ts, they are better able to re-connect with the communityThis change in an offenders perception of values cannot be facilitated by force. The C-Unit authors talk of change through positive social controls, rather than coercion. Such an important change in individuals fundamental value system must be taken voluntarily, otherwise the risk of rejection increases. In his essay, The Idea of Community: A Critique, Dennis Wrong examines the difference between conformity based on shared values and straight conformism (Wrong, p. 79). Wrong believes that a person will naturally conform to an ideal if that person shares the same values as other of the ideal. Conformism is different in that it requires no agreement on values. It is conformity driven solely by the want to conform. The risk involved is that if offenders conform to the role society has laid out for them, they may not have accepted society's values. It is important, for lasting change to occur, that this conformity, back into an accepted member of the community, also include agreement on values. If the values of an offender remain in conflict with those of society and the offender is just practicing conformism, there is less of a chance that the offender will be successfully re-integrated with society.Even if an offenders value set changes, they will still have difficulty returning to society because they often lack the social skills necessary to exist with others. They may also lack the ability to trouble shoot their own problems in a way that does not include an illegal act. In order to rehabilitate individuals, it is required that they develop the proper set of skills to help them lead a respectable life. In his essay, Probation and Cognitive Skills, Frederick Chavaria says that; Nearly every notable (successful) program shared one common characteristic: some technique had an impact on the offenders thinking. Effective programs not only targeted the offenders environmen...
