Okuzeka
Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Prisons, Probation & Parole

Rehabilitation

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˌriːəˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃn/nounCommon term

In criminal law & justice, rehabilitation means: The process of helping an offender change their behaviour and return to a normal life without committing more crimes.

In Turkish: rehabilitasyon, ıslah, topluma yeniden kazandırma

How it is used

One of the main aims of punishment, together with deterrence and protecting the public. People talk about 'rehabilitation programmes', 'the rehabilitation of offenders' and 'a focus on rehabilitation'. Typical tools are education, job training and treatment for addiction.

Example sentences

  1. The new prison was designed with rehabilitation in mind.

  2. Critics say short sentences leave no time for rehabilitation.

  3. Her rehabilitation included a drug treatment programme.

Common collocations

  • rehabilitation programme
  • rehabilitation of offenders
  • focus on rehabilitation
  • drug rehabilitation
  • reoffendTo commit another crime after being punished for an earlier one.
  • probationA sentence or period in which an offender lives in the community instead of prison but must follow rules and meet regularly with a probation officer.
  • inmateA person who is kept in a prison, whether they have been convicted or are waiting for trial.
  • restorative justiceAn approach that brings victims and offenders into contact, usually through a trained mediator, so that the offender understands the harm caused and tries to repair it.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Prisons, Probation & Parole

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.