This paper suggests that rehabilitation is the process which makes it possible for an institutionalised and ostracised individual to function as a responsible citizen by enabling him to exercise his rights to meet his obligations. This does not address the dilemma of rehabilitation should the individual not have rights or the resources necessary to meet his obligations. This paper examines the likelihood of successful rehabilitation for two contrasting examples: firstly of an individual whose primary material needs cannot be met and secondly of an individual whose material needs can be realised and whose primary requirements would be social and personal rehabilitation.
The Myth of Rehabilitation
Jo-Anne Stevens
Jo-Anne Stevens is the former Social Work Manager at the National Institute for Crime Prevention and Reintegration of Offenders (NICRO).
