Introduction

The overriding goal of correctional counseling is to reduce recidivism. In most places, the success of correctional counseling is measured by the number of inmates who reoffend, which is not entirely fair. After all, isn’t it the responsibility of the entire criminal justice system—not just the prison system—to punish and then rehabilitate offenders? The development in inmates of new cognitive abilities to manage dysfunctional behavior requires money, time, professional expertise, and taxpayer commitment to help offenders turn their lives around.

In this discussion, given the current state of political discourse and tax cuts:

• Explain how effective offender treatment programs can be.
• Identify at least one correctional counseling program that shows promise. Explain why.
• Identify at least on correctional counseling program that should be retired or reworked. Explain why.
• Comment on whether correctional rehabilitation is more or less effective than for similar programs in human services.