III. Appropriate Services for Stages of Change

Successful supervision of offenders requires matching services appropriate to where offenders are in the process of change. The stages of change model represents the process that an offender, or any individual, goes through as he/she attempts to change behavior. Recognizing where an offender is in the change process is a first step to matching the appropriate control and treatment services to the needs of that offender. The stages of change are: Pre-Contemplation, Contemplation, Determination, Action, Maintenance, and Relapse.

The better prepared staff are to identify an offender's current stage, the better the supervision plan will be able to meet the needs of the offender. Staff must promote positive movement through the stages of change. The overall goal of supervision is to move offenders to a point where they are committed to an action plan aimed at changing behavior. The question that remains is what type of services are needed in each phase of the process.