There is a widespread mythology in liberal circles in Britain and America that treatment oriented regimes are the key to the problem of the control of crime and delinquency. (Studies of treatment regimes, use the word treatment to contrast with discipline, custody, etc.: and it is in this sense that I shall use it). Studies of these regimes have done nothing to destroy this myth and are often taken to support it. These studies invariably show that staff and inmates under treatment regimes are more friendly to each other, talk freely to each other, indeed that the whole atmosphere of the institution is more relaxed and congenial. Because of this, it seems to be assumed without any empirical justification, that by some mystical process of spontaneous combustion, the inmates are more available to the influence of staff values. Unfortunately for therapeutic mystification however what the hard evidence suggests, as I shall show, is that inmates are merely temporarily making the most of more pleasant conditions. Their basic attitudes remain unaffected.