Some of the many benefits that offenders receive from the Intensive Journal method include:

Fostering Self-Improvement

• By connecting with their unique life experiences, offenders are able to access and develop their inner strengths and capacities, and gain life-changing insights and perspectives. The exercises help offenders acknowledge the existence of painful experiences, and deal with them. Rather than clouding their mind, they can become more focused and can begin to look forward in a more constructive way.

• Clients move from a state of denial and avoidance of painful feelings and experiences to greater recognition and acceptance. They learn to trust their own inner process and are better able to address powerful issues that previously resulted in anger and frustration.

• Adopting more socially acceptable behavior and attitudes allows clients to realize their potential. They begin to see themselves learning a vocation.

• The benefits of changing attitudes and behavior include reducing recidivism and
disciplinary problems, becoming less aggressive, while developing patience and maturity.

• Offenders realize that storing hatred towards people of different racial or ethnic
backgrounds or sexual orientations is detrimental to their own development. Coming to terms with that anger and becoming more tolerant enhances offenders' interpersonal skills.

• Working through underlying issues that contribute to substance abuse problems leads to more effective and permanent recovery. The Progoff methodology can be a valuable tool to complement substance abuse programs.

• Clients become less inhibited about recording or expressing their experiences and feelings, resulting in enhanced interpersonal skills.