Without sufficient intuition, the decision whether to offend is made based on individual assumptions about (1) prison, and (2) the probability of arrest. For first-time offenders, both sets of assumptions are based on the experience of their peers, which is often exaggerated to show off their bravado. For multiple offenders, it depends on their personal experience. In both cases, the intuition is usually inadequate to make a well-informed judgment within this limited circle of knowledge and the branch is ended prematurely. Guided facilitation is required to extend the logic branch into a deeper understanding of consequences; for example, easy money may result in negative influence of peers, loss of work ethic, and greater tolerance and propensity for crime.

The other problem associated with insufficient intuition is the inability to see the full consequence of actions beyond themselves that occur because of their offense, especially if there is not a clear victim as there is in a rape or murder case. While the negative consequence to self and their immediate family is clear, many feel exonerated for their offense after being charged and incarcerated, i.e., their punishment has already paid for the crime. What they do not realize is the domino effect of their crime to society and everyone within their sphere of influence.

Figure 27-10 illustrates a drug trafficking example where one can see the initial logic branch resulting in either "I suffer in prison" on the left or "I get rich and impress peers" on the right. After much debate, the class was shocked to see the far-reaching effects on their peers, families, and clients as well as all those they directly influence. Consider the impact of one person who is trafficking drugs to 50 clients who in turn become addicted and in turn influence their peers, leading to a never-ending negative reinforcing loop. The impact of one person on society is enormous. Never before had they considered those who they did not know or could not see.

This butterfly effect5 perfectly illustrates how a single action can be magnified into an unstoppable chain of events and stresses the importance of understanding the full consequences of our action before we act. To cement their learning, each worked on their own crime cases through facilitated questioning, for a sobering analysis as to the implications of their actions on society. While it is impossible to predict all possible effects from each action, the aim is to create a heightened awareness of the implications to others rather than just self.

FIGURE 27-10 Consequences of drug trafficking on others.

Validating the Predicted Effect Apart from not realizing the full consequences of actions, many inmates fail to validate their predicted effect. Instead of bothering to check the logic of the predicted effect, many just blindly follow the belief system and behavior pattern of others. For example, IF you only consume drugs once, THEN you will not get addicted, or IF someone stares at you, THEN you must stare back. For others, even with knowledge and desire to the contrary, the default need to follow established behavioral norms takes over.

A common issue among inmates is whether to disclose their prison record to prospective employers. Based on their limited experience and hearsay, most employers will not hire them if they know about their prison record. As a result, they feel they have no choice except to lie in order to get the job.

IF I lie about my record, THEN I will get the job, IF I get the job, THEN I will work hard to prove myself, IF I work hard to prove myself, THEN the employer will retain me if he finds out about my past.

IF I do not lie about my record, THEN I will not get the job.

There are several glaring mistakes in the logic. Is it true that the employer will hire you just because you do not disclose your past? Is the employer really biased against inmates? Do you meet all other qualifications? Will the employer retain you once they find out about your past? In many cases, especially with service industries such as hotels, it is against company policy to hire an ex-offender. Separately, there are many other consequences of lying, which have not been addressed. An example of redefined logic after validating the predicted effect is shown in Fig. 27-11.

FIGURE 27-11 Predicted effects of lying to an employer.

Like necessity logic, it is important to teach the concept before teaching the full tool. Using one's desired action as a cause, participants are made to practice single step branches using "If . . . then . . . because . . ." until they perfect sufficiency logic and are ready to draw the entire branch.

Delivery

The next challenge after simplifying the TOC TP into core components was how to deliver the content in a manner that they could easily process and understand.

Teaching Techniques

A variety of teaching techniques was instrumental to retain learning among inmates. Traditional classroom teaching was impossible given the large variation in language and literacy levels among the group and made it difficult for trainers to engage all inmates at the same level and pace. Looking at the blank faces at the commencement of each course, it was often difficult to ascertain whether it was non-buy-in or just underdeveloped brainpower. To engage all levels, use of high-energy games, group work, individual reflection, and video presentations, each specifically customized for their unique lifestyle, helped to generate a high level of interest and maintain motivation and attentiveness.

