(BOP) - Inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution in Gilmer, WV, have been participating in two group therapy programs since fall 2014. The programs, "Basic Cognitive Skills" and "Criminal Thinking," are designed to improve an inmate's adjustment to incarceration, their ability to effectively regulate emotions, and to increase their awareness of problematic thought patterns that may lead to criminal behavior.
"I can assure you that learning about all this has opened my mind and was for me a life changer," said David Gellad, an inmate at FCI Gilmer. "I believe and am convinced that every inmate should enroll in these programs and take them and their applications very seriously."
Dr. Kori Petty, a Staff Psychologist who regularly led the treatment groups, noted that the groups are a key element to helping inmates make pro-social change. "They learn self-improvement skills in a format that also gives them a chance to build social support with other inmates who are trying to make positive changes," Petty said, "so it's a unique opportunity for many inmates who in the past have had little or no positive support." The groups educate inmates about common thinking errors and how to engage in "rational self-analysis." Inmates who successfully complete these programs are better equipped to identify and alter thoughts that may lead to poor emotional regulation or criminal behavior.
At FCI Gilmer, 64 inmates have successfully completed "Basic Cognitive Skills" and 43 inmates have successfully completed "Criminal Thinking." Both of these group therapy programs are included in the Model Programs Catalog and are offered at more than half of the Bureau's 122 facilities.