Healing The Whole Person
The short answer is that holistic, integrative, and evidence-based approaches are most effective. Programs should offer a comprehensive evaluation, conduct a full history of a persons past traumatic events, or underlying mental health conditions, provide ongoing therapy, and address specific substances like methamphetamine, cocaine, or alcohol abuse. Biology, in some respects, also dictates how some are more prone to addiction. Preventive measures should be deployed to help people, particularly our youth, avoid drug use, and be aware of the dangers of prescription abuse.
Holistic care can also provide a more balanced approach to include:
- Diet/Long-term health
Which Treatments Do Addicted Inmates Need
Addicted inmates need the same treatments as everyone else in order to fully conquer and overcome addiction. Detoxification, therapy, and aftercare are vital components of any successful addiction treatment program. Even when jails and prisons do provide drug addiction treatment, the continuation of treatment in the form of aftercare and extended care programs following incarceration can help former inmates stay clean and healthy. Untreated drug use disorders among inmates can lead to a return in criminal activity, reincarceration, and risky, impulsive behavior that can lead to the spreading of serious diseases like hepatitis and HIV.
How Should Prisons Handle Drug Addiction
At present, the U.S. government spends over 95 percent of funds allocated for substance abuse and addiction on the consequences brought on by drug abuse, such as hospitalization and incarceration. The remaining percentage of funds are spent on addiction prevention and treatment meaning the country is wasting billions by being reactive instead of proactive in regards to addressing the nations drug problem. Data shows that the U.S. can earn over $90,000 per year for every inmate who receives addiction treatment, which would otherwise be spent on unemployment, incarceration, and related costs driven by lack of drug treatment in prison.
Based on the NDAs principles of drug abuse treatments for prison systems, the most effective ways to treat addiction involve evaluating inmates for underlying mental health disorders, and offering consistent treatment from trained medical staff who can administer medication-assisted therapies. Additionally, correctional facilities can implement long-term programs that involve supporting inmates in their communities following release from prison.
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Seeking Sobriety Before Its Too Late
The best way to avoid the problem of rehab vs. jail time is to seek sobriety before reaching that point. Drug rehab programs in Pennsylvania, such as Peace Valley Recovery, provide a path to recovery and wellness. Through a combination of counseling, therapy, holistic wellness, and sober activities, these facilities show addicts how to live life drug-free.
Are you looking for drug rehab in Pennsylvania? Reach out to Peace Valley Recovery today. Were here to walk you out of the cycle of addiction and into a lasting life of recovery. You never need to turn back to drugs and you never need to feel alone again. Were here to help. Give us a call today.
What Options Do Addicted Inmates Currently Have
Drug education is the most commonly available service offered to inmates who suffer from addiction, but this service is just one component of many that make up formal addiction treatment. Those who suffer from addiction need physical and psychological therapies like detoxification and counseling to overcome addiction as a whole. More than 25 percent of state inmates and one in five federal inmates receive support group therapy but this therapy alone is rarely effective at helping individuals completely overcome addiction.
Research shows that less than 10 percent of inmates nationwide have access to addiction treatment services while in prison on behalf of factors such as inexperienced medical staff and lack of resources. Many times, medical staff lack education surrounding substance abuse and addiction, while correctional facilities lack funding for medications and therapies proven useful at treating addiction. Though drug treatment in prison may be offered at a minimal level, the National Institute of Drug Abuse suggests that facilities use 13 principles to properly address addiction in the criminal justice system. Prisons and treatment providers are to use these principles to help inmates get clean and teach them how to stay sober and avoid relapse following release.
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Supporting Incarcerated Addicts Is Crucial To Prevent Relapse And Recidivism
Crime and drugs are linked, but treatment and an effective support system are obvious solutions. Unfortunately, most prisons and jails are failing people with addictions. Addiction is a disease, and simply eliminating access to drugs or alcohol does not effectively treat addiction.
According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, 95 percent of incarcerated addicts use drugs again after theyre released and 60 to 80 percent will commit a new crime, often related to their drug addiction.
Just as troubling, overdose is especially high once inmates are released from prison. The risk of overdose can increase 129 times and is highest the first two weeks after release according to an article published in Addiction Science & Clinical Practice.
This is why its so important to support addicts and provide them with quality treatment while theyre incarcerated.
Promoting Recovery For Those At Risk
Sending individuals to drug rehab is a much more positive approach to rehabilitation than locking them up in a correctional facility. Theyre more likely to graduate from an addiction program with life skills that will encourage them to reintegrate into society. Treatment teaches people with substance use disorders about the nature of their addiction. Jail does not.
Offering drug-related offenders the option to attend rehab promotes recovery for those most at risk. Rather than pushing them into a system that will more than likely lock them deeper within a cycle of addiction, rehab will provide them with an effective escape from it.
Offenders can use their time in rehab to lay a solid foundation for long-term recovery. They receive the time, support, and resources that give them an adequate opportunity to learn to live sober. They return to society with the ability to support themselves and their families.
