Rehabilitation Project Force
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The Rehabilitation Project Force, or RPF, is a program set up by the Church of Scientology Sea Organization, intended to rehabilitate members who have not lived up to the Church expectations or have violated certain policies. As part of this program, and in addition to the application of Scientology procedures, members do manual labor tasks around Sea Org bases. There have been some reports of overwork and mistreatment at RPF facilities[1], and the program can take years to complete.[2][3][4]
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[edit] Development
The Rehabilitation Project Force developed out of a predecessor group, the Mud Box Brigade, aboard L. Ron Hubbard's private fleet in the late 1960s. The mud box is a small perforated screening box fitted to the suction pipe in the bilge of a ship, and is designed to catch larger solid waste before it can choke the pipeline and potentially damage the pump. The Mud Box Brigade was assigned to clean out the mud box as well as fuel lines, water hues, bilges and so on.[5] As this involved cleaning foul-smelling waste by hand, it was understandably not a popular task.
Hubbard defined the role as being essentially a punishment duty for unsatisfactory workers: "More candidates will be appointed regularly and promptly every time I find a freeloader who is loafing on post and drifting with the wind."[5] "This group is the most downstat [unproductive] and one gets assigned to it by being a freeloader, invisible on post, loafing and really goofing up on one's job."[6] J. Gordon Melton, however, suggested that "Hubbard understood it in terms of making retribution to the people who had been harmed by the nonperformance or incorrect performance of one's assigned tasks."[7]
In 1969 Hubbard replaced the Mud Box Brigade with the Rehabilitation Unit, again intended for those removed or disciplined "as ineffective or trouble." Following an evaluation, the individual was to receive a set of "specific recommendations which if followed will rehabilitate the individual as a highly effective and worthwhile Sea Org member." Hubbard instructed that "The unit is [to be] worked hard during the day on a rigorous schedule on jobs assigned by the Review Chief handling corrective areas and jobs needing remedy and repair. The Unit itself is thus made into an effective ship's review team. It works on a one job, one time, one place formula completing each job before moving into the next. Each individual thus earns the right to the remedial services he or she will receive." [8]
Finally, the Rehabilitation Unit was replaced in January 1974 with the Rehabilitation Project Force or RPF. According to Hubbard, "the RPF has been created by the Commodore [Hubbard] so that redemption can occur. That is basically its only purpose." He identified four categories of people who were to be assigned to the RPF: "rockslammers" (people deemed to have hidden evil intentions, as detected by the E-meter); people who were unproductive and scored poorly on the Oxford Capacity Analysis personality test; "repeated stat crashers", people who were held responsible for declines in Scientology organizations' productivity; and "overt product makers", people who produced poor-quality work. As before, the unit was to work on "one job, one place, one time." A five-hour study period was to be implemented each day to improve the individuals' knowledge of Scientology.[9]
The RPF was originally intended to last no more than a couple of months, where the assignee would learn Scientology auditing, if he or she was not already an auditor by the "read it, drill it, do it" method. RPF members would then co-audit each other to better themselves and make each other more ethical and productive.[1]
A member assigned to the RPF can visit with their spouse and children during daily mealtimes and spend one night per week together for marital relations, as long as his production matches the Church's expectations, and his adherence to Scientology doctrine is improving. It has been reported that rules have been tightened and currently forbid any connection with family members.[10][4]
[edit] Controversy
Critics of Scientology, including former Scientologists, frequently compare the RPF with the gulag system of the Soviet Union [11] or the re-education camps of the People's Republic of China.[citation needed] One former Scientologist titled her narrative of the RPF "'The Church of Scientology' or The Guru's Gulags: Story of an Escape." [12]
The Church of Scientology claims that no physical force is used to keep RPF members in the camps, and that RPF members always have the option of leaving their religion entirely, and that this makes the comparison inaccurate.[4] However, Scientology has been alleged to use other means of coercion to keep members in the religion. For example, Scientology keeps records of Security checks and confessions of their members,[13] some of which have allegedly been used to blackmail those who had left the religion.[14]
In addition, leaving the Sea Org, even from the RPF, results in what Scientology calls "freeloader debt" or a "freeloader's bill": retroactive billing for any auditing received or any Scientology training received while in the Sea Org, which can run into tens of thousands of dollars. [15] Many former Scientologists have reported that they felt trapped by the "freeloader debt" policy.[16]
[edit] Motto
The RPF is what you make it.
The RPF is where you make it.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Janet Reitman (2006). "Inside Scientology". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Robert Vaughn Young (1994-03-09). Declaration in the case Church of Scientology International v. Steven Fishman and Uwe Geertz. Retrieved on February 9, 2007. “assigned Reynolds to the gulag known as the Rehabilitation Project Force where he worked at hard labor for over two years.”
- ^ The Church of Scientology’s Rehabilitation Project Force, CESNUR, We have found that it is an intensive programme of study, spiritual counselling and physical work that can take anywhere between one and a few years.
- ^ a b c Pierre Collignon (2001). "Inside RPF Denmark (IV): An Offer from Scientology (convenience link, unofficial translation)". Jyllands-Posten.
- ^ a b Hubbard, OODs of 4 January 1968, cited in Modern Management Technology Defined, 1975
- ^ Hubbard, "Mud Box Brigade", Flag Order 1701 of 5 January 1969
- ^ J. Gordon Melton, "A Contemporary Ordered Religious Community: The Sea Organization", 2001.
- ^ Hubbard, "Rehabilitation Unit", Flag Order 1848 of 3 March 1969
- ^ Hubbard, "Rehabilitation Project Force", Flag Order 3434 of 7 January 1974
- ^ FLAG ORDER 3434RB THE REHABILITATION PROJECT FORCE
- ^ Dr. Stephen A. Kent (1997-11-07). "Brainwashing in Scientology's Rehabilitation Force (RPF)". Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
- ^ 'The Church of Scientology' or The Guru's Gulags: Story of an Escape
- ^ Affidavit of Dennis Erlich, submitted March 1999
- ^ Invasion of privacy, excerpts of documents compiled by scientology-lies.com
- ^ Kent, Stephen A. (September 2003). "Scientology and the European Human Rights Debate: A Reply to Leisa Goodman, J. Gordon Melton, and the European Rehabilitation Project Force Study". Marburg Journal of Religion 8 (1). Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
- ^ Sappell, Joel, Welkos, Robert W.. "Defectors Recount Lives of Hard Work, Punishment", Los Angeles Times, 1990-06-26, p. A1:1. Retrieved on August 15, 2006. Additional convenience link at [1].
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- 'What is the Rehabilitation Project Force?, Scientology FAQ. Church of Scientology International. Retrieved on September 29, 2006.
- "SEA ORGANIZATION FLAG ORDER 3434RB" as posted to USENET in 1994
- "Brainwashing in Scientology's Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF)", a paper by Dr. Stephen A. Kent
- "The Church of Scientology’s Rehabilitation Project Force" by the Center for Studies on New Religions
- Astra Woodcraft Interview, Part Three, "Leaving the Sea Org", 2001-01-20, XenuTV
