Chapter 11: Theories of Rehabilitation and Principles of Effective Intervention for African American Male Offenders

According to the Sentencing Project Report in 1990, African American males accounted for 23% of the population between the ages of 20 and 29, who were currently under the supervision of a criminal justice system to include parole, probation, prison, and/or jail (Mauer & Huling, 1995). It has also been reported that more than one third of African American males not enrolled in college were incarcerated by the early 2000s, and that nearly twice of those younger than 40 years of age had a bachelor’s degree. Western and Wildeman (2009) noted that men of African American descent were “eight times more likely to be incarcerated than Whites” (p. 228) and that there were significant disparities among various age groups and different education levels. According to Horton (2013), African American males currently account for 40.1% of the criminal justice incarcerated population. Drug use and crime among the African American male offender population tend to go hand in hand. At a young age, African American males are likely to become involved with criminal activity, more specifically drugs and gangs, as a result of several environmental factors. Marlowe (2003) noted that the use of drugs suggestively increased the probability that an individual would participate in criminal activities. In recent years, strict drug policies have been a contributing factor in the increase of incarcerated offenders. Mauer and Huling (1995) noted that the arrest rates for violent crimes among African Americans were disproportionate to the number of African American males who used drugs nationally. Research has shown that the majority of the offender population was under the influence of mood-altering substances during the commission of their crime. Therefore, it has been established that offenders who abuse mood-altering substances are “responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime and violence” (Marlowe, 2003, p. 5). According to Jing-ying (2012) there are suspicions as to “what is going on in offender counseling and how offender counseling could help inmate change” (p. 1028). The offender population has long been considered the most difficult to engage in psychotherapy. A marginalized group, offenders are a unique, culturally diverse population who tend to find themselves in a cycle of judicial merry-go-round consisting of arrests, convictions, incarcerations, and releases. Although the recidivism rate of offenders continues to be at an all-time high, the number of mental health professionals specializing in assessment and treatment with this population continues to be at an all-time low. The lack of knowledge and engagement by mental health professionals makes it difficult for the culturally oppressed to utilize available resources and disclose pertinent information that would assist in their lifestyle change and decrease the recidivism rates among offenders. It is vital that the mental health profession begin to seek to understand how history, society, the unhealed, and worldviews of offenders, more specifically African American male offenders, has limited our ability to speak their language and provide treatment that is appropriate. In order to effectively treat the male offender who is African American, mental health professionals must develop an understanding of the individual unique issues, which will allow the clinician to tailor treatment interventions specifically to the offender. This chapter will explore the use of Adler’s theory of individual psychology as a way to conceptualize and understand the lifestyle of a criminal offender, examine rehabilitation theories as a foundation for best practices, as well as identify treatment modalities and interventions that will assist mental health professionals in helping African American male offenders become aware of their faulty beliefs and behaviors, in order to effect a positive lifestyle change.