Social problem-solving skills training for incarcerated offenders. A treatment manual.
A free prison-ready BST manual exists for social problem-solving, and later studies prove the method works when you add brief coaching and feedback.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Gabriels et al. (2001) wrote a step-by-step manual for teaching social problem-solving skills to adults in prison.
The package uses Behavioral Skills Training: explain, show, practice, and give feedback.
Lessons cover four skills: stop and think, speak up for yourself, notice others’ feelings, and stay calm under stress.
What they found
The paper only describes the lessons; it gives no test scores or behavior counts.
Think of it as a ready-made curriculum, not a report card.
How this fits with other research
Mount et al. (2011), Hillman et al. (2021), and Jimenez-Gomez et al. (2019) all took the same BST recipe and proved it works.
They used brief computer or in-person BST to get staff and adults with autism to 100 % accuracy on teaching tasks.
These follow-up studies fill the gap L et al. left: they show BST really does create skilled performance that lasts.
Carter et al. (2011) is a cousin manual—also a free, updated guide—so you now have two turnkey packages to compare when picking a curriculum.
Why it matters
If you run groups in justice settings, you can lift the 2001 manual today and know the steps align with later studies that earned high fidelity.
Pair the lessons with the coaching tricks from R et al. or Jimenez-Gomez et al. to be sure the skills stick after release.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This article describes a social problem-solving skills intervention for incarcerated adult offenders. The program includes pragmatic, progressive skill building through the use of direct instructions, role-plays with performance feedback, modeling, behavior rehearsal, and positive reinforcement. In addition to these treatment components, the empirically derived approach employs standardized assessment measures to identify deficits and to evaluate treatment outcome. Assessment data are directly used to determine behavior change in such areas as conversational skills, positive and negative assertion, anger management, problem solving, empathy, and stress inoculation. Social skills training is included to modify verbal, nonverbal, and paralinguistic behavioral components. In addition, training elements related to anger reduction and stress management are utilized.
Behavior modification, 2001 · doi:10.1177/0145445501252001