Dynamic Security: The Democratic Therapeutic Community in Prison

"Dynamic Security" describes the inner workings and dynamics of democratic therapeutic communities (TCs) in prisons. Chapters on theory, practice, management and on outcome and evaluation of work in TCs in prisons are linked with clinical examples. The contributors explore the complexities of working in therapy with the powerful emotional impact generated in the process of therapy in the forensic setting. In particular, they focus on the previous life history of offenders in therapy and on the effect of former relationship experiences on offenders' behaviour. This book will prove indispensable to anyone working in the forensic field in prisons, secure hospitals or dangerous and severe personality disorder (DSPD) units, including psychiatrists, psychologists, prison and probation officers, social workers, prison governors and other staff, and also to students training for this work. "Community, Culture and Change" encompasses a wide range of ideas and theoretical models related to communities and cultures as a whole, embracing key Therapeutic Community concepts such as collective responsibility, citizenship and empowerment, as well as multidisciplinary ways of working and the social origins of distress. The ways in which our social and therapeutic worlds are changing is illustrated by the innovative and creative work described in these books.