Reentry and Substance Abuse
The majority of people in prison and jail have a substance use disorder.1 Despite the promise demonstrated by some treatment programs for people who are incarcerated, just a fraction of the people who need services for substance abuse receive it.2 Connecting people incarcerated to treatment programs proven to be effective, prioritizing resources for those nearing release, and encouraging community-based aftercare will ensure better outcomes for people released from prisons and jails, and the communities to which they return.
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Justice Center Work
The Justice Center, in partnership with the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors and national experts in substance use disorders, is developing a behavioral health blueprint for policymakers seeking to reinvest in the expansion and improvement of behavioral health care services, including substance abuse treatment, to reduce recidivism among people on probation and parole. |
In the Report
The Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council is a comprehensive guide for policymakers and practitioners interested in addressing the challenges people face when they are released from prisons and jails.
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Reentry in Action
A number of criminal justice and mental health organizations and agencies have developed programs and initiatives to respond to individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders. Check back soon for program descriptions |
Additional Resources
Check out relevant news clips and publications about substance use and reentry. Most recent additions: 9/19/2009: Steubenville Herald-Star (OH): Program will help offenders find work U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment |
1 Christopher J. Mumola, Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners, 1997, US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (Washington, DC: 1999), NCJ 172871. Doris James Wilson, Drug Use, Testing, and Treatment in Jails, Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (Washington, DC: 2000), NCJ 179999.
2 Christopher J. Mumola, Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners, 1997, US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (Washington, DC: 1999), NCJ 172871. C. W. Harlow, Profile of Jail Inmates, 1996, US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (Washington, DC: 1998), NCJ 164620.