From Redemption to Rehabilitation to Resettlement

Abstract

There was a time when the purpose of rehabilitation was to provide offenders with the opportunity to examine their own behaviour in solitude and before the eyes of God, with the aim of engendering penance. Indeed, it could be argued that this belief in ensuring that the individual was given every opportunity to make amends for their behaviour drove the work of those responsible for rehabilitation for over a century, from the police court missionaries through to the probation officers of the present day. Today, this noble quest seems to have lost sight of its original aims, for whilst the government acknowledges the importance of addressing education, health and welfare, it seems that the individual is far removed from the debate.