TYLA: Counseling activities of prison officers for prisoners in prisons under the Ministry of Public Security

Author name: Le Thu Trang

Thesis title:Counseling activities of prison officers for prisoners in prisons under the Ministry of Public Security

Dissertation field: Psychology

Major: Psychology Code: 62 31 04 01

Name of the postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

1. Purpose and research objects of the thesis

1.1. Purpose: Based on theoretical research and investigation of the current situation of counseling activities of prison officers for prisoners in prisons and influencing factors, the topic makes recommendations to improve counseling capacity for officers working as counselors in prisons.

1.2. Research object: Counseling activities of prison officers for prisoners in prisons

2. Research methods used

- Document research method

- Expert method

- Questionnaire survey method

- In-depth interview method

- Case analysis method

- Data processing method using statistical mathematics

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

The results of practical research on counseling activities of prison officers for prisoners in concentrated detention camps clarify the following aspects:

- The reality of difficulties in counseling activities in prisons

- Expressions of negative emotions and negative behaviors of prisoners

- Topics, timing and number of inmates consulted

- Proactiveness in the work of prison officers

- Counseling skills for prisoners of prison officers

- Ethical principles and professional qualities required of a consultant

- Results after consultation

- Factors affecting counseling activities in prisons of prison officers

- Predictors of prison counseling activities of prison officers

3.2. Conclusion

- In terms of theory: Based on the inheritance and systematization of studies in the world, the thesis has identified the concepts and tools of the topic related to the counseling activities of prison guards for prisoners in prisons, and at the same time pointed out some factors affecting the counseling practice of prison guards in prisons. The results of the thesis are used as a supporting document for research and training on counseling in prisons.

- In practice: The survey results of 359 prison officers in three prisons show their assessment of the aspects of consultation activities. In general, due to the requirements of the task of managing and educating prisoners, prison officers have a high understanding of work related to prisoners in consultation, prison officers have difficulty applying questioning skills to prisoners' situations and they value ethical qualities associated with specialized professional competence more than qualities associated with general professional competence, the principle of information confidentiality is the most prioritized principle used by prison officers in consultation.

Some predictions for the counseling activities of prison officers drawn in the Thesis are: Predicting changes in time and number of prisoners consulted, predicting changes in counseling by topics, predicting changes in counseling skills, predicting changes in professional qualities and predicting changes in ethical aspects in counseling.

The new contribution of the thesis is that the study has pointed out the confusion of roles, the contradiction between professional ethics and personal ethics, between the institutional requirements of the detention facility and the consultation requirements of prison officers. Due to the nature of holding many roles and tasks in the current prison context in Vietnam, consultation activities put prison officers in front of many challenges to face and when prison officers are separated from their roles in the work, they will certainly carry out consultation activities for prisoners more effectively.

                                                                SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

The author's name: Le Thu Trang

Thesis title: Psychological counseling activities of prison officers for prisoners in the prison of Ministry of Public Security

Scientific branch of the thesis: Psychology

Major: Psychology Code: 62 31 04 01

The name of postgraduate training institution: University of Social Sciences and Humanities

1. Thesis purpose and objectives

1.1 Thesis purpose: The thesis is based on hypotheses and investigating the situation of psychological counseling activities of prison officers in jails and some factors affecting. The thesis gives some comments for raising officer's consultation capacity.

1.2 Objectives: Psychological counseling activities of prison officers in the prison

2. Research methods

• Document research method
• Specialized method
• Question method
• In-depth interview method
• Case analysis method

3. Major results and connections

3.1 Major results

Practical results of psychological counseling activities of prison officers for prisoners in detention center focus on clarifying aspects:

- Some disadvantages situation of consultation activities in detention center

- Some negative emotional emotions and prisoner's negative behavior

- Topics, Time and the number of prisoners who were consulted

- Prison officers 's initiative in work

- Psychological counseling skill for prison officers

- Some Morality rules and professional qualities of consultation

- Effective after consultation

- Some factors effect on consultation activities in prison

- Predictive factors for consultation activities in prison

3.2 Conclusions

• In terms of theory: Based on the inheritance, systematization of researches in the world, the thesis has identified the instrumental concepts of the topic related to the consultation activities of prison officers for prisoners at detention center. Moreover, showing some factors affecting the consultation practice of prison officers. The thesis results are used as a supporting document for other research and training on consultation at prison.
• In terms of practice: Results of 359 prison officers' survey in three detention centers gave some comments of consultation activities. In general, due to the requirements of the prisoner's educational managament, hence the prison officers have a high understanding of the work related to prisoners in consultation. They have difficulty applying the questionare skills to each client's case and giving prominence to moral qualities associated with specialized professional capacity than general professional competence, the information security principle is most used in consultation.
• Some forecasts for the consultation activities were drawn in the thesis inluding: changes in time, number of prisoners being consulted, change in consultation topics, counseling skills, change in vocational quality and ethical aspects.
• The new contribution of the thesis is that research has pointed out the confusion of roles, the contradiction between professional ethics and personal ethics, institutional requirements of detention and consultation requirements of prison officers. Nowadays, because of holding many roles and job duties in Vietnamese prison's background, they face many challenges and the facts that If they are separate their roles in the work, they will probably carry out consultation activities more effectively.