03/06/2025
Martin Jerrold
By Martin Jerrold
In recent decades, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has become a cornerstone of criminal justice rehabilitation strategies, based on a simple yet powerful premise: if criminal thinking is learned, it can also be unlearned. CBT-based interventions aim to address the distorted thought patterns, attitudes, and behaviours that lead individuals to offend—and offer structured pathways to lasting change.
Understanding the Cognitive Roots of Offending
Offending is often underpinned by deeply ingrained cognitive distortions—rigid, self-justifying or antisocial thought patterns that fuel poor decision-making and destructive behaviour. Cognitive behavioural interventions work by helping individuals identify and challenge these patterns, develop empathy, and build practical life skills such as problem-solving, emotional regulation, and interpersonal communication.
In the UK, CBT-informed programmes are widely used across both custodial and community settings. They are a key component of rehabilitative efforts, offering individuals the tools not only to manage their behaviour but also to engage with broader support services, such as substance misuse treatment, education, employment, and housing.
Prevalence of Cognitive and Attitudinal Needs
Data from the Ministry of Justice’s Offender Assessment System (OASys) highlight the scale of cognitive and attitudinal needs among offenders:
These statistics underscore the critical importance of addressing cognitive and attitudinal deficits as part of any serious effort to reduce reoffending.
What the Evidence Tells Us
International research provides strong support for the effectiveness of CBT-based programmes—particularly for reducing general reoffending. A landmark meta-analysis by Lipsey et al. (2007), covering 58 studies, found that individuals who completed CBT-based interventions had an average reoffending rate of 30%, compared to 40% in untreated groups.
However, the picture is more complex when examining specific offence types. Evidence for interventions targeting violent, sexual, or domestic abuse offences is often mixed, with smaller effects and methodological challenges such as low base rates of reoffending and long sentences limiting study robustness.
In contrast, a more recent analysis by Beaudry et al. (2021), which reviewed 29 randomised controlled trials, found no strong evidence that CBT interventions reduced reoffending. This suggests that while the broader trend is encouraging, more high-quality research—particularly in the UK—is needed.
Nonetheless, the economic case remains compelling. U.S. studies estimate that for every $1 spent on CBT interventions, the return in social benefits exceeds $6.30, primarily through reduced crime and improved public safety.
What Makes CBT Work?
Crucially, it’s not just what is delivered, but how. The delivery quality of CBT programmes significantly affects their impact. Lipsey’s research found no meaningful difference between various CBT programme models—instead, outcomes improved when programmes were well-implemented and followed the intended design.
Effective CBT delivery tends to include:
The Ministry of Justice’s evaluation of the RESOLVE programme, designed to reduce violent reoffending, demonstrated that it only yielded positive results when delivered strictly according to its manual—reinforcing the importance of fidelity in implementation.
Completion Is Key
Participation alone is not enough—completion matters. Those who finish CBT programmes consistently show better outcomes:
This trend was also evident in evaluations of the Thinking Skills Programme (TSP), where positive results were limited to suitable individuals who completed the course. Reoffending rates increased for those who were unsuitable or who disengaged.
A Path Forward
Cognitive behavioural interventions represent a vital tool in efforts to reduce reoffending. While more research is needed—particularly high-quality UK-based studies—the existing evidence makes a strong case for their continued and expanded use.
Success depends on more than the intervention model: effective delivery, targeting, and completion are all essential. When done well, CBT-based interventions can help offenders rewrite the scripts that govern their lives, moving away from cycles of crime and towards lasting rehabilitation.
Raising Standards
Specialist providers of CBT interventions such as Red Snapper Managed Services are responding to the findings by developing CBT related qualifications and training to further improve the quality of delivery
To read the MOJ report in full click below