A survey of clinical psychology training in Canadian federal corrections: Implications for psychologist recruitment and retention.

Abstract

East Coast Forensic HospitalAlthough survey results seem to indicate an abundant interest among Canadian psychology graduate students in pursuing training in criminal justice psychology, the recruitment and retention of psychologists in the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has been of some concern. The present study is a 2008 survey of sites within CSC that provide opportunities for clinical psychology training with offender clientele. Survey findings demonstrated that a broad range of clinical psychology training opportunities were available across 16 sites. The most frequently cited barrier to providing training was lack of time by prospective trainers, and sites reported retaining relatively few of their trainees for subsequent psychologist positions. Information was also obtained regarding vacant psychologist positions across CSC regions. In light of survey findings, substantive discussion is devoted toward the issues of psychologist recruitment and retention in Canadian federal corrections, including a discussion of both potential and existing training initiatives.

Who Is Training Behind the Wall?

“…Although our data cannot inform the reasons for this trend, the lower baseline from the late 1980s and early 1990s is consistent with findings reported by Pietz et al (1998), who studied corrections interns during that time frame. In addition, the start of the trend in the mid-1990s to the present mirrors literature suggesting that more students are gaining exposure to criminal justice settings and populations through practica training (Magaletta et al, 2011;Morgan et al, 2007;Olver, Preston, Camilleri, Helmus, & Starzomski, 2011). Finally, this trend comports with the ascent of offender populations in the United States and the expanded capacity to house them in public and private corrections institutions.…”

“…Overall, our findings suggest that there is no one particular type of school, program, degree offering, or geographic location that serves as the core pathway into this line of training or work. Correctional work is open, we believe, to all, and ample opportunity exists across the country to “select in.” Correctional training is growing into a mainstream training setting for many, including those in state departments of corrections (American Correctional Association, 2011) and those within international jurisdictions (Olver et al, 2011).…”

Making Prisoners Accountable

“…The latter is partly attributed to low pay scales and working conditions that are not up to the standards in other areas of psychology. In addition, and this is not a criticism, the demands placed on psychologists in prisons nowadays are often directed toward crisis intervention or assessment and treatment of mental health problems (Helmus, Babchishin, Camilleri, & Olver, 2011; Magaletta, 2011; Magaletta, Patry, Dietz, & Ax, 2007; Olver, Preston, Camilleri, Helmus, & Starzomski, 2011; Senter, Morgan, Serna-McDonald, & Bewley, 2010). As for the frontline dispensers of the CM contingencies, correctional officer staff must receive extensive training and supervision in CM techniques and be ideologically committed to providing humane care (Smith, Hart, Pennington, Sanford, & Milan, 1985; Smith et al, 1976).…”

Imaginando el futuro en la práctica de la psicología profesional: un estudio de las representaciones de estudiantes universitarios

“…As revealed by Bangen, VanderVeen, Veilleux, and Kamen, (2010), students often receive inadequate university training for the acquisition of skills that can be used during their internship. From this point of view, trainees do not feel able to negotiate the activities that will be proposed by hosting bodies (Olver, Preston, Camilleri, Helmus, & Starzomski, 2011). Therefore, students have difficulties about how to use their skills in hosting bodies, because their training is not effectively oriented to the labor market (Langher, 2009).…”

“…This can lead them to devalue the knowledge acquired, regarded as inapplicable in professional contexts, or to refuse bodies, deemed incapable to decline the well-known theoretical models in practice (Weissman et al, 2006). According to this perspective, trainees have the only objective of finishing the experience as soon as possible and are content to carry out activities, even if these have nothing to do with psychology (Olver et al, 2011). According to Madson, Aten, and Leach (2007), students who devalue their training think that they might have some learning opportunities only if they are offered by the tutor.…”