The 'New Careers' Experiment in Rehabilitating Offenders: Last Messages from a Fading Star

Correspondence to Brian Caddick, Department of Social Work, University of Bristol, 8 Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1TN. Summary This paper traces the history, and assesses the impact, of aninnovatory project in which current and ex-offenders were providedwith the opportunity to gain practical social work experienceand training for long-term rehabilitative purposes. Based onearlier American schemes in which members of disadvantaged ordiscriminated against groups received training and support fornon-professional careers in human services agencies, the projectcan claim a measure of success. But the evidence also suggeststhat a demonstrated potential for individual change is not alwaysmatched by agency interests and ideologies. The findings areconsidered in relation to the philosophy and provisions associatedwith the 1991 Criminal Justice Act.