Helping Criminals Overcome Their Habit Through Cognitive Lifeskills
The following story and questions are an example of the text and curriculum that is located in a Crime Prevention Cognitive Lifeskills Workbook.
Jason was born in 1958. His grandfather, Ralph Johnson, had a negative impact on his posterity with the exeption of Jason, his cousin Becky and a few other cousins. The whole remaining Johnson family was busy with drug abuse, anger, theft, brutality, prostitution, welfare, broken relationships, and a myriad other offences and bad habits. His mom, a drug addict and a prostitute, went away for long periods of time, leaving the children to fend for themselves.
Jason once robbed a car dealership. He was soon sent to juvenile detention and during his stay he attended a cognitive life skills course like this one. Because of his willingness to improve, the course had a huge impact on him. He was done with street dwelling, affliction and worrying about his next meal.
Following Jasons release, he soon reported to his probation officer. She questioned him about the things he had learned from the life skills class. He told her:
I was following the same direction as all of my familyaddictions, prison, anger, and ruin. Subconsciously I had been programmed with the falsehoods that I was no good and I lived on the bottom. I figured out that I am much better than I ever thought I was. In addition I learned that I wasn't to blame for coming from an abusive home.
I learned that regardless of the fact that I didnt have power over my beginnings, I absolutely do have control over the present. I become a brand new human every day and I can forgive the wrong done to me. I can make the choice to forgive and forget so that I can continue with my life. My past doesn't control my future.
I learned that I cannot persist in blaming my parents or other people for all my issues. Life isnt always fair and I have to make the best of my situation. The only way I can move my life forward is to let go of the past.
The Lifeskills class caused me to realize that I am a valuable man and I have endless potential, that my life is amazing gift stuffed with a myriad of fresh and magnificent prospects, and that I will be able to conquer my drug problem if I want to.
I learned that being thrashed, smashed into brick walls, burned with cigarettes, going hungry, feeling shame and living inconstant terror can make me grow to be an improved, more caring person. I learned that harsh conditions and conflict can help me grow stronger, if I decide to learn something from it.
And finally, I realized that I am in control of my own ship. I can guide it where I wish. If I do not alter my course I will keep suffering the harmfull consequences of my actions and my life will get harder and harder until I either change or die.
Questions:
1) Jason was a sufferer; in his young life he didn't have control over his family or surrounding. Now as a grown-up, what is his responsibility? _______________________________________________________________
2) Are there a lot of men and women in the USA who've suffered emotional damage from childhood? ________ Name a few of the results of childhood abuse? _______________________________________________________________
3) What do you think? Does Jason have the power to become a successful person? ______ Will it be easy? ______ Will the rewards be worth the work? ________
4) Life is condensed to a easy phrase. It goes something like, If you keep on doing what you have been doing, you'll keep on getting what you have been getting. If Jason's family continues doing drugs and stealing, what will they keep getting? _____________________________________________________________
5) How will they ever be able to change what they are getting? _____________________________________________________________
6) If you went around and asked one hundred men and women what the purpose of life is, and what it is that they desire from life before they die, what would they say? ______________________________________________________________
About the Author: Larry Lloyd founded the American Community Corrections Institute. ACCI sponsors a blog about anger management and related issues.
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