This is an accredited cognitive behavioural programme which is designed for offenders whose crimes spring from the abuse of drugs or alcohol.
ASRO is an action learning programme that uses exercises, self-monitoring, rehearsal, and relaxation and skills practice. The programme is in four parts:
Part 1 aims to motivate participants to change.
Part 2 to teach people how to study and change their own behaviour.
Part 3 to help people avoid relapse.
Part 4 to look at lifestyle changes that will help maintain a substance-free life.
ASRO focuses on enhancing motivation to change, teaching self-monitoring and self-management skills, improving problem-solving and introducing relapse-prevention methods. It is delivered in a context that is educational, stimulating, motivating, warm, supportive and rewarding.
ASRO deploys a variety of delivery methods, which include instruction, activities, and group discussions, work in pairs and trios, pencil and paper methods and between-session assignments requiring the use of methods presented during the programme. Hence, much participation is required on the part of the offenders. Also, significant others can also be involved to promote encouragement and support.
The programme structure consists of 20 group sessions of a 2 hour minimum duration and run twice weekly, unless noted otherwise. These groups will be preceded by four individual sessions, which include assessment, pre-intervention and motivational work. The group will consist of a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12.
The purposes behind the assessments are selection, allocation to the group, monitoring and evaluation. The assessments are varied, including interviews, psychometric tests, diaries, participant ratings, and official information. They are given at different times during the process, which enables a thorough evaluation, an integral part of ASRO.
Pre-intervention assessment forms a motivating preliminary component and allows for post-intervention comparisons. Post-sessions are built into the sessions themselves and are not an additional task to perform. Participants will be allocated to groups in relation to similar characteristics (drinkers who become aggressive, crack users who become aggressive, opiate users who commit acquisitive offences, etc).
ASRO candidates who are highly dependent will be grouped together. Four dependence measures to be used include:
The Short Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire (SADD),
The CAGE questionnaire,
The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST),
The severity of Dependence Scale (SDS).
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