Journal of Forensic Psychology

Justin O’Boyle

Publications

• Commentary
  Proposing Forgiveness Therapy for those in Prison: An Intervention Strategy for Reducing Anger and Promoting Psychological Health
  Author(s): Robert Enright, Tomaz Erzar, Maria Gambaro, Mary Cate Komoski, Justin O’Boyle, Gayle Reed, Jacqueline Song, Mark Teslik, Brooke Wollner, Zhuojun Yao and Lifan YuRobert Enright, Tomaz Erzar, Maria Gambaro, Mary Cate Komoski, Justin O’Boyle, Gayle Reed, Jacqueline Song, Mark Teslik, Brooke Wollner, Zhuojun Yao and Lifan Yu
  
  We propose a novel approach to corrections, both in maximum security prisons for adults and juvenile detention centers for adolescents. It is our hypothesis that unjust treatment from others can lead to inner pain, which can lead to anger. Unresolved anger can deepen and linger, turning to what we call excessive anger, compromising one’s psychological health and behavior. Excessive anger can turn to rage (very intense, potentially violent anger) which can fuel crime, a lack of cooperation within the prison system, and increased recidivism rates. When the excessive anger is caused by unjust behavior from others, prior to a person’s crime, conviction, and imprisonment, then we can reduce and even eliminate the excessive anger through the empirically-verified treatment of Forgiveness Therapy. It is rare, in our experience, for prison rehabilitation to have those in prison loo.. View More»
  

  Abstract PDF