Week 4 Discussion - Rehabilitation Of Offenders

Week 4 Discussion Rehabilitation Of Offenders 

Week 4: Rehabilitation of Offenders

Returning to the case study, think for a moment about Jordan and Dante. Jordan has a history of drug abuse and violent behavior. He also dropped out of high school at a young age and has never been employed. Meanwhile, Dante frequently misses school and fights with classmates. Do you think either of these individuals would benefit from rehabilitation? In other words, with the right support and services, might they become stable and contributing members of society? Some examples of rehabilitative services are GED completion support, anger management programs, and drug treatment programs. Would any of those be appropriate for Jordan or Dante?

This week, you examine the third component of restorative justice: offender rehabilitation.

Learning Objectives

Analyze the role of rehabilitation in a restorative justice approach

Analyze factors that contribute to and detract from the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs

Develop a rehabilitation program within a restorative justice framework to address a crime problem in a community

Evaluate the role of shame in restorative justice and the rehabilitative process

Discussion: Offender Rehabilitation

Restorative justice “purists” argue that it should continue to focus solely on victim needs. From this perspective, offender rehabilitation is irrelevant because it does not directly provide accountability to the victim or reparation of harm. Critics of this perspective argue otherwise, stating the importance of helping offenders abandon destructive patterns of thinking and behavior that have led them to commit crimes.

In this Discussion, you consider these viewpoints while examining the role of offender rehabilitation in the restorative justice approach.

Post a response that addresses the following:

What is the role of rehabilitation in a restorative justice approach?

Describe a restorative justice rehabilitation program that is used in both the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems.

What factors may contribute to or detract from the success of such rehabilitation programs?