Modernizing Penal Capacity and Defusing Political Tensions: How Social Workers’ Rehabilitation Shapes Offenders’ Perceptions of Justice within Chinese Community Corrections

The introduction and operation of community corrections in China has been hailed as a justice mechanism that addresses criminogenic needs of offenders and advances their well-being. Despite the growing research on the operational significance of this emerging penal institution, few studies have been conducted from the perspective of offenders, the staple recipients of rehabilitation services. Much less research has also yet paid attention to the impact of the rehabilitative provision on offenders’ perceptions of justice. To bridge this gap, this study examines how offenders’ participation in rehabilitation and their interactions with social workers shape their sense-making about Chinese penality. Analysis of in-depth interviews with offenders reveals that rehabilitation by social workers revitalizes offenders’ self-identities, instills a sense of modernization in Chinese state capacity, and defuses long-standing tensions between offenders and the state. Notably, this salutary effect of rehabilitation on offenders’ perceptions of justice is rotted or undercut when social workers are compelled or mandated to supplement the state’s hand of surveillance and control. Moreover, offenders attach particular importance to the destigmatizing element of rehabilitation work, which helps them navigate the extraordinarily shameful reentry process. Research and policy implications of this study are also addressed.