Correctional Counseling and Treatment
Correctional counseling is a type of counseling that assists criminal offenders in dealing with specific problems their current personality structure lack, so they can make better decisions in the future. Correctional Counselors deal with specific life-adjustment situations, while trying to expand on the underneath "good" personality that already exists. In our correctional system, this type of counseling exists, but is it effective? With news flashes of violence daily, and deadlines burred with murders and violent acts constantly, it is easy to say no. The re-offending rates in our country are among the highest in the world, and several underlying problems exist in offender lifestyles and upbringing that will allow them to be treated. When you read a newspaper or see the news you often encounter stories of violent acts by criminals with long wrap sheets. They have not been helped simply because the correctional system has not been able to deal with the enormous number of offenders, and therefore cannot give them the individual treatment that they would need. This lack of specific counseling allows the offender to go untreated, and commit more criminal acts. Next, some believe that if we want to rehabilitate criminals we must do more than just send them to prison. For instance, we could give them a chance to acquire job skills; which will improve the chances that inmates will become productive citizens upon release. The programs must aim to change those who want to change. Those who are taught to produce useful goods and to be productive are likely to develop the self-esteem essential to a normal, integrated personality. This kind of program would provide skills and habits and replace the sense of hopelessness that many inmates have. Moreover, another technique used to rehabilitate criminals is