Experience in Developing and Testing a Model Program for Psychological and Educational Work with Persons Convicted of Terrorist and Extremist Crimes

Abstract

Introduction: the steady increase in the number of the suspected, accused and convicted of terrorism and extremism, as well as cases of their participation in various emergencies, necessitates a personal, targeted approach to correctional psychological and educational work with them. The need for an individual approach, including in psychological and educational work with those convicted of terrorism and extremism, is also indicated by regulatory legal documents, in particular the Order of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia No. 1111 dated November 24, 2017 “On the organization of events on countering terrorism, extremist activity in penal enforcement institutions and bodies”. Study purpose: determination of the effectiveness of the tested model program for psychological correction of personality of persons convicted of terrorism and extremism-related crimes. Research methods: psychodiagnostics methods: the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI) “Time perspective of convicts”, multidimensional self-attitude research questionnaire, a psychodiagnostic method “Life-purpose orientations”; a method for testing the program developed; a method for identifying statistical differences – the Student’s t-test; a method for comparative analysis of the psychodiagnostics results obtained following the testing results. Results: validation of the reliability of statistical differences with the help of the Student’s t-test determined the absence of significant changes in the indicators of convicts in the control group. Meaningful changes were observed in the indicators of convicts of the experimental group with the help of the following methods: ZTPI “Time perspective of convicts”, a multidimensional self-attitude research questionnaire and a psychodiagnostic method “Life-purpose orientations”. A comparative analysis of the results of psychodiagnostics of convicts in the experimental group before and after testing of the basic program proved the reliability of statistical differences with the help of the Student’s t-test determined the presence of positive personality changes in the behavioral, cognitive and affective spheres of the personality of convicts in the experimental group. Conclusions: assessment of the model program testing results revealed a sufficient degree of its effectiveness and the possibility of its implementation. The model program largely determined the content and structure of the section of the additional professional program – a professional development program for psychological service employees who accompany persons convicted of terrorist and extremist crimes.

Keywords

• targeted approach
• educational work
• psychological work
• model program
• correctional work
• convicts
• extremism
• terrorism
• irrational attitudes