It’s becoming more and more obvious: the answer to our criminal justice problems?

Rehabilitation.

For quite some time, there has been a prevalent school of thought that “coddling” criminals is a waste of time.

They should be punished, severely, and any attempts to cure convicts of their wayward inclinations should be considered secondary.

“Thinking for Success” may change all that.

“Success” is a revolutionary program that is helping Iowan inmates to find a second chance in life.

The 60-day behavior-modification program being offered at Iowa’s Mitchellville and Newton state prisons has resulted in less costly state spending, fewer repeat offenders and some people being able to get their lives together.

Among those who had taken the program in 1993, 37.4 percent were able to stay out of trouble for at least two years.

In 1994, with more participants, that percentage has risen to 45.9 percent.

State officials consider this program a huge success. All of the program’s participants were originally scheduled to go to prison after violating parole, probation or work release programs.

The program is helping to keep people out of trouble and on the path to “Success.”

It’s also saving the state a wad of cash.

A standard stay on the program costs $2,979 for the males at Newton and $4,330 for the females at Mitchellville.

With 878 inmates having graduated this program in 1993-94, that may sound like a pretty significant penny.

But consider this:

The average annual cost to keep a convict in jail in Iowa is $17,660.

The program sounds like quite the deal.

The “Success” program involves classes that include discussion on problem coping and solving, behavioral decisions and alternatives to violent or questionable behavior, among other things.

The program is working. It’s working for the state, which is saving money, and it’s working for the inmates, who are saving their lives.

A cost-effective program that has concern for human beings. What a novel concept.

“Thinking for Success” is proving in Iowa that the answer to our criminal problem may not lie in more prisons or tougher sentences, but in common-sense rehabilitation efforts and patience.

A waste of time? Hardly.