This study is designed to evaluate the impact of moral emotions (i.e., feelings of shame, guilt and empathy) on criminal recidivism, and to assess whether existing services and interventions are effective in modifying the moral affective capacity of offenders, thereby reducing rates of re-offense. To what degree do feelings of shame, guilt and empathy foster reparative behavior and reform? Are there hidden psychological costs to some moral emotions as opposed to others? How can prison programs foster the development of adaptive moral emotions? And what kinds of inmates are especially likely to benefit from such programs? To address these questions, 900 recently incarcerated offenders will be interviewed in depth regarding (a) the instant offense, with a special focus on experiences of moral emotions during and just after the offense, and (b) the offender's experiences in the criminal justice system, from arrest through incarceration. Inmates will also complete baseline measures of moral emotional style (proneness to shame, guilt, and empathy), moral reasoning, and psychopathy. Throughout the period of incarceration, inmate use of offender services will be tracked, and an experimental component will be introduced to rigorously evaluate the efficacy of two intervention programs, currently in place, which draw on a restorative justice model. In exit interviews just prior to release, inmates again will be interviewed regarding (a) the instant offense, focusing on feelings of shame, guilt and empathy, if any, (b) the offender's experiences and reactions to incarceration, again with a focus on moral emotions, and (c) the offender's plans upon release. Inmates will also complete for a second time measures of shame-proneness, guilt-proneness, empathy, and moral reasoning. Outcome measures will include behavioral adjustment during incarceration, changes in moral emotional factors from initial assessment to exit interview, changes in inmates' emotional adjustment, and subsequent indices of recidivism/rehabilitation at 1 and 3 years post-release. Together, results should help clarify how best to enhance offenders' emotional, social, and behavioral adjustment --- both during incarceration and post-release --- thereby reducing the rate of aggressive and antisocial behavior in our community.
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