Because the model has not been adopted without critical attention from commentators in both academic and practice worlds, this article provides a critical account of the recent history of the model's development and application within the criminal justice system that accords more significance to pioneering work in the United Kingdom than has been previously recognized. It is argued that one of the features of the response of the probation service to pessimistic conclusions of research on the impact of community supervision in the 1970's was a divergence of policy and practice -- the former redirecting the efforts of the probation service toward diversion from custody, and the latter retaining its commitment to rehabilitation. While acknowledging the limitations of the cognitive-behavioral model, the author contends that, by contributing positively to evidence-based rehabilitation, the model has given impetus to a reunification of the focus of policy and practice. 71 references and 4 notes