Obstacles to successful rehabilitation and resettlement of drug use offenders

Thompson, RK; Clegg, K

Abstract

Purpose – This preliminary small-scale research aimed to achieve an insight into drug use
offenders’ rehabilitation experiences both in and out of prison, as well as considering how
perceptions of the public may inhibit their successful reintegration into society.
Design/methodology/approach – A mixed-methods approach was usedutilised, with five
semi-structured interviews being conducted and alongside the distribution of the Attitudes
Toward Prisoners questionnaire (Melvin et al., 1985) among the general public (n= 106) in the
North-West region of England.
Findings – Participants recalled a mixture of experiences, highlighting the presence of
contraband in prisons to be an inhibiting factor of successful rehabilitation. Additionally,
participants expressed the need for more support when preparing for release such as
confirmation of accommodation and possible employment. Questionnaires also indicated the
public to perceive offenders negatively (M= 76, SD= 16.99), thus presenting a further challenge
in the resettlement of drug use offenders.
Practical Implications – Findings highlight that improving practices to decrease the presence
of contraband in prisons, monitoring an individual’s use of methadone, preparing an individual
for their release from prison, and educating the public, would reduce some of the obstacles
experienced by drug use offenders.
Originality – This study outlines some of the obstacles that drug use offenders experience when
attempting to end their drug use activity and criminal engagement.

Citation

Thompson, R., & Clegg, K. (2023). Obstacles to successful rehabilitation and resettlement of drug use offenders. Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-06-2022-0027

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 16, 2022
• Publication Date: Feb 28, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 10, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 3, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice
• Print ISSN: 2056-3841
• Publisher: Emerald
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-06-2022-0027
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-06-2022-0027
• Related Public URLs: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JCRPP-06-2022-0027/full/html?utm_source=smc_email_welcome&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=author_welcome_journey_Journals_tokens_20201103
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Thompson, R. and Clegg, K. (2023), "Obstacles to successful rehabilitation and resettlement of drug use offenders", Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-06-2022-0027