-07T22:15:38Z
issued: 1960
related degree: Master of Social Work - MSW
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: Youthful offenders are usually persons who are struggling with severe social and emotional problems; who are either isolates or associate mainly with anti-social persons, and as a consequence, cut themselves off, and are cut off from persons who could assist them to identify with more normal social goals and values. This thesis is a descriptive analysis of a programme developed for such "clients", giving specific attention to the introduction of group work and related social work services at the Young Offenders' Unit, a correctional institution in British Columbia. The original leisure-time programme hoped to gain the interest and cooperation of youthful offenders; instead, they withdrew into their housing units. In response to this, a social group work service is provided, and counsellors (both men and women) are assigned to work directly in the housing units. The transitional aspects of such a programme, in a correctional setting, presents peculiar problems; therefore, descriptive detail is given in order to highlight two major shifts in focus: (1) The function of the counsellors; (2) The diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of activities, over and above their leisure-time value. The essential group work task of gaining the acceptance of delinquent youths is analyzed, and specific examples are given which illustrate how group activities of all kinds provide the tools whereby counsellors observe, study, and diagnose the interaction in each group and between groups. As a result, helpful roles emerge which make it possible for counsellors to assist the groups and their individual members towards socially acceptable behaviour. Because the youthful offender will eventually return to the community, the study points out how the delinquent is able to gain a growing trust in adults as he identifies with his counsellor, and how this furthers his eventual integration into society. The kinds of activities which are helpful to this end are illustrated. The study recognizes that …
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/39512
note: GROUP WORK IN AN INSTITUTION FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS An A n a l y t i c a l Study o f the I n t r o d u c t i o n and Development o f Group Work S e r v i c e s a t the Young Offenders' U n i t o f O a k a l l a P r i s o n Farm, 1951-1959 -by ALFRED LOUIS MONTPELLIER The s i s Submitted i n P a r t i a l F u l f i l m e n t o f the Requirements f o r the Degree of MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK i n the School o f S o c i a l Work Accepted as conforming to the standard r e q u i r e d f o r the Degree of MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK School of S o c i a l Work I960 The U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia In presenting t h i s t h e s i s i n p a r t i a l f u l f i l m e n t of the requirements f o r an advanced degree at the U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia, I agree that the L i b r a r y s h a l l make i t f r e e l y a v a i l a b l e f o r reference and study. I f u r t h e r agree th a t permission f o r extensive copying of t h i s t h e s i s f o r s c h o l a r l y purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by h i s r e p r e s e n t a t i v e . I t i s understood tha t copying or p u b l i c a t i o n of t h i s t h e s i s f o r f i n a n c i a l gain s h a l l not be allowed without my w r i t t e n permission. Department The U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia, Vancouver 8\ Canada. Date i i TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I - Group Work and Corrections Institutions Page (A) The youthful offender and his special needs. Institutions designed for him. The dichotomy of Treatment-Custody. Group work principles and contributions in a corrections institution. Method of Study, (B) I n i t i a l programme at the Young Offenders' Unit. Fig., 1: Sketch of a unit. Comparisons old and new. Activities on an interest basis. Activities as incentives. Definition of function and clarification of Staff roles. Movement towards acceptance • 1 Chapter II - Starting a Group Programme Establishing the function of the Staff. Struggles with the function. Clarif…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0105901
language: eng
degree discipline: Social Work
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/39512