Responding to Neoliberalism: The Case of the Look at My Life Project

Amadeusz is a non-profit organization in Toronto, Canada, focused on fostering the opportunity among young people who experience incarceration and/or are vulnerable to the involvement in violence, and/or crime to create positive change in their lives and communities. As a non-profit organization situated in the third sector (i.e., voluntary sector), Amadeusz did experience the impacts of neoliberalism. However, it was able to successfully respond to neoliberalism and carry on with its agenda of change by adopting a dual strategy in the form of two important initiatives: The Look at My Life Project (TLMLP) and Project Quiet Storm (PQS). This article narrates the story of Amadeusz’s response to neoliberalism within prison, highlighting ways in which resistance was carried out along with embracing the current neoliberal practices, policies, and institutional culture that prevents access to education for young people on remand