In the upcoming Explorations in Carceral Geography seminar, Professor Marina Ritcher will present her paper: Notions, Actors, and Challenges of Rehabilitation: A Focus on Prison Social Work.
When: Thursday 4 December 2025
Time: 2pm-4pm (Paris time)
To Take Part in the Zoom-Meeting
https://uni-bonn.zoom-x.de/j/68071005067?pwd=ahuCSidZEsNhCslluhWcrifuZKJAoy.1
Abstract:
Rehabilitation is formally inscribed as a guiding principle within the carceral systems of the Global North—particularly in Europe—alongside the principle of punishment. Yet, the question of which actors bear primary responsibility for advancing this process remains contested. This uncertainty is partly rooted in variations in the implementation of criminal justice systems across jurisdictions and partly in the conceptual ambiguity surrounding the notion of rehabilitation itself. The term, along with its equivalents in other languages, is often blurred and only loosely defined, resulting in divergent interpretations among professional groups within the system.
Drawing on my own research, this seminar takes the Swiss context—specifically the German-speaking region—as a point of departure for examining the ambiguities of rehabilitation, the conceptual challenges it poses, and the role of social work in shaping this process. In this context, prison-based social services are closely associated with the goal of rehabilitation. Moreover, the multiplicity of linguistic terms employed within Switzerland alone provides a productive entry point for critically interrogating the concept. Building on this discussion, the seminar seeks to explore the question of who facilitates rehabilitation and in what ways. Participants are invited to share insights and engage in comparative debate across national contexts, while critically reflecting on current practices.
Bio: Prof. Marina Ritcher is a geographer and sociologist, working currently in a school for social work, which gives her the valuable opportunity to directly connect research with praxis through teaching and through applied research. She has conducted research on topics such as end-of-life in prison, work of prisoners, independency of professions such as doctors or social workers, or on education in carceral settings. She is head of the research group CrimSo at the HESSO Valais (the University of Applied Sciences in Valais, Switzerland).
