Rehabilitation programmes in australian prisons

Abstract

The authors begin their contribution by looking at the rates of imprisonment in Australia and how these rates have changed over time. They then consider various types of offences where imprisonment is sanctioned and how the ideas of prison as punishment have been replaced by concepts of rehabilitation and reintegration. Contemporary ideas about effective rehabilitation in prisons with reference to the empirically based “What Works” approach to offender rehabilitation are discussed. Specific offender treatment programmes for high-risk offenders offered in Australian prisons are overviewed, with a focus on programme effectiveness aimed at reducing recidivism. Future directions in the Australian prison itself as a rehabilitative option conclude the chapter.