The pictorial nature of the tools also provided a different learning dimension for inmates with different learning styles. In one instance, several TOC cellmates who had difficulty understanding the process of the Conflict Cloud were taught at night in their cell by another cellmate who was not a TOC participant, but by the nature of his occupation as a tattoo artist, could immediately understand and interpret the simple flowchart or pictorial nature of the tool. Others related to the tools as a form of challenge or puzzle, for example, a crossword or Sudoku, which had the added advantage of being able to help them work out their life issues.

Most importantly, the Socratic approach toward teaching TOC was a refreshing change for an audience who was so used to being told what to do. By helping them to find their "voice," inmates gradually became more receptive and motivated about learning and applying the tools learned. For maximum recall, fun quizzes, worksheets, and notes were given to inmates at relevant junctures throughout the course. Inmates were also given "homework" to bring back to their cells, allowing them more time for individual reflection and informal group discussions while allowing trainers to effectively focus the classroom training period on delivering material.

Language

By default, the entire workshop was conducted in English due to language limitations on the part of the trainers. As a result, considerable modification to training materials was required to ensure the audience could follow the TP. In almost all cases, the target group could understand and speak simple English intermingled with local dialect, but the learning process was often hampered by weak vocabulary and communication skills. Much of the TOC terminology proved incomprehensible to the audience, resulting in heavy editing of original training materials as well as ongoing translation by self-volunteered translators within the group.

Ironically, even in their own language, many were often at a loss for words through lack of practice because everyday prison lingo tended to be abbreviated and colloquial, which was inadequate to express what they really meant. With this handicap, writing was an even bigger problem as evidenced by the tortured yet comical facial expressions of the inmates while complaining about their "brain jam" and "brain freeze" when asked to express what they felt at the end of each session.

In a strange twist, this constraint turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it resulted in enormous camaraderie within the group. Much collaborative effort was spent after class in their cells debating how best to define accurately their personal problems as evidenced in the high quality of homework. Forced to summarize their life stories within the small boxes in each TOC tool, they were taught conciseness and clarity of thought. On the part of the translators, their new role gave them a sense of importance and responsibility, while higher-level learning was reinforced through continuous internalization, interpretation, and repetition. In true TOC fashion, the burden of individual conflicts soon became shared group concerns.

In hindsight, the forced slower delivery of the more difficult parts of the course allowed the audience much more time than average to think and reflect. Most importantly, it forced us to condense the materials into the simplest denominator for basic understanding, which drove us to the core of TOC.

Duration

Attention span was earmarked as a potential problem from the onset as most participants had not stepped into a classroom environment for more than 10 years. Not unlike young children, many participants initially found it difficult to stay still and focused for long periods, so we needed to provide constant group activities and breakout sessions to retain their attention. To further address this problem, program sessions were split from three straight days into six 3-hour workshops spread over a two-week period,6 which also gave them a chance to reflect and internalize the skills learned through homework over the weekend in the privacy of their own cells.

Results

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the relevance and usefulness of TOC training for inmates in helping them reintegrate into the workforce, which was to be measured quantitatively through job retention upon release, and qualitatively through inmate feedback. Results were compiled by the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE), the rehabilitative division of Singapore Prison Services, fully independent of TOC, upon completion of the pilot project.

Quantitative

Success of the project was measured quantitatively by job retention upon release of our sample population. According to data provided by SCORE as illustrated in Fig. 27-12, historically approximately 20 percent of inmates were able to retain a job upon release for three months or more. At the end of the pilot study, job retention over a three-month period rose threefold to 59 percent.

Qualitative

Inmate Feedback

Surveys were administered to inmates on the last day of the training program to appraise their perceptions of the usefulness of the training course, and to evaluate if the tools learned were being utilized upon completion of the course. An evaluation form consisting of both closed (Section I) and open-ended (Section II) questions was prepared for this purpose as seen in Fig. 27-13.

