The result is a series of acrimonious and, sometimes, very silly debates. A good example is the current argument about whether social class matters. The key is to demonstrate how it makes a difference. The recent work on behalf of rehabilitation argues that individual differences are at the root of criminal behaviour, and that programs can be designed to treat those differences and thereby reduce recidivism. However, this work rarely identifies the relationship of these factors to social class.
Individual differences are critical, of that there can be no doubt.
However, these differences are not randomly distributed. Not only must we recognize the impact of class, we must integrate it into our analyses and responses to crime. Until we do, it is unlikely that programs aimed at rehabilitating individuals will fulfill their potential. This is in large part because they will fail to address the kinds of problematic situations to which these individuals must respond in their daily lives. The result is that our rehabilitation programs may help some individuals for a little while, but they won't make much difference in our ability to prevent crime or make our communities safer and more vibrant.