Rehabilitative Law means supporting people sustainably grow and address problems. In the criminal justice context rehabilitative programs are generally "designed to reduce recidivism among adults who have been convicted of an offense by improving their behaviors, skills, mental health, social functioning, and access to education and employment." (See Practice Profile: Rehabilitation Programs for Adult Offenders, Created February 11, 2020. Last Accessed July 7, 2023.) The Oxford Languages program (a partnership between Google and the Oxford English Dictionary) defines rehabilitation as, "the action of restoring someone to health or normal life through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness." The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines rehabilitation four/five ways:
[1] the action, process, or result of rehabilitating or of being rehabilitated: such as
[2] restoration especially by therapeutic means to an improved condition of physical function
[ex.] MCL injuries alone rarely necessitate surgery and heal with rest and rehabilitation. —Shira Springer (...)
[3] also : the process of restoring a person to a drug- or alcohol-free state
[4] the process of restoring someone (such as a criminal) to a useful and constructive place in society
ex. the rehabilitation of prisoners (...)
[5] the restoration of something damaged or deteriorated to a prior good condition
[ex.] the rehabilitation of the neighborhood [;] the rehabilitation of a person's reputation.(1)
But a criminal charge or conviction is not required to benefit from rehabilitation. Rehabilitation can be a goal, a process or a state of being. Rehabilitation is often very narrowly and specifically defined by each individual, the facts and circumstances of their lives, their goals and their objectives.
At the Law Firm of Daniel L. Ellis, we believe in working with our clients to help them secure and support rehabilitation in their lives and to work whenever we can to not only address a crisis but support the rehabilitation of an individual.
Whether that is a highly qualified person with a security clearance who has been charged with driving under the influence and their security clearance has been revoked or suspended; or person in recovery from addiction who has been released from jail or prison, has paid all their court costs and fines, and is seeking to obtain a Certificate of Employability, Restoration of Rights, or an expungement - both of these individuals have worth and inherent dignity and need an advocate who will fight for them. If you have need of rehabilitative lawyering from an experienced attorney, then call 865-235-1787 and set up an appointment with Attorney Daniel L. Ellis today.
(1) simplified, extra examples removed, and emphasis in bold and bracketed #'s added for clarity added.