If those struggling with substance abuse are immediately incarcerated, their chances of getting sober are slim. But if those individuals receive the chance to attend drug rehab, theyll find themselves on a path to recovery and away from the chains of addiction.
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How To Recover From Relapse
Once the danger of overdose is removed, you should reach out to your support system and find a safe living environment. The immediate goals should be to remove access to alcohol or other drugs, shield yourself from negative influences including friends who drink or use drugs and begin to search for addiction treatment.
The intensiveness of treatment is dependent on the severity of relapse. Supervised detox may be necessary to safely overcome dependency and withdrawal symptoms. In less severe cases, outpatient therapy and support groups may be adequate. Insurance plans are not allowed to impose lifetime or dollar limits on substance abuse coverage, so treatment is covered regardless of how many times a person has received treatment in the past.
Take the first step and start your recovery today.
Many people who relapse multiple times begin to lose faith that they can recover. Theyre unsure how to quit relapsing. In some situations, they make the same mistakes repeatedly.
For example, they may attend clinics that provide detox but not therapy. Therapy is crucial to recovery. Or they may attend therapy for only one to two weeks. In many cases, 30 days of residential treatment and multiple months of therapy are required to prevent relapse.
Relapse And Exposure To Drugs And Alcohol
Former inmates described ubiquitous exposure to alcohol, drugs, and drug trafficking in their living environments. In particular, former inmates who stayed in homeless shelters found that it took substantial effort to stay away from drugs and alcohol after release from prison. One man in his mid-forties struggling to stay abstinent from drugs after his release:
“You get asked 50 times if you want some coke before you get into the door.”
One 46-year-old man who had a place to live also described frequent exposure to drugs:
“Well, when I first got out, peoples come around asking me do you want this. Hey man, I remember you, man you used to look out for me, here, here you go. I said man, no I don’t want it. I been there. I done it.”
Several participants with a history of addiction described exposure to drugs as the major challenge they faced, requiring avoidant behaviors and new skills to prevent relapse. For instance, one man, whose drug involvement led to his incarceration, had successfully averted relapse since his release. He was motivated by a desire to preserve a relationship with his son, born while he was in prison. He practiced avoidant behaviors at his shelter:
“What led me to this last time… was… frustration and wanting to feel released…. t was something also that I didn’t go look for, that was right in the house with me, and I don’t blame them for that, but it’s just… I don’t think I would have sought it out had it not been there.”
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Rehab Vs Jail Time: How Drug Rehab Provides A Path To Recovery
Authored by Elliott Redwine, | Medically Reviewed by Dr. Elizabeth Drew, MD
Most drugs are illegal throughout the United States. This includes drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and acid. Other substances like marijuana, prescription painkillers, or prescription amphetamines, are illegal under certain conditions. The legal system is tasked with handling drug-related cases in the United States. Any number of things involving drugs or even alcohol can result in legal action.
Selling illicit substances often results in automatic legal action. Drug distribution of any kind is a serious offense. But getting caught while buying, possessing, or taking drugs often leads to legal action as well. Anyone involved with drugs in any of these manners will likely find themselves at least ticketed, if not arrested. Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence is grounds for severe legal repercussions, too.
The Relationship Between Addiction And Criminal Behavior
Addiction causes changes in behavior. These changes become harder to ignore as addiction progresses. They may begin with changes in appearance or demeanor at first. They become more pronounced over time. Individuals become increasingly likely to commit crimes as the disease worsens.
Addiction affects individual behavior. It also influences national crime facts and statistics. About one out of every hundred citizens is currently incarcerated. The United States incarcerates more people per capita than any other developed nation. The effects of substance abuse may be one of the may reasons why.1
Out of all the crimes committed in the US, about 80 percent of those that lead to incarceration involve alcohol or drugs. Sixty percent of all people arrested for any crime test positive for at least one illicit substance at the time of their arrest. So, these statistics beg the questions: Why are there so many crimes being committed by addicted offenders? What are these crimes? Is incarceration the answer?
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Addiction In American Jails
One in six male inmates have an alcohol use disorder.
Half of all U.S. inmates struggle with drug and/or alcohol addiction. Alcohol addiction affects roughly 24% of U.S. inmates, with one in six men and one in 10 women meeting criteria for alcohol use disorder at the time of entry into prison. In comparison, U.S. community rates of alcohol use disorder are 8.7% for men and 4.6% for women. A 2002 study found that roughly 35% of all male inmates and 31% of female inmates reported they had been under the influence of alcohol at the time they committed their offenses.
The rate of drug use disorders among U.S. inmates is just as high as that for alcohol use disorder, and may be slightly higher among female prisoners. Evidence suggests that 51% of prisoners with drug use disorders are female. In comparison, U.S. community rates of drug use disorders are 3.4% for men and 1.9% for women. Roughly 70% of all U.S. inmates have committed a drug-related offense, and/or are reported to have used drugs regularly prior to their arrest. An estimated 35% of inmates are under the influence of drugs at the time of their arrest. Within the first two weeks of release from prison, a former inmates risk for death becomes 12 times greater than that for the general population, with drug overdose being the leading cause of death.
