Hearty, PA, Wincup, E orcid.org/0000-0001-5243-073X and Wright, NMJ (2016) The Potential of Prisons to Support Drug Recovery. Drugs and Alcohol Today, 16 (1). pp. 49-58. ISSN 1745-9265
Abstract
Purpose Recovery is the predominant discourse within current UK drug policy, promoted as freedom from dependence. In support of such a policy driver, prison drug recovery wings have been piloted in ten prisons in England and Wales to address high drug prevalence rates in prisoner populations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of these specialist wings within the context of wider developments to tackle reoffending among drug-using prisoners. Design/methodology/approach The first part of the paper offers an analysis of the emergence of the recovery paradigm in the prison context through analysis of official policy documents. The second draws predominantly upon two process evaluations of the drug recovery wings, alongside literature on prison drug treatment. Findings There is limited empirical evidence to inform the debate about whether prisons can provide settings to facilitate recovery from the effects of illicit drug use. What is available suggests that effective therapeutic environments for recovering drug users could be established within prisons. Key components for these appear to be sufficient numbers of staff who are competent and confident in providing a dual role of support and discipline, and a common purpose of all prisoners committing to recovery from illicit drugs and supporting each other. Further research regarding the impact of drug recovery wings upon health, crime and wider social outcomes is needed. Originality/value This paper provides an updated perspective on the development of drug treatment in prisons, with a particular focus on the implications of the new recovery paradigm.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2016, Emerald. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Drugs and Alcohol Today. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Policy, Recovery, Prisons, Drug recovery wings, Drug treatment, Reoffending |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Healthcare (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 18 Oct 2016 09:14 |
Last Modified: | 14 Apr 2017 03:57 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/DAT-08-2015-0041 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Emerald |
Identification Number: | 10.1108/DAT-08-2015-0041 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:100875 |