Early this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the federal sentencing guidelines are optional, renewing interest in sentencing legislation and criminal recidivism. As Congress looks for new strategies to combat increasing prisoner recidivism rates, a new book by UCLA research psychologist, David Farabee, warns of the pitfalls of returning to certain implementations of the "social programs" approach (e.g. prisoner visitation, life-skills, cognitive-behavioral) that was favored in the 1960s and 1970s, and appears to be re-emerging now. In Rethinking Rehabilitation: Why Can’t We Reform Our Criminals (AEI Press, 2005), Farabee reviews the most common forms of offender rehabilitation, outlines their underlying assumptions about the causes of crime, and provides a contrasting perspective that emphasizes closer monitoring, indefinite community supervision, and increased personal responsibility. A discussion will further explore the issue, featuring panelists Amy Solomon of the Urban Institute, John Laub of the University of Maryland, Jessica Nickel from the office of Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and James Q. Wilson of AEI and Pepperdine University.
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Sunday, November 22, 2009
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