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AJreveal1990 karma

Thanks for the question! We started investigating this issue more than a year ago and it started with a simple question: where are drug courts and other diversion programs sending people for drug treatment? We learned that many courts were sending people to religious rehab programs. As we dug in more, we noticed that many of these religious programs described themselves as “self-supporting” and “free”, and discovered that meant that people in rehab had to work. Through lots of Google searches, we found Christian Alcoholics and Addicts in Recovery in Oklahoma, a residential rehab program, and learned that drug addicts were being forced to work for free in chicken processing plants, under threat of prison. Then we started backgrounding the directors of this rehab program and learned that they had ties to chicken companies. That’s when we knew we had a story. Since then, tips have poured in about other work-based rehabs.

AJreveal171 karma

Thank you for sharing this! Could you tell us the name of the rehab center? We'd like to look into it: https://www.revealnews.org/blog/tell-us-about-your-experience-at-a-work-based-rehab

AJreveal151 karma

That’s a great question. We spoke to many recovering addicts and experts who have said that some structured work can be beneficial. It can lead to increased self-worth and help people gain job skills. The problem is where people are working, how much actual addiction treatment they get, and if they get to keep any of their pay. At the rehab we investigated in North Carolina, it seemed like a bad idea to put recovering drug addicts in charge of dispensing opiates to elderly and disabled people, and having them care for vulnerable people without the proper training. At a rehab we wrote about in Oklahoma, many people who went through the program said they found no therapeutic value in working for free in chicken processing plants. They told us that many of the chicken plants were awash in drugs, and it was easy to get drugs on the job. We also found a case, which we highlighted, of a man who was sent to the drug rehab center as an alternative to prison even though he didn’t have an addiction. He ended up getting hurt on the job in the chicken plant, and as a result of his injury became addicted to drugs. The theme that we’ve heard at many of the exploitative rehab centers is that work took priority over everything else. Experts have told us that some work can be beneficial, but not if it involves excessive hours or comes at the expense of counseling and treatment.

AJreveal87 karma

Do the people affected not sue because they lack the resources, because the rehabs have the law on their side, or a combination?

Many people who went through these rehab work camps had complained about the abuses for years. They were frequently ignored, and told that going to rehab was better than going to prison, so many of them thought pursuing the issue further was a lost cause. At one of the programs we investigated in North Carolina – where drug addicts were working 16-hour days in homes for elderly and disabled people for no pay-- former participants had complained to four separate North Carolina agencies about being overworked, getting no treatment, and about issues of outright fraud at the rehab. We found that NC regulators did almost nothing for years, so many participants lost hope that anything would change. But there is some movement to hold this rehab center accountable now: https://www.revealnews.org/blog/impact-officials-take-action-on-rehab-work-camp-in-response-to-reveal-investigation/

A group of former participants at two rehab centers in Oklahoma and Arkansas who were forced to work for free in chicken processing plants filed four class action lawsuits alleging that they were modern-day slaves after our stories. They said that they were entitled to at least minimum wage and overtime, and are suing for back pay. Those lawsuits are ongoing, but it will be interesting to see how they stand up in court: https://www.revealnews.org/blog/chicken-workers-sue-say-they-were-modern-day-slaves/

AJreveal78 karma

Thanks so much for sharing this. We've received several tips about the Salvation Army and would love to hear more about your experience. Which location did you attend? Please let us know! https://www.revealnews.org/blog/tell-us-about-your-experience-at-a-work-based-rehab