Synanon Archives - Reveal

venomous snake

All Work. No Pay.

American Rehab: A Venomous Snake

by Shoshana Walter, Laura Starecheski, Ike Sriskandarajah, Katharine Mieszkowski, Amy Julia Harris, Najib Aminy, Amy Mostafa, Jim Briggs, Fernando Arruda, Claire Mullen, Brett Myers, Andy Donohue, Esther Kaplan, Kevin Sullivan and Al Letson August 27, 2022September 13, 2022

After amassing a small fortune, Synanon turns from a revolutionary rehab into a violent cult with mass sterilizations and a rattlesnake in a mailbox.

A blue sign advertises heartland ministries and says "Jesus is the Answer!"

All Work. No Pay.

At hundreds of rehabs, recovery means work without pay

by Shoshana Walter July 7, 2020June 30, 2021

Despite deadly injuries and multiple investigations into illegal labor practices, work-based rehabs are an American growth industry.