The End of American Exceptionalism: An Enlightened Corrections

I would note that punishment- or deterrence-oriented programs in corrections would almost all be found lacking when judged by Enlightenment principles (e.g., scared straight, Project Hope/SCF programs, custodial sanctions). They may appear rational on the surface, but invariably they fail the test of scientific efficacy (they do not reduce recidivism) and they fail the test of being humanistic (Clear & Frost, 2014; Cullen & Jonson, 2017; Cullen et al., 2018; Petrich et al., 2021). Their focus on the crime and not the person means that with respect to offenders, these interventions do little to invest in them, do not increase their human capital, and leave them diminished and not nourished.