Rehabilitation has been a long-standing goal of the criminal legal system because it allows for healthier communities with better access to support. Rehabilitation involves providing individuals with involvement in the criminal legal system with resources that aid in resolving the underlying causes of delinquency and deviation. These underlying causes can be due to a variety of reasons such as childhood trauma, prior victimization, mental health, etc.
Rehabilitation is a key component of a successful criminal legal system because it goes hand-in-hand with another important goal of the system, deterrence. Deterrence seeks to discourage both the individual convicted of the offense and the community from engaging in criminal activity. However, to properly deter an individual from engaging in the same violent behavior in the future, the individual must also be rehabilitated. Without the rehabilitation process addressing the underlying causes of such behavior, the individual cannot be properly deterred. For example, an individual who has been previously victimized will need aid in the rehabilitation of their victimized self first before they can be deterred from future criminal legal system involvement.
Studies have shown that psychological treatments are effective in reducing violent tendencies among individuals with violent offense convictions. Psychological treatments consist of talk-based therapies aimed at reducing the violent, aggressive, or antisocial behavior of those with violent convictions. Treatments include cognitive-behavioral therapy, anger management programs, and violence reduction programs. Overall, the psychological treatment approach has been promising in reducing violent tendencies, but it has not been as successful in reducing antisocial behavior. Specifically, the treatments were able to reduce exhibitions of anger and impulsive behavior. Additionally, the treatments resulted in better social problem-solving skills and general social behavior.
Further research has shown that cognitive-behavioral programs have been the most promising and effective. These programs use individual and group therapy to teach individuals how to change the thinking patterns that result in destructive or criminal behaviors. A study reviewing rehabilitation strategies found that cognitive-behavioral programs in prisons consistently reduce recidivism by 15% or more, with some closer to 30%.
Rehabilitation of younger individuals with violent convictions is crucial and should be given more emphasis in the criminal legal system. This is important because most violent individuals with violent offense convictions will decrease their violent tendencies as they age, this phenomenon is referred to as the “age-crime-curve”. Rehabilitation of younger violent individuals with violent convictions will better ensure the goals of deterrence are met as well, as they have more potential for re-engaging with the criminal legal system but will be less likely to engage in those same behaviors again.
In sum, correctional facilities should implement programs that provide rehabilitative psychological treatments. These treatments and programs are helpful for all individuals with involvement in the criminal legal system, but they are especially effective for those with violent convictions. The reduction in tendencies that result in deviancy is a crucial skill for turning individuals involved with the criminal legal system into individuals with prior criminal system involvement. With a rehabilitative approach, the criminal legal system can keep communities safe through lower recidivism and stronger deterrence. More importantly, the criminal legal system can also ensure that those with criminal legal system involvement receive the proper aid and attention to restore certain behavioral skills.