Certifying Incarcerated Persons as Peer Support Specialists: A Qualitative Exploration of A Prison-Based Program

ABSTRACT

In this innovative program, incarcerated persons are credentialed as peer support specialists and – while still incarcerated – assist other incarcerated persons who have substance use disorders. To elucidate program impacts, we interviewed 23 agency staff, 13 incarcerated peer support specialists and/or persons supported, and 3 peer support specialists who returned to communities. Qualitative content analysis identified program benefits including the transformative power of training and a future career path for peer support specialists, as well as sobriety and support for incarcerated persons. Challenges included boundary issues for peer support specialists and lack of buy-in from front-line agency staff.

KEYWORDS:

• Addiction
• drugs
• prisons
• recovery
• substance misuse

Author note

The study was part of a program evaluation; the study was reviewed and exempted by the University of South Carolina Human Subjects Review Committee (Pro00093390). Please direct correspondence to [email protected].

Author contributions

DD conceptualized and designed the evaluation, collected and analyzed data, and drafted the report. GM coordinated logistics for data acquisition, provided on-site support, and contributed to the literature review. Both authors reviewed and approved the final report.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by the South Carolina Department of Corrections through a memorandum of agreement with the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (SCDOC-SOR-19).