The body of evidence that the working alliance is associated with positive outcomes for mandated clients is growing. The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of several characteristics of probation officers (POs) and offenders on the course of the working alliance during probation supervision. This study examined the patterns on the four alliance subscales: Trust, Bond, Goals-Restrictions, and Reactance of the Working Alliance With Mandated Clients Inventory (WAMCI) in 201 offenders and their 137 POs. Three patterns on each alliance subscale were found: deteriorating, improving, and stable. Multinomial logistic analysis revealed that change of POs and the preference of the PO to maintain rules were associated with a deteriorating Trust pattern. From the perspective of the offenders, being motivated to take part in supervision was associated with a stable pattern on every alliance subscale, but having problems with substance use increased the likelihood of a deteriorating pattern on every alliance subscale.
Narcissism is a personality construct with grandiose, and vulnerable aspects, that are interconnected through antagonistic characteristics. While antagonism is strongly related to antisocial behavior, the role of narcissism remains underexplored in offender rehabilitation practice. Research in non-forensic samples has already shown promising results in the differential associations for grandiose and vulnerable narcissism in relation to violent and antisocial behavior and treatment responsiveness that could be relevant for offender rehabilitation. To research the meaningfulness of both narcissism aspects for forensic offender rehabilitation practice, we systematically reviewed the electronic literature databases CINAHL EBSCOhost, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE, Medline All Ovid, PsycINFO Ovid, and Web of Science Core Collection. Subsequently, we synthesized the outcome into meaningful data classifications related to the risk of violence in offender populations and treatment responsivity. In total, 14 publications on forensic samples were included. Overall, the findings suggest that grandiose narcissism was strongly related to proactive violence and a low treatment responsiveness. Vulnerable narcissism was associated with reactive aggression, mediated by impulsivity and negative emotions, and with a moderate responsivity level. As such, both narcissism aspects seem relevant for the development of structured and focused treatment plans in offender rehabilitation practice. The implications for offender rehabilitation practice are provided.
A workshop that took place on the conference "The Restoration of Normality – Mirroring the Past in the Future" with the themes (among others) domestic violence, restorative justice, social support for ex-offenders, education & training and building up a probation service.
