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Offender Rehabilitation as a Value-Laden Process

NCJ Number
230603
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 54 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2010 Pages: 289-306
Author(s)
Andrew Day; Tony Ward
Date Published
June 2010
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article examines the influence that values and prelimnary assumptions might have on rehabilitative practices in the area of offender rehabilitation.
Abstract
This article investigates some of the primary assumptions and values that underpin correctional practice in the area of offender rehabilitation. It is suggested that values are reflected in offenders' and clinicians' fundamental beliefs about the rehabilitative process and as such underlie their various actions. This article identifies three areas in which values may be important (organizational values about crime and punishment, professional values, and personal values) and discusses each in relation to its relevance for rehabilitative practice. It is concluded that despite the apparent role of values in the correctional domain, very little is known about the values of those who deliver rehabilitative programs and how these might influence rehabilitative outcomes. Table and references (Published Abstract)