The treatment of incarcerated clients poses a unique challenge to social workers, due to the special nature of the client and the environment. A cognitive therapy (CT) model is proposed as a viable approach in treating this group since this approach is diversified and provides the social worker with a repertoire of therapeutic techniques. One important attribute of CT is that the client acquires new skills for assessing and solving future problems. The principal components and techniques of cognitive theory are reviewed. Case vignettes of 3 male clients (aged 24, 26, and 21 yrs) illustrate the application of this approach. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)