ABSTRACT
Racial disparities in justice are nowhere more apparent or consequential than in the nation’s correctional system—a place where Black offenders are overrepresented and spend years of their lives behind bars. Rehabilitation programs are a critical resource for improving the lives of these offenders, and important advances have been made in treatment effectiveness. Even so, correctional rehabilitation can be improved if informed by the insights and empirical findings of Black Criminology. Racial responsivity to treatment is an area that merits special consideration. Also relevant are recent guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association that define “best practices” in multicultural counseling. The implications of these guidelines for correctional intervention with African American offenders are explored. Finally, in the time ahead, scholars and practitioners need to take seriously the potential salience of race in the rehabilitation enterprise.
