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 National and International Efforts Bringing Behavior Analysis Services to Adults and Youth in Carceral Environments |
| Sunday, May 25, 2025 |
| 11:00 AM–11:50 AM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 156 |
| Area: CSS/OBM; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: John M. Guercio (Benchmark Human Services) |
| Discussant: Autumn Kaufman (The OBSI Project) |
| CE Instructor: Autumn Kaufman, M.S. |
| Abstract: Applications of behavior analysis for individuals who have been incarcerated, and for correctional facility operations, is an underutilized, yet emerging area of service, both internationally and in the United States. However, behavior analysis informed programs and practices for these populations require important considerations and adaptations to be effective in these settings. The three presentations today will cover applications of behavior analysis informed interventions for incarcerated adult and youth populations within carceral facilities in Italy and the United States. Presenters represent multiple domains of service delivery from research, state government administration, and private practice. Systems level and individual interventions will be discussed including the introduction of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) into adult and juvenile carceral facilities, as well as individual interventions, including academic support in the form of Precision Teaching. Presenters will share relevant data as well as discuss the barriers to implementing and sustaining quality services, and strategies for successfully navigating those barriers. This will include a discussion of relevant policy considerations and advocacy efforts necessary to bring behavior analysis informed solutions into these spaces. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): Corrections, Juvenile Justice, PBIS, Precision Teaching |
| Target Audience: Audience members should work with, or have an interest in working with, at-risk youth populations in adult correctional and juvenile justice systems. Alternatively, audience members should be familiar with principles of behavior analysis and have knowledge of the logistics of providing behavior analysis services for their service population in order to understand and appreciate the differences in how behavior analysis services for adult correctional and juvenile justice populations needs to be organized, funded, and the necessary training. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will learn how behavior analytic strategies can be scaled to a national level within prison systems, and assess their potential impact on improvingprisoner rehabilitation, reducing recidivism, and enhancing the overall safety and quality of life for both inmates and staff.
2. Participants will be able to identify the key components of non-aversive behavioral interventions, such as Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior (DRO) and self-monitoring in prison.
3. Participants will be able to identify barriers to providing Precision Teaching within a max risk juvenile residential facility |
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| Applied Behavior Analysis to Enhance Prisoner Safety and Quality of Life in Italian Prisons |
| VALERIA PASCALE (The Chicago School, ABA For Disability) |
| Abstract: Recent Italian legal reforms prioritize rehabilitation over punishment, creating an opportunity to apply behavior analysis in correctional settings. This talk presents results from a pilot study in a maximum-security prison, where a Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior (DRO) intervention combined with self-monitoring was introduced to 16 male inmates. Using a multiple-baseline design across groups, the intervention significantly reduced aggression, self-injury, and property destruction (Milan & McKee, 1976; Gendreau et al., 2014). Inmates also reported improved quality of life and relationships (Wilder et al., 2023). Supported by an international grant from the SABA Foundation, the study is expanding to other prisons in Italy, aiming to reach hundreds of inmates and staff. Preliminary results from this larger-scale implementation suggest that non-aversive interventions are both feasible and effective. This approach could lead to a scalable model for the Italian correctional system, aligning with the country’s shift toward reducing punitive measures and improving life quality in prisons (McDonald & Hanson, 2024). The discussion will also address the intervention’s potential to lower recidivism and promote lasting behavioral changes, to expand its application to juvenile facilities (Bush et al., 2023). |
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| Precision Teaching With Juvenile-Justice Involved Youth |
| CALEB DENEB HUDGINS (The OBSI Project), Jason Guild (The OBSI Project) |
| Abstract: Juvenile Justice System Involved Youth face a number of academic challenges that are typically not well addressed using a lecture based instructional approach. Youth who live in these carceral environments are often substantially behind in grade level compared to similarly aged youth who have not been incarcerated. To address these challenges Adapt and Transform Behavior (ATBx) recently partnered with a high/max-risk juvenile justice residential program provider with the primary goal to increase academic achievement for a group of max-risk male youth. Despite limited time with the students, extremely promising results were achieved using Precision Teaching. Students who received tutoring demonstrated a dose dependent improvement in both math and reading skills and grade levels compared to students who did not receive tutoring. Group data will be presented to show average effects, as well as individual student data on changes in learning rates and changes in time required to achieve skill fluency. |
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