Foundations of Offender Rehabilitation

Book excerpt: The past three decades has seen dramatic changes in the way in which the criminal justice system responds to those who break the law. The old claim in the field of correctional psychology that "nothing works" has strongly been refuted in the face of evidence from rehabilitation programmes that do make a difference. The graduate student in forensic psychology could easily be overwhelmed by the plethora of information now available. This new textbook offers a comprehensive approach to forensic and correctional psychology, demonstrating how theory and practise can be applied and integrated. Written by intentionally recognized experts within the field, the authors guide the students through the core theories and concepts that underpin forensic practise within the legal systems of different countries (UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Singapore), show how this knowledge informs current thinking in offender rehabilitation and reintegration and provide a series of case studies looking at sexual offenders, female offender, juveniles and offenders with mental disorders. This book is the perfect overview for graduate students of forensic and correctional psychology engaged with offender rehabilitation and assessment and the psychology of law.