Almost everyone has heard a story about a criminal who has been arrested and imprisoned multiple times because they repeatedly commit crimes. News of repeat offenders is often met with one very basic question: Can career criminals be reformed?

Some career criminals realize that they are addicted to committing crimes. If a criminal realizes that he has a problem, he may be offered rehabilitation instead of additional jail time. Much like recovering drug addicts, career criminals need to learn how to change the behaviors that lead up to breaking the law.

In the case of a career criminal who realizes that their behavior is an addiction, reformation is definitely possible. Often the criminal is placed in a supervised living facility where he or she will have daily contact with therapists and law enforcement officials who can help the criminal change their habits. If the criminal breaks the law to feed a chemical addiction, rehabilitation also includes getting the individual off drugs.

The answer to the question, "Can career criminals be reformed?" is never simple, but many law-breakers are committing crimes in response to another need; when this is the case, most can be reformed through the efforts of law enforcement agents and therapists.