There are many offenders within the criminal justice system who struggle with substance abuse disorders. Drug and substance abuse has contributed to criminal behavior among offenders. Research demonstrates that people with SUDs are more prone to criminal tendencies than individuals who do not abuse drugs. Several studies demonstrate the association between substance abuse and impulsive-antisocial features. Despite the prevalence of SUDs within the penal system, few prisoners can receive treatment while incarcerated. The criminal justice system should improve access to substance abuse treatment for offenders with SUDs to help offenders fight addiction and ensure public safety and reduce recidivism. Treatment initiatives should be comprehensive to ensure they support substance abuse among inmates, lessen mental health symptoms, and enhance the quality. The criminal justice system must play an active role in offering substance abuse treatment to drug users in the penal system by developing initiatives that fight addiction and facilitate rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
Prevalence of Drug Use in the Penal System
A considerable prison populace within the U.S. is strongly associated with drug-connected offenses. While the actual rates of prisoners with drug abuse disorders are hard to measure, many studies postulate that approximately 65 percent of inmates within the U.S. have an active SUD (NIDA, 2020). An additional 20 percent failed to meet the official standards for a substance abuse disorder; however, they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of their crime. Despite the high prevalence of SUDs within the correctional system, few inmates receive treatment while imprisoned. Taking part in SUD treatment in penitentiaries and continuing rehabilitation upon release is critical to personal recovery and public safety and health. Substance use treatment to prisoners reduces substance use and crime after inmates are reintegrated into society (NIDA, 2020). It is vital to increase the number of prisoners receiving substance abuse treatment to facilitate rehabilitation.
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The Psychopathy of Drug Users in the Penal System
The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is the most frequently employed tool for appraising psychopathy within a given population. The tool has a different inventory of diagnostic facets that are completed on the foundation of a semi-structured interview and other records ( Patrick, 2018 ). The PCL-R can be employed to assess the psychopathy of drug-dependent prisoners within the U.S penal system. Several studies were conducted within the prison settings to investigate the association of psychopathy, appraised by the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) with SUDs. The most reliable outcome from these research studies is that the substantial connection of total psychopathy scores with substance abuse disorders can be exclusively elucidated by the impulsive-antisocial features ( Patrick, 2018 ). It is possible to conclude that impulsive-antisocial psychopathy is connected with greater rates of SUDs. Two recent studies involve prisoner samples that investigated the facets of PCL-R to exhibit a more detailed picture. Findings from this research led to findings that were consistent with previous research. Researchers found a robust and strong connection for Psychopathy Checklist-Revised Factors 2 with SUD ( Patrick, 2018 ). Nonetheless, the implicit lifestyle facet of Factor 2 confirmed greater connections when likened to the antisocial aspect with lifetime symptoms of illicit drugs and alcohol dependency in this male sample population, and with SUD among women inmates in a different study. People with SUDs who lack treatment have greater contact with the criminal justice system. According to Downtown (2015), offenders with SUDs commit crime 30 percent more than non-drug users. Ethnic and racial minorities are at greater risk owing to the disparity in incarceration and treatment access. Understanding the psychopathy of drug-dependent inmates is critical in developing appropriate substance abuse treatment programs.
Role of the Criminal Justice System in Offering SUD Treatment to Prisoners
The criminal justice system should take an active role in offering substance abuse treatment to inmates within criminal justice to ensure public safety and reduce the risk of relapse to drug use. The criminal justice system must develop initiatives that support substance abuse among inmates, lessen mental health symptoms, and enhance prisoners' quality of life with SUDs. Currently, prisoners in the Penal system are not getting the drug treatment programs they require to reduce their substance abuse and criminal behavior. A study conducted in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2009 revealed that opioid-addicted prisoners who began methadone treatment and counseling while imprisoned continued with the program even after their release and were able to attain better outcomes (reduced criminal activity and reduced drug use) (NIDA, 2020). It is important to note that most delinquents involved in the criminal justice system are not in penitentiaries but are under municipal supervision. Addiction treatment programs may be mandated or recommended to offenders under community supervision as a stipulation for probation. Research postulates that inmates who enter substance abuse treatment programs under legal pressure can also attain outcome as satisfactory as inmates who enter the program voluntarily (NIDA, 2020). The correction system should play an active role in offering substance abuse treatment to inmates by recommending or mandating addiction treatment for offenders as a condition for probation.
The criminal justice system must build on existing initiatives and implement practice changes that will increase access to treatment. The criminal justice system should institute pre-arrest programs which would deviate low-level drug offenders to treatment instead of booking ( Downtown, 2015 ). The criminal justice system should look to build on the Department of Mental Health’s Jail Diversion Program. The government institution can also increase access to treatment programs by expanding and supporting specialty courts, such as drug courts. These courts will offer specialized court docket programs that target offenders and criminal defendants, and juvenile offenders with SUDs. Drug courts help offenders with drug use disorder recover from dependency to mitigate future crime. The criminal justice system can also institute parole programs and evidence-based probations to encourage offenders with SUDs ( Humphreys, 2012 ). It is also crucial to upsurge access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in community settings and vital intercepts along the criminal justice continuum. This may encompass re-entry programs and diversion programs ( Downtown, 2015 ). The criminal justice system can also expand the Medicaid enrollment program's application for offenders with SUDs to improve access to primary care and mental health services immediately upon release. Overall the criminal justice system must combine community- and prison-based treatment for inmates with substance abuse disorders to reduce the risk of relapse to drug use and recidivism to drug-related criminal behavior.
Conclusion
The criminal justice system should play an active role in offering substance abuse treatment to offenders with SUDs. The most effective model of treatment should integrate drug treatment services and treatment and criminal justice. The criminal justice system should integrate community- and prison-based treatment for inmates with substance abuse disorders. This approach would support substance abuse among inmates, lessen mental health symptoms, and enhance life quality. The psychopathy of drug use among offenders indicates s strong association between drug abuse and crime. Therefore efforts aimed at curbing addiction among offenders will also help to improve public safety and reduce recidivism. The criminal justice system can ensure that treatment programs for offenders with SUDs include continuing care, supervision, and monitoring after incarceration and throughout parole. This will result in better results. Additionally, there is a need for better coordination between health providers and probation/parole officers to enhance offender outcomes.
References
Downtown, C. B. (2015). Improving Access to Substance Abuse Treatment and Reducing Incarceration and Recidivism. The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum , 1-36.
Humphreys, K. (2012). Federal policy on criminal offenders who have substance use disorders: how can we maximize public health and public safety? Substance Abuse , 33 (1), 5-8.
NIDA. (2020). Criminal justice drugfacts. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/criminal-justice
NIDA. (2020). What role can the criminal justice system play in addressing drug addiction? https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/frequently-asked-questions/what-role-can-criminal-justice-system-play-in-addressing
Patrick, C., J. (2018) