Christy L. Giallella’s research while affiliated with Drexel University and other places

Under United States law, criminal prosecution may not proceed against a defendant who is incompetent to participate in this process. The vast majority of defendants who are adjudicated incompetent to stand trial (IST) will subsequently regain sufficient capacities to be adjudicated competent to stand trial (CST). However, a small subgroup of defendants do not show sufficient improvement in clinical functioning and functional-legal capacities to regain CST. Under Jackson v. Indiana (1972), such individuals should be adjudicated unrestorably IST, with associated actions (e.g., dropping of criminal charges, civil commitment, transfer to a less restrictive environment or released) specified under the particular jurisdictional statutes. But the present practices associated with the evaluation of unrestorability do not appear well supported by research. In particular, statutorily specified evaluative procedures are overly dependent on prediction in some instances and allow an unnecessarily long restoration period in others. In the present article, we propose and describe an alternative approach-the Demonstration Model-that would address both challenges, providing a more consistent and standard approach to assessing CST and the possibility that a defendant may not recover needed capacities within the foreseeable future. Implementation of this approach can potentially guide restoration planning and intervention, decrease unsupported reliance upon prediction in favor of observing and documenting the results of selected interventions, and provide legal decision-makers with clearer and more transparent evidence, while acknowledging the liberty interests of IST defendants set forth in Jackson. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

This chapter provides the participant materials for Session 2 of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls. This session focuses on the consequences of anger and the different kinds of anger. A template for goal sheets is provided; each session the girls will set goals that they can work towards. The session’s participant feedback form allows participants to reflect on examples of situations where they can practice anger control. These situations include witnessing a bunch of kids making fun of one’s best friend and receiving mean comments from an ex-partner. The chapter also explains how it is okay to feel angry, but there are usually consequences for one’s actions when one reacts to one’s anger in a bad way.

This chapter contains the facilitator materials needed for Session 6 of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls. This session revolves around triggers of anger. The facilitators will teach the girls how people, places, and things can trigger anger and will encourage the girls to identify the triggers in their lives. The Session 6 catch phrase is “When a match gets lit, slow down, don’t have a fit.” The goal sheet aims to teach the participants to avoid their triggers and to refrain from acting on their anger. The chapter lists the movie clips for the session, which feature conflicts or arguments to help the girls identify triggers. It also provides the figures needed for the session activities, such as creating individual matchbooks of triggers and making a catch phrase sign.

This chapter provides the facilitator materials for Session 7 of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls. This session teaches the participants about the different tools they can use to keep their temper at bay. Because it is difficult to remain calm when feeling tested and angry, the facilitators encourage the participants to use and practice different tools when they are angry to see which would work best for them. The Session 7 catch phrase is “Use your tools so you don’t break rules.” Materials are provided for the session activities, such as the taunt list for the “Ugly Bag” activity and the taunt list for the cards and memory game. Also provided are the materials that the facilitators will need to teach about the toolbox and tools and to create a catch phrase sign.

This chapter presents the participant materials for Session 6 of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls. In this session the girls will discuss the different triggers of anger and how they can avoid them. The participants identify their own hot persons, hot places, and hot things. The chapter also provides examples of situations where they can practice avoiding triggers of anger. One example is when a friend invites them to hang out in the parking lot after school; since the parking lot is a hot place for them, the right thing to do is to avoid it.

This chapter covers Session 10 of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls. In this session the group participants learn about the importance of communication. This chapter provides the materials, preparations, and script to help the facilitators teach the girls about effectively communicating their feelings when they are upset. The session’s overall goal is for the participants to learn how to talk through a difficult situation without harming the relationship. The chapter introduces the concept of active listening, and the session activities teach participants how to effectively listen to another person by maintaining eye contact, nodding, and rephrasing what the other person has said. The “I” statements exercise helps the girls become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and intentions and how best to express them.

This chapter provides the facilitator materials for Session 10 of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls. This session focuses on communication skills. Facilitators teach the participants how to talk to other people without ruining their relationships. The girls also learn how to be good listeners. “I” statements are preferred over “you” statements when expressing feelings. The Session 10 catch phrase is “Don’t fight, give it a try; use statements beginning with ‘I.’” The goal sheet encourages participants to communicate their feelings to improve their relationships while simultaneously controlling their tempers.

This chapter provides the facilitator materials for Session 15 of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls. In this session the participants plan a play that they will perform in the next session. The play will allow the girls to showcase what they have learned and practiced in a creative way. The participants will need to find a good time to practice their lines and prepare for the play. The Session 15 catch phrase is “I’ve come so far, now I’ll be a star!” The goal sheet focuses on learning the lines for the play. The chapter also includes an invitation for the facility staff to attend the play.

This chapter provides the participant materials for Session 5 of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls. This session focuses on recognizing anger. In particular, it teaches participants to identify body signs (“hot spots”) and pay attention to their body’s reactions to anger. One’s tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions may change when one is starting to feel angry. Understanding these body signs keeps one from reacting too quickly and allows one to come up with a way to deal with the situation without getting into trouble. The participant feedback form allows participants to reflect on examples of situations where they can practice identifying body reactions to anger.

Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls: Facilitator Guide and Participant Materials presents a manualized anger management and aggression reduction treatment designed for adolescent girls and young women placed in residential juvenile justice facilities. The treatment program lasts for eight weeks with 16 90-minute sessions of cognitive-behavioral group intervention. The JJAM treatment addresses young women’s unique gender and developmental needs in the juvenile justice system. The JJAM Facilitator Guide is a user-friendly, session-by-session guide, and accompanying materials are provided for both facilitators and participants. The session activities incorporate real-life examples provided by the participants so that activities and content can be tailored to the characteristics, needs, and interests of the specific individuals in each group.