Should we simply punish offenders or should they be sentenced in ways which help them to learn how to manage their lives better and do less harm to other people? Written for students and academics in the fields of criminal justice and penal policy, and all those concerned professionally with the rehabilitation of offenders, this text examines the history, theory and practice of rehabilitation over more than two hundred years. Now available for the first time in paperback, and fully updated to include the latest research and policy developments, the authors - experienced researchers and practitioners in the field - show how penal policy and practice have been influenced by different views of the value and effectiveness of rehabilitation, ranging from early optimism to 'nothing works' and, most recently, the attempt to develop evidence-based practice in the 'What Works' movement. Reviewing the latest evidence, this study argues for an approach to rehabilitation which engages with communities and recognizes the offender's responsibility and potential for 'making good'.