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Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction IPP Concept

The Department's fourth phase of Intensive Program Prison development was created and planned by a multi-disciplinary Work Group that was charged with making specific and detailed recommendations regarding Intensive Program Prisons. The Work Group began its tasks by defining exactly what is meant by the concept of "program" and what make a program "intensive."

The following material is taken from the Work Group's final report:

Borrowing from Palmer (1992: 3), the Work Group agreed that a program "...involves specific components or inputs ... that are organized, interrelated, and otherwise planned so as to generate changes in ... factors and conditions...that in turn may help generate desired future events...)" There are a number of important implications inherent in this definition:

  • We are suggesting here that a "program" is theory-based; that is, the program is designed to accomplish a specific goal ("...generate desired future events..."), and research has shown a real connection between program activities and the desired outcome.
  • Activities of a "program" are planned and structured; the program is implemented in the same way for all participant groups. The "program" has instructional goals that must be achieved before a participant is considered to be a "successful" completer.
  • The participants in the "program" have been selected because they have an objectively assessed need that is targeted by the program. It is assumed (and can be demonstrated) that successful completion of the program will positively affect the assessed need.

The statute authorizing IPP's specifically refers to these programs as "intensive regimens or combinations of intensive regimens." By "intensive," the Work Group means the successful completion of specific and mandatory program components, inclusive of both institutional and community-based activities.

This primary program focus will be joined by other secondary programs that are compatible with the primary program area. A substantial amount of institutional programming time will be spent on activities that address the primary criminogenic need area(s), with the remainder of the activities addressing other secondary criminogenic need areas. Intensity while on supervision refers to both surveillance-oriented activities and active participation in programming individualized for the offender in accordance with the RAP (Reentry Accountability Plan). During the period of supervision, the regimen of programming will be appropriately flexible to accommodate mandatory program participation as well as other responsibilities of the offender.

Further, the Work Group recommends that programming activities, representing primary or secondary focus areas, be available to inmates during the day and evenings during the week and also on Saturdays.