Internal Controls

Internal control is offender motivation. Everyone from offender to staff, has internal motivation that serves as a driving force behind all behaviors. One common form of this motivation for the offender population is fear. To be more precise, the fear is that of going to (or back to) prison.

Something that will come up during the initial stages of supervision is the offenders' interest. Listening to these interests and taking note can really advance someone's supervision by helping incorporate things that interest each person. When an offender is interested in something they are much more likely to put more into it than if they have no interest at all. After ascertaining what an offender's interest is, staff can develop a supervision plan that someone is more likely to invest in. They are more likely to invest, because the supervision plan accurately represents his or her interests.

An additional factor is each offender's motivation for change. An offender's Stage of Change is critical to their success while under supervision. Answering where the offender is in the change process is essential to providing the proper services. If an offender is in the pre-contemplation stage, they are ambivalent about changing their behavior. Staff needs to be aware and have the ability to provide the appropriate resources.

Understanding these concepts can assist by identifying areas that will either assist or be problem areas while a person is on supervision.