Harnessing self-control in inmates: Self-control strength theory and the reduction of deviance and recidivism

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Research in criminology has identified a lack of self-control or "willpower" as one of the reasons as to why people commit crimes. Individuals are often unable to resist the short-term gratification that many criminal acts promise. Many criminologists assume that much of an individual's capacity to exercise self-control is learned early in childhood. Once established, many criminologists consider an individual's capacity for self-control largely unchangeable during adulthood. Recent research in social psychology, however, has found an individual's capacity for self-control to be much more dynamic and variable. Often, self-control functions like a "muscle": it is a limited resource that can be temporarily exhausted through heavy use, but it is strengthened through repeated use. Social psychologists have demonstrated that individuals' capacity for self-control can be enhanced through a relatively simple training. So-trained individuals are better able to resist aggressive and selfish impulses, and make more socially acceptable decisions. This project applies these insights to the U.S. criminal justice system. Many former prison inmates (40-50%) re-offend or violate their parole, and are returned to prison. This contributes to the U.S. having the largest prison population in the world, which comes at great cost to the U.S. economy as well as federal and state budgets, and many socially disadvantaged communities. If recidivism rates can be reduced with a self-control training program that is simple and cheap, there might be large economic and social benefits.In this experimental study, soon-to-be released prison inmates (volunteers) are randomly assigned to a self-control training condition or a control condition while still in prison (Phase I). Shortly after their release, half of the former inmates are again randomly assigned to a self-control training whereas the other half are assigned to a control condition (Phase II). This results in a 2 (Pre-release/Phase I: Self-control training vs. control) x 2 (Post-release/Phase II: Self-control training vs. control) factorial design. That is, some volunteers will receive self-control training while still in prison as well as shortly after their release; some volunteers will receive training while still in prison only; some volunteers will receive training only after their release; and some volunteers will receive no training at all. At the beginning and end of each phase, various measures of self-control are assessed including individuals' ability to resist the temptation to cheat (Phase I) and the temptation to respond in a hostile manner to provocation (Phase II). This research design allows insight into how much self-control training is needed and when this training needs to occur in order to yield positive effects. Most importantly, this study examines the long-term consequences of the training by monitoring participants'- behavior following the 2 years after their release. If the self-control training is successful, reduced rates of re-offending, greater success of parole and, possibly, greater life success (e.g., employment, education) on the part of trainees will ensue.