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Getting Clean in a Drug Rehabilitation Program in Prison: A Grounded Theory Analysis

NCJ Number
213830
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 42 Issue: 1 Dated: 2005 Pages: 51-74
Author(s)
Sharon Smith; Neil Ferguson
Date Published
2005
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This study explored the perceptions of risk, need, and motivation among a small sample of drug abusing inmates enrolled in Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) based drug rehabilitation programming.
Abstract
Results of the interviews suggested five interconnected themes representing the five progressive phases of drug abuse and recovery: (1) confronting a crisis; (2) looking beyond drug abuse and at the cycle of addiction; (3) approaching abstinence; (4) adopting strategies to get clean; and (5) facing the reality of recovery. Overall, the main challenge faced by participants was the struggle of staying clean, which required that participants approach addiction as an ongoing problem. Each of the five themes is discussed in turn as the authors illustrate how the participants’ capacity to stay clean was dependent upon them moving through the five stages represented by the five themes. Research methodology followed the Grounded Theory approach, which involved conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 11 adult inmates who had between 5 and 18 years of drug abuse history. Interview transcripts were analyzed using theoretical coding, axial coding, and selective coding techniques. Intervention strategies can be enhanced by gaining a deeper understanding of the stages involved in the process of drug addiction recovery. References

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