Psychosocial interventions in the criminal justice system : proceedings, reports presented to the 20th Criminological Research Conference (1993)

The conference reported here was devoted to the wide range of therapeutic, social welfare and support interventions which have developed over recent years and continue to expand.

The conference assessed, in the light of existing empirical research and clinical experience, the objectives, the general concepts and the patterns of these interventions, their unexpected consequences, the rights of the persons concerned and the ethical and professional problems involved.

Among other things the conference endorsed the conclusion that the aim must be to greatly raise the quality of services offered to offenders in order to make the criminal justice system more humane and efficient, while at the same time increasing its effectiveness.