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An Interview with Harvey Shrum, Ed.D.
by Jessica Haas
Reprinted from the Progoff™ Criminal Justice Newsletter Fall 2005.
Educational psychologist Dr. Harvey Shrum is a reentry coordinator and instructor at Folsom State Prison,
and has been working with the Intensive Journal program since 1992. He shares his experiences and insights about
the value of the Intensive Journal method in the rehabilitation process.
H.S.: I have worked in the prison system for over 27 years, including 17 years at Folsom State Prison. I am the reentry coordinator, coordinating and leading workshops, and facilitating getting men ready for parole. I am also a consultant to CA Dept. of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDC&R) on reentry problems.
J.H.: How did you become interested in the Intensive Journal program and how did it relate to your work?
H.S.: I had been using Dr. Viktor Frankl’s
Logotherapy at Folsom State Prison to find meaning
and to counter inmates’ depression. Logotherapy
emphasizes that all life has meaning, and strives to
motivate humans to live and discover that meaning–
something which Frankl believed all humans have the
ability to do. In 1991-92, I began looking for a simple
instrument to help inmates deal with the somatic and psychic dimensions to complement the noetic, or
intellectual and rational, dimension of Logotherapy.
I was referred to Marcella Hardt who conducts
Intensive Journal workshops in my area; I could readily
see through my own experience that the Intensive
Journal method could also help humans find meaning
for themselves. Also, both Dr. Progoff and Dr. Frankl
emphasized human potential and the need to access
and unfold this potential. (Editor’s note: Dr. Shrum’s
position on Logotherapy is his own and is not affiliated
with Dialogue House. For more information on Dr. Frankl’s
Logotherapy, visit here).
H.S.: Yes, the Intensive Journal program has
benefitted inmates. The Steppingstones exercise is important to inmates and gives them the opportunity
to list significant emotional events. The method’s
non-judgmental ways helps to anchor them in their
work with the method, which is done with
anonymity so they have the freedom to deal with it.
The Socratic dialogues allow them to discover
ultimate meaning in their lives as well as provide a
release of powerful feelings. The compassion of the
program leader, Marcella Hardt, also helps the
incarcerated men to open up.
The workshop generates several other benefits.
Some people who took medication for depression no
longer have to take it. The men are less aggressive,
resulting in fewer disciplinary writeups. The
Intensive Journal method helps them deal with the
painful aspects of their lives, rather than diverting it
through inappropriate behavior.
Men are better able to stay focused on what they
want to do next. In the prison, many men have not
dealt with the unavoidable pain from childhood that
clouds their minds. Through the Intensive Journal
method, they are allowed to state as factual points in
their lives the many painful events that occurred. It
is not so important what happened to them but what
they did with it; many turned to illegal drugs or
focused on obtaining material things such as money.
By putting the events down in writing, they can state
“these are my roots” and “now I can deal with my
present and future,” which they have not done
previously. The Intensive Journal allowed them to
acknowledge the existence o this pain for the first time
in years, to diffuse their anger.
I find that the men are more interested in
mentoring other inmates. They tell their peers that
the Intensive Journal method works and that it has
changed their lives.
H.S.: In addition to scheduling and organizing the
workshops, I oversee and participate in all of them. I
have seen a change in attitude toward rehabilitation
amongst inmates; they begin to understand that the
workshop is for them. I help them keep their
workbook material confidential; they can keep it
locked up by someone they trust. During parts of the
workshop where inmates are hesitant to read, I speak
up and get it flowing. Sometimes, I explain the
Intensive Journal exercise or principle in terms that
inmates can more readily understand.
Inmates participate on a level equal to public work-
shops. Some inmates are more willing to read than
others. All of the men take the method seriously; they
volunteer to participate in workshops and no one has
wanted to drop out. The education level ranges from
third or fourth grade, with some inmates’ reading
level up to the college level. Some are more literate in
Spanish and write in their native tongue. Even if the
men have only limited writing skills, they can still
obtain a good deal from the workshop.
H.S.: Yes. I request that inmates give written feedback in which they evaluate their experience with the Intensive Journal program. I find that they value the workshops; inmates state that they have been renewed, that it has helped them get in touch with themselves, explore inner memories and search for direction. One inmate stated, “This is the best moment in prison; I discovered that I exist.” They deal with painful issues; one inmate said he was better able to “confront the skeletons in my closet and defeat them.” Another said that it helped him “deal with the pain that [he has] carried for years.” The men recognize that the method helps “defeat racism and the petty B.S.” that occurs in the prison.
J.H.: Has the Intensive Journal program helped to reduce the rate of recidivism, and if so, how did this occur?H.S.: Yes. I have used the Intensive Journal method in conjunction with Logotherapy to help reduce the recidivism rate. 105 men on parole have participated in at least one Intensive Journal workshop. After a ten year followup, a zero percent rate of recidivism was found. The reason for this result is that the combination of the Intensive Journal method and Logotherapy deals with all three dimensions: the somatic, psychic and noetic. They deal with the whole person
J.H.: Overall, what is your assessment of the Intensive Journal program in the criminal justice system?H.S.: I believe the Intensive Journal method, in combination with Logotherapy, is one of the most cost-effective programs for addressing addiction, aggression and depression that lead to incarceration. It is the most viable method to rehabilitate incarcer- ated men, women, and juvenile delinquents.
J.H.: What are your hopes for the future of the Intensive Journal program in California prisons?
H.S.: I hope that the Intensive Journal method is
introduced at all California women’s prisons and
perhaps half a dozen men’s prisons. It should also be
introduced in a limited way in the youth authority
facility. As a pilot program, I would test its effective-
ness in combination with Logotherapy, cognitive
reality therapy, psychotherapy and medical therapy
when it is needed.
Once it is proven to rehabilitate and reduce
recidivism, then it should be expanded throughout
the prison system. I believe that the Intensive Journal
method should be introduced throughout the school
systems as a means for preventing criminal acts rather
than waiting until incarceration and instituting the
rehabilitation process.
H.S.: On July 1, 2005, after 27 years of trying
punishment unsuccessfully, the CDC&R they created
a new mission: to emphasize rehabilitation programs.
As a state employee and consultant, I was asked
to assist in helping rewrite the curriculum for both
men and recently women’s reentry programs. My
recommendations have been for the Intensive Journal
method and Logotherapy to be the key instruments
in focusing on rehabilitation. I believe that the
California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation has turned the corner for the better.
"Intensive Journal" and "Journal Feedback" are trademarks of Jon Progoff and used under license by Dialogue House.