The rehabilitation industry: lived experience and performance

We approach this essay through a unique observation of being on both sides of the criminal justice system as prisoners and drugs addicts to transitioning into professionals and educators within and around the criminal justice system. We argue that the concept of rehabilitation has – through the neo-liberal capitalist social system – evolved into a Rehabilitation Industry. The essay argues that by defining the concept of the Rehabilitation Industry, society can ask critical questions of how social media, marketing, branding, the public facing performance as well as the dubious claims of rehabilitation is taking place. The principal argument within the essay is that, although often obscured, a fusion of the contemporary digital landscape and capitalism is creating a criminal justice system that harms justice involved people, whilst simultaneously the industry of ‘rehabilitation’ generates a multitude of capitals – economic, cultural, and political - for a whole range of stakeholders – not least those of us
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