ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on the work of the French sociologist Loïc Wacquant to briefly examine the evolution of policy and practice in relation to ‘welfare’ during a period when prison numbers are also growing. According to Wacquant, during a period of neoliberal ascendancy, ‘precarious fractions of the urban proletariat’ are now subject to the ‘programmatic convergence and practical interlock’ of workfare and the prison system. After mapping the main part of his analysis and identifying some of its potential weaknesses, the chapter concludes by maintaining the relevance of Wacquant’s contribution for social workers engaging with the forensic paradigm. More generally, it is maintained that a better theoretical understanding of the seemingly intertwined evolution of the prison and ‘welfare’ might aid the social work profession’s efforts to confront and resist oppressive policies targeted at vulnerable populations. This dimension is especially significant given social work’s rhetorical commitment to principles of human rights and social justice.
