The author describes the principal elements of rehabilitation or treatment, including individualized sentences, behavior modification, public safety, and delinquency research. However, these measures have not lowered the crime rate, thereby dissatisfying proponents of rehabilitation, criminologists, and the public. Critical studies of phenomena such as the prison subculture, treatment games, and correctional power structures have failed to prove either that "something works" or that "nothing works." The author suggests that future studies should focus on the inefficacy of treatment and its mechanisms in order to debate reemerging questions regarding the justification for sanctions and the rights of inmates. 25 notes and 38 references