Exploring Problematic Substance Use during Reentry from Prison to the Community: A Thematic Analysis

Abstract

The reentry process from prison to the community is rife with obstacles. Substance use problems, in particular, can present significant barriers to successful reentry. However, little research has examined the various roles that substance use plays during reentry from the perspective of those reentering the community. The current study explores reentry experiences of people who have been recently released from prison with a specific focus on their experiences with substance use during the reentry process. Using thematic analysis, the present study explored substance use experiences from 26 semi-structured interviews. Seven main themes emerged: recovery and sobriety, substance use programs, relapse, substance use exposure, triggers and other challenges, impact of incarceration on substance use, and reflections about substance use. Within each of these broad themes, additional subthemes emerged. Findings suggest complex histories of substance use spanning ecological contexts, including family, neighborhood, and corrections facilities as well as provide support for the pervasive and persistent nature of substance use among previously incarcerated individuals. Implications for practice and policy are discussed as well as potential future directions for research.

Keywords:

• Reentry
• substance use
• qualitative analysis
• relapse
• recovery
• corrections-involved adults

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our appreciation to the local reentry agency, especially the administrators and staff of the mentoring program. We are also thankful to the participants for their willingness to share their stories and time with us.

Declaration of interest

All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Oregon Institutional Review Board and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study.

Notes

1 Problematic substance use is used here instead of substance abuse, which implies clinical diagnosis per DSM-IV.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, US Department of Justice under Grant [2015-CY-BX-0019]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Bureau of Justice Assistance or the US Department of Justice.