FIGURE 27-12 Results of TOC pilot study.

In addition, the 59 inmates who completed the evaluation gave the course a mean rating of 5.75 from a total of 6 for 13 questions rated on a Likert scale in Fig. 27-14, suggesting that inmates found the training very relevant and useful. Of the different aspects evaluated, inmates were most enthusiastic about the usefulness of the tools and how they helped them distinguish between needs and wants, overcome obstacles to achieve their goals, and understand flawed assumptions.

FIGURE 27-13 Inmate evaluation form.

FIGURE 27-14 Inmate Likert scale.

Responses to open-ended questions were congruent with their responses to their ratings in Section I. Inmates expressed that TOC helped them overcome internal conflicts, plan "one-step-at-a-time," make better decisions, set realistic goals, and focus on the future. Other comments from inmates include: This is the best thing that has happened to me in prison. If I attended the course during my first sentence, I would not have come back to prison again.

Most important it helps us to think wisely (which many of us do not usually do) and ask ourselves why (which we never thought of asking) and to really identify our basic needs.

It enables me to discover the missing pieces of the puzzle that I've been searching for all these years. At last I got an answer to my agony.

It will help me think of consequences in doing what I think is safe.

Creates a clear picture of why I have failed so many times so that I can better understand where my flaws are.

It really makes me understand myself much better. . . . but the truth sometimes hurts.

Trainer Feedback

"Even though we also experienced deprivation of sorts while we worked in a high security setting, it is great to know that the TOC tools gave them freedom even before they were being released. They were hopeful because their thinking had begun and were able to reason within themselves. Some broke free from mindsets and their behavior changed immediately.

"One found a way to prevent the violence that led him to prison. This discovery alone brought a smile to his face that he could finally control himself. Upon release, another was able to stay in a physically demanding job just by thinking through and deciding what is more important. Another took two jobs so that he could keep himself busy and avoid being bored, which he knew would lead him to trouble. This same person now has an Ambitious Target of wooing his ex-wife and he has hope. These little reality stories affirm that empowering the 'scum of society' with tools that work gives the most meaningful satisfaction."

Government Feedback

"This programme uses simple and logical tools to question the assumptions underlying conflicts in one's life so as to enable one to make correct decisions in life. This is useful for offenders as it helps them to remove their self-created barriers towards employment."

-Speech by Mr. Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Senior Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs at Yellow Ribbon Job Fair on November 1, 2006 at Changi Prison.

Judging from the measurement criteria provided, we can conclude that this pilot study was a resounding success at the point of measurement and provided a solid foundation toward behavioral modification for inmates. Both the high job retention rate and the excellent feedback surveys indicate a strong buy-in for TOC, making it a worthwhile cause for further work in prison rehabilitation. Much of the coursework submitted by the inmates showed clear resolution to their long-term chronic conflicts and negative behavior, thus reinforcing the effectiveness of TOC as a reflective tool for inmates to analyze their past actions.

Longer term, using these same measurement criteria, it is impossible to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of the program in bringing about and maintaining the desired change; as change can only occur if ex-inmates continuously practice the skills and use the tools learned, which is impossible to follow up and measure post-release. On a purely subjective basis, however, we have seen enormous transformations in those ex-inmates who chose to stay in regular contact over the last two years and shared their testimonies.

Outside the parameters of this study, a better gauge of long-term success may be to measure the average time between reoffense or recidivism for multiple offenders. While the ambitious target may be to achieve 100 percent rehabilitation, it is neither a possible nor a realistic target due to overwhelming social pressure upon release. A simplistic and more pragmatic challenge given to the inmates during the course is to stop and ask the question "why" in the TOC context before any negative action is taken. Even if it just slows down the time between crimes by one day or one year, it is still an exceedingly worthwhile exercise by helping to restart the logical thinking process.

Follow-on Implementations

Subsequent to the success of the initial pilot project, further trainings have been completed for: Other pre-release inmates Young offenders (aged 14 to 21 years old) Prison officers Prison counselors and psychologists After-care workers

Future Recommendations