RealVictory.org

eBusiness Center to Help Fight Crime | November 2005

The eBusiness Center has recently been involved in helping create a web site to help with a multi-disciplinary project called Real Victory. This project is under the direction of David Cherrington, professor of organizational behavior and Steve Liddle, director of the Rollins Center for eBusiness, Stephen Bahr, and Bert Burraston, of the BYU Sociology Department.

BYU Professor Studies the Use of Cell Phones in Utah's Parole Reform | August 2006

Before you get upset at that cell phone ringing in the movie theater, you may want to consider what a group of sociology professors are investigating: cell phones may hold the potential to change a person’s life, or at least the life of someone who has found trouble with the law.

Victory Seeker Finds Success | August 2006

Jane* (name has been changed for privacy) wanted to quit smoking, but each day when 4 p.m. rolled around, she craved a cigarette just as much. Those late afternoon hours were the hardest and she was often tempted to just give in. But then her cell phone would ring and the voice on the line would ask her a series of questions, the most important being, “Have you abstained from smoking since the last call?” After answering, the voice of her mother, father, or older brother would sound on the line with a message of encouragement or congratulations.

The Problem: Criminal Recidivism

America has one of the highest criminal recidivism rates of any industrialized nation in the world. National recidivism rates among adults are as high as 73%, while national rearrest rates for juveniles are around 55%.

Professionals estimate that it costs more than $25,000 to arrest, try, and convict a criminal and put them behind bars. That cost is independent of the expense of keeping someone incarcerated or financial and emotional costs incurred by the victims of crime. Lowering the recidivism rate would make our communities safer while saving taxpayers across the country billions of dollars. It would also allow many who find themselves in the revolving door of the current correctional system an opportunity to lead productive and successful lives.

So how can we reduce recidivism?

Many in the correctional system think it’s just not possible. As one parole officer stated, “parolees pretend to be good, and we pretend to believe them.” There have been many programs and classes aimed at cutting the recidivism rate, but few, if any, have any lasting impact. One comprehensive national study of 600 programs found that less than 2% of the programs resulted in sustained behavior change.

The Solution: RealVictory

RealVictory is a two-step program designed to reduce recidivism. First, probationers and parolees attend a six-session training course that teaches how to examine and change beliefs, behaviors and consequences. By the end of the course, participants use their newly mastered skills to set goals and create a plan for successful personal change.

Second, each participant is enrolled in a year-long phone coaching process that supports their personal change plan. Each person receives daily phone calls that follow up on their progress and support them as they change their lives. These calls are automated and timed according to the individual’s unique circumstances, and they include messages of encouragement and support from family and friends. When combined with the cognitive behavior training, the cell phone technology is the crucial component that enables people to break old habits and create new patterns of pro-socialbehaviors.