Decreasing the Recidivism Rate for Violent Offenders with Counseling: Can it Work?

When people in mainstream America think of violence they also think of poverty, homelessness, defiance and the unfortunate poor. Often times these societal ills go hand in hand with acts of violence. Fortunately for violent offenders there are counseling programs provided and often times mandatory before release from prison. Terry Gorski indicated that because the recidivism rate is around 41% for violent offenders the need for counseling during incarceration and up to two years after incarceration is very much needed. In this particular case, counseling, which is also a big part of educating the offender can increase the social skills that are typically absent from violent offenders. Counseling can also decrease the negative/violent behaviors that are often demonstrated by violent offenders. Many times violent offenders are released from prison without any counseling or treatment. Statistics revealed that approximately 40% of offenders who receive counseling do not return to ...