This article discusses social rehabilitation among adults and minors, comparing methods used in penitentiary units and facilities for adolescents in conflict with the law. The research underlying this article was conducted in two stages: first, through study visits by the Criminological Scientific Club of the University of Warsaw, followed by a series of structured interviews. This approach enabled the authors to determine what works and what does not in the social rehabilitation system. The research revealed that in prisons, the most beneficial factors for convicts are work opportunities and family contact. In turn, for units housing minors, measurable benefits come from education tailored to the child’s learning level and educational outreach beyond the facility walls. However, the authors attributed the failures to the slow work of the courts, which prolongs the time needed to send adolescents to the facility, and to the lack of proper supervision over the situation of the charges. In the case of adults, problems include poor treatment of convicts by the Prison Service, insufficient therapeutic and educational system, and improper selection of management staff. The authors concluded from their research analysis that there are no universal social rehabilitation methods that can be effectively applied to both adults and minors.