The Myth of Rehabilitation (Second Printing)

Many people believe that it is possible to rehabilitate criminals. When we look more closely at this concept, what are we implying? Rehabilitation is defined as restoration to a former state of adequate or appropriate functioning. But many criminals were never properly behaving citizens, which means there is no barometer of appropriate behavior to go back to. What is usually meant by the term "rehabilitation" is reform: changing a bad or improperly behaving person into one who functions acceptably. Dr. Jones contends that it is dangerous and misinformed to believe that criminals can be reformed, because many criminals are sociopaths. Sociopaths cannot change or be reformed. The offenders who are not sociopaths can, in some cases, stop repeating undesirable behaviors, but this happens when they themselves decide to seek change-it is not effective to impose therapy or counseling. The core of Dr. Jones' book deals with sociopaths, and how they are ineffectually dealt with in our criminal justice system. The Myth of Rehabilitation explores how sociopaths are created...the circumstances that prevent a person from developing empathy and conscience. He looks at environmental factors that produce this character disorder, and how it is likely to manifest itself. The Myth of Rehabilitation proposes a different type of reform: early intervention in situations likely to produce a sociopath. This important book is a call to action both for our criminal justice system, and for all citizens who want to live in a safer, more compassionate society.