The influence of a Learning to Forgive Program on institutional offending and recidivism among offenders with mental disorder

Abstract

Previous researchers have demonstrated that learning to forgive may reduce the likelihood of offending/reoffending. Forgiveness therapy may be useful for rehabilitation by assisting traumatized individuals to release revengeful emotions. The current study is a follow up to a previous study that examined the effects of a 6-week forgiveness psychoeducational intervention for offenders with mental disorders. The aim of the current study was to determine any differences for participants who received a forgiveness intervention versus a control group for rates of recidivism (likelihood of reoffending and length of time to reoffend) and type of institutional offense. Recidivism data was collected through the Canadian Police Information Center. Both the control and treatment group in this study were selected from offenders with mental disorder at the Regional Psychiatric Centre, a multilevel forensic psychiatry hospital in Saskatoon, Canada. Results indicated that participants who received the forgiveness intervention took significantly longer than the control group to both commit non-violent offenses, and to be convicted of any offense. Results suggest that forgiveness therapy for offender populations may improve behavior and reduce recidivism.