Episode 256: A Behaviour Analytic Approach to Prison Rehabilitation with Valeria Pascale

Behaviour analysis is often associated with clinical work in autism and developmental disabilities. But what happens when the science is applied to entire institutional systems?

In this episode, Valeria Pascale discusses her interdisciplinary work applying behaviour analysis inside Italian maximum-security prisons.

Drawing on her background in law, psychology, and neuroscience, Valeria developed a pilot project that introduced a token economy and self-monitoring system designed to reduce aggression, property destruction, and self-injury among incarcerated individuals. The intervention was intentionally simple, low-cost, and replicable—so prison staff could maintain it after the research team left.

The results were powerful. Participants quickly engaged with the program, began tracking their own behaviour, and reported improved relationships with one another. By the end of the project, many inmates requested that the program continue because they felt it was helping them communicate and manage conflict more effectively.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Bringing behaviour analysis into a new institutional setting
• The challenges of implementing behavioural interventions in maximum-security prisons
• How token economies and self-monitoring can support rehabilitation
• Why social validity and dignity matter in prison-based interventions
• The potential for behaviour analysis to inform criminal justice and policy systems

Valeria also shares her plans for a second prison study examining behavioural relaxation training and anxiety reduction among incarcerated individuals.

This episode is a powerful reminder that behaviour analysis is not limited to any single population—it is a science of behaviour that can inform complex social systems.

This episode is presented by our founding academic partner, the Doctor of Education in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis program at Western University’s Faculty of Education. 

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/XzVBBhzqI3s

• Program Information: https://www.edu.uwo.ca/graduate-education/edd/applied-behaviour-analysis.html
• How to apply: https://www.edu.uwo.ca/graduate-education/apply.html
• Program brochure: https://www.edu.uwo.ca/graduate-education/edd/foe120_edd_aba_r1.png

 

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Contact

Valeria Pascale at ABA For Disability

https://abafordisability.it/en/home/

https://www.facebook.com/abafordisability/

https://www.instagram.com/abafordisability/

Valeria on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriapascale/

Links:

International Behavior Analysis Association

https://theibao.com/

SABA Grant

https://saba.abainternational.org/grants/international-development-grant/valeria-pascale/

University of Salerno Legal Sciences

https://corsi.unisa.it/scienze-giuridiche-88610/en/home

Articles Discussed:

Pascale, V., Pritchard, J.K., C., F.P. et al. The Effects of a DRO and Self-Monitoring Program on Prisoners in an Italian Prison. Behav Analysis Practice (2025). (Open Access)  https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01045-0 

Pascale, V., Guercio, J. M., & Cesaro, C. (2024). Implementation of interaction style training and comprehensive staff instruction in a community-based residential setting: Expanding the influence of applied behavior analysis in Italy.Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 24(1), 44–55. https://doi.org/10.1037/bar0000283

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