May I ask whether a correctional program should set reducing recidivism of service users as its ultimate goal? I suppose it is necessary, yet it seems hard to achieve, especially in a limited time.

No worries.

Thanks for the information.

Correctional programs do not affect crime directly; rather, they are designed to change offenders’ attitudes, skills, or thinking processes, in the hope that their social behavior will change as a result. The punitive aspect of criminal sanctions might also serve as an individual deterrent for convicted offenders. Policymakers such as legislators tend to be concerned with whether the programs ultimately reduce criminal behavior – a program may be successful in supervising, educating, training, or counseling offenders, but if it does not reduce their subsequent criminal behavior, they still pose a threat to public safety.