“You can't get high if you don't pick it up:” Assessing how incarcerated men with substance use disorders plan for abstinence post-release

Abstract

Prior research demonstrates that substance use disorders increase recidivism risk and impede reentry success across domains. Yet research has not assessed how incarcerated individuals plan for abstinence from substances post-release, a critical research gap given high rates of relapse and overdose during this period. Using in-depth interviews with 88 incarcerated men with substance use disorders approaching release, this research assesses how men narrated plans for abstinence from substances post-release. Despite currently residing in or recently completing an inpatient substance use treatment program, and despite abstinence being a stated goal for 86 of the 88 men, respondents did not have tangible abstinence-oriented reentry plans in place. Pervasive themes across interviews reveal barriers to the development of such plans, including reliance on willpower, high-stakes perceptions of relapse, and artificial implementation of recovery strategies. This research highlights abstinence-oriented reentry planning as a critical gap in prison procedure that could reduce harm and recidivism post-release.