Is rationalization good for the soul? Resisting " responsibilization" in corrections and the courts

A fundamental tenet of much rehabilitation practice is that offenders need to be made accountable for and to accept unmitigated responsibility for their criminal offenses. If unwilling to do so, an individual faces harsh consequences including longer prison stays or the revocation of one's probation. The courts have generally accepted the aphorism that the first step in rehabilitation is admission of one's problem. However, little research supports this notion. Indeed, quite the contrary, considerable evidence seems to suggest that the practice of "responsibilization" in the prison system is actually more likely to stigmatize individuals and generate higher rates of recidivism. To be made liberating, confession must be accompanied by absolution rather than condemnation.