Application of Positive Criminology in Retorno—A Jewish Therapeutic Community for People with Addictions

Abstract

This article explores the application of positive criminology principles in the recovery process of people with addictions in Retorno—a Jewish therapeutic community in Israel. The participants, 10 adult residents, were administered in-depth, semistructured, individual interviews. The findings highlight the importance of positive experiences to achieve a sense of integration on multidimensional level—self, social, and spiritual—throughout the recovery process. This progress towards greater integration represents the central aspect of positive criminology, which emphasizes the unifying and integrating forces in individual, group, social, and spiritual dimensions. The most significant theme for our participants was their self-integration, which they described as a growing sense of coherence, well-being, and emotional maturity. In addition, it was found that achieving a sense of multi-integration was associated with decreased self-centeredness, a trend that may correlate with the ability to accept and internalize prosocial messages and therefore reduce criminal behavior. Theoretical implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• positive criminology
• therapeutic community
• substance abuse
• recovery
• sense of integration