Dangerous thinking: a critical history of correctional cognitive behaviouralism

Abstract

On 5 May 2002, The Observer newspaper confidently reported that ‘prison does work after all’ (Rose, D. 2002a: 1). Noting a ‘radical transformation in philosophy and practice now sweeping the British prison system’, the article focused upon offending behaviour programmes. In making ‘bad people’ better the programmes are credited for much of this revolution in penal policy. One senior probation officer was quoted as describing these programmes as ‘the biggest experiment in social engineering this country has ever seen’. This bold claim rests, in part, on the fact that offending behaviour programmes extend beyond prisons into the National Probation Service. Indeed, in 1999 the Home Office established a Joint Prison/Probation Accreditation Panel (now the Correctional Services Accreditation Panel) whose remit is officially to approve for national implementation only those programmes which have been proven to reduce reoffending. A target for probation was set for 60,000 offenders completing accredited programmes during the period 2003/4; it is anticipated that 30,000 of these will come from community service. This is expected to result in a minimum 4 per cent reduction in the reconviction rate of offenders subject to supervision (What Works Strategy Group 2000: 9).

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