Rehabilitation of Offenders: Is it Effective?

As the human rights in the International Law are strengthening and various nations are also executing their penal codes in harmony with the human rights, the need for shifting focus, from retributive and deterrent form of punishment to reformative form of punishment, is also emerging. This research paper aims at analyzing the historical events and evidences available regarding rehabilitation and how those perceptions have changed with time. It also looks for the appropriate method to execute the rehabilitative techniques. The research paper includes extensive research on various rehabilitative techniques followed in different countries and their results on recidivism rate. It tends to evaluate whether the present correctional methods can suffice the needs of the future while evaluating the methods followed by countries which have successfully reduced the recidivism rate with the help of rehabilitative techniques. As most of the countries are using community penalties, the research paper also analyzes the community penalties and can community penalties be an alternative for incarceration