3 Review(s)

In this provocative work, Frances E. Gill argues that self-determination is a universal goal of correctional counseling. Gill leads the reader through a rigorous philosophical justification of the paternalism of state punishment in service of this goal. Drawing on the thought of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Mitchell Aboulafia, and Lawrence Kohlberg, Gill shows that the internalization of moral values (which an offender could achieve through psychotherapy) is necessary for true self-determination. After surveying the predominant contemporary schools of psychotherapy, she shows that-in spite of the differences among existing theoretical orientations-practitioners of correctional counseling consistently strive to facilitate their clients' self-determination. Gill's intelligent treatise will be a valuable reference for scholars of moral and political philosophy, clinical and correctional psychology, and criminal justice, as well as for practicing correctional counselors.