Exploring The Link Between Addiction And Incarceration
Drug abuse and addiction often go hand in hand. The Prison Policy Initiativereports that, in 2017, one incarcerated person in five faced a drug charge. Of those people, 456,000 were held for a nonviolent drug offense, including possession.
While some charges come with very long prison sentences, the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law reports that most possession sentences are longer than one year.
These two statistics suggest that people head to prisons and jails quite frequently due to their addictions, and once they are incarcerated, they stay incarcerated for a long period of time.
In theory, this should be an ideal space in which to treat an addiction, but the reality is a little more complicated.
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What Happens To Drug Addicts In Jail
The sad realities of drug abuse are not exclusive to its impacts on health. In fact, issues frequently cascade, affecting outside factors, including family life, the workplace, and the community. Communities nationwide are riddled with the complex and devastating nature of the after-effects of ongoing drug abuse. Theres been a long-standing correlation between drug abuse and crime rates. Criminal activity can feed habitual abuse. Drug possession arrests are on an upward trajectory, especially in areas most exposed and vulnerable to the grueling opioid epidemic. Prisons and local jails are inundated nationwide. It begs the question: what happens to drug addicts in jail?
Unfortunately, jails are not drug rehab centers and are not equipped to help individuals overcome substance abuse. Its important that families seek help before their loved one is forced to face the criminal system. Jail is often counterproductive to long-term recovery.
If you or a loved one needs help, contact AspenRidge Recovery at . Well work with your insurance company and develop a personalized treatment plan for your unique situation.
Medical And Mental Health Conditions Among Drug
For some former inmates, medical and mental health needs in the re-entry context were closely linked with their drug and alcohol use disorders. Participants identified multiple comorbidities, such as diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression, combined with limited access to care and medications. One woman explained that the biggest threat to her health after release was having diabetes related to alcohol use combined with poor medication continuity:
” to my health ? Drinking like the way I did, ’cause I’m a diabetic and I shouldn’t be drinking like that…. I almost went into a diabetic coma. My sugar was so high ’cause… the Department of Corrections didn’t release me with my insulin.”
Another participant with a history of oxycodone and heroin dependence described her difficulties obtaining mental-health medications as contributing to strong feelings of frustration after her release:
“The biggest threat to my health is the issue of trying to get that medication and stuff taken care of and I am really frustrated…. They’ll pay for so much of your mental-health care after you get out and stuff like that, and none of that’s happened yet, you know, so I’m still without a psychiatrist at this point, you know? And I have a month worth of medicine before that runs out….”
Another participant explained the effect of frustration in the context on her drug and alcohol use:
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How Many Addicted Inmates Return To Jail
Many inmates who struggle with addiction start using drugs again shortly after their release. Former inmates who dont suffer fatal drug overdoses often end up being arrested once again for drug-related crimes. Evidence suggests that between 60 and 80% of former inmates with substance use disorders will commit another crime after being released from prison. An estimated 25% of inmates released from prison become reincarcerated within three years for various technical violations that include testing positive for drug use.
Former inmates with substance use disorders have reported that many halfway houses, homeless shelters, and similar types of environments offer high levels of exposure to drugs, alcohol, and drug trafficking. Environmental exposure to these factors make it difficult for former inmates to stay sober, overcome addiction, and avoid committing new drug-related crimes to fuel their addiction. A group of former inmates with substance use disorders who were interviewed following their release from prison cited exposure to drugs as the top challenge they faced in regards to staying sober. Many of these former inmates reported they lacked skills that would otherwise help them overcome relapse triggers, and avoid situations involving drugs and alcohol.
Prison Based Drug Treatment Programs
When people enter the prison system, they are examined by a medical officer. This examination helps the staff understand the conditions for which the person needs treatment. The exams also offer a layer of protection for prison staffers. Someone who has a condition on intake cannot later claim that the condition began due to the incarceration.
An intake exam should help to spot an active addiction. After all, people who take drugs like heroin often experience very visible withdrawal symptoms, including:
Opioids arent the only drugs that cause withdrawal symptoms. People with a longstanding alcohol abuse problem may experience hallucinations upon withdrawal, seeing things that arent there and speaking to people others cant see. If left untreated, this form of withdrawal can lead to seizures. These seizures can be treated with medications, but the medications must sometimes be given for a long period of time. When the medications wear off, the seizures may return. That often means people in medical detox from alcohol need around-the-clock monitoring and care.
Even though these withdrawal signs may be obvious, and they should indicate a need for both medical detox and followup rehab counseling, people who have been incarcerated dont always get the help they need.
These are the sorts of therapy techniques that wouldnt be unusual in the private sector. But unfortunately, these arent techniques that are used in all prisons.
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