Crime Prevention

The following illustration and inquiries are an example of the text and curriculum that is located in a Crime Prevention Cognitive Lifeskills Workbook.



Jason was born in 1958. His grandpa, Ralph Johnson, had a powerful damaging effect on all of his posterity with the exeption of Jason, his cousin Becky and some other cousins. The whole remaining Johnson family was engaged in narcotic abuse, anger, theft, hostility, prostitution, welfare, broken relationships, and numerous other crimes and bad habits. His mother, a drug addict and a prostitute, went away for extended periods of time, abandoning the children and suffering them to survive on their own.



Jason was caught stealing a car. He was sent to juvenile detention and during his stay he started a cognitive life skills course like this one. Because he wanted to change, the course had a life-changing effect on him. He was done with street dwelling, misery and trying to find the next meal.



After Jason was released from juvenile detention, he reported to his probation officer. She asked him what he had learned from the life skills class. He told her:



' I was headed in the same direction as the rest ofmy family'addictions, prison, anger, and death. Subconsciously I had been programmed with the falsehoods that I was no good and was the lowest of low. I learned that I am a great deal better than I ever believed . I also learned that I couldn't be condemned for coming from an abusive home, it wasn't my fault.



' I learned that even though I never had power over my early development, I do have control over who I will become. I become a new person each day and I have the power to block the wrong done to me. I can make the choice to forgive and forget so that I can go on with my life peacefully. My past doesn't have to become my future.



' I learned that I cannot keep on blaming my mom, dad, or others for all my issues. Life is not always fair and I need to make the best of my situation. The only way I can progress in life is to let go of the past.



' The Lifeskills class taught me that I am a valuable individual and I have amazing potential, that this life is amazing gift full of numerous new and exciting prospects, and that I have the ability to conquer my drug addiction if I want to.



' I learned that being beaten, smashed into brick walls, burned with cigarettes, starving, feeling shame and living inconstant fear can help me become a better, more empathetic person. I learned that hardship and opposition can help me become stronger, if I decide to learn something from each experience.



' In conclusion, I learned that I am in-charge of my own ship. I am able to direst it whereever I wish. If I refuse to modify my direction I'll keep suffering the destructive consequences of each action and life will only get harder and harder until I change or die.



Questions:



1) Jason was wounded; in his young life he had no control over his family or surrounding. Now as an adult, what is his responsibility? _______________________________________________________________



2) Are there many individuals in America who've been emotionally damaged since they were children? ________ What are a few of the consequences of childhood abuse? _______________________________________________________________



3) Does Jason have a chance to become a successful man? ______ What will it take? ______ Will it be worth the effort? ________



4) Life can be summerized in a clear-cut formula. It says, 'If you keep on doing what you have been doing, you will keep on getting what you have been getting.' If the Johnson family continues doing drugs and stealing, what'll they keep getting? _____________________________________________________________



5) How will they ever be able to alter what they are receiving? _____________________________________________________________



6) If you went around and asked one hundred people why they are here on earth, and what they want out of life before it ends, what, do you imagine, would they say? ______________________________________________________________



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Larry Lloyd is the founder of American Community Corrections Institute (ACCI), which sponsors a blog about anger management and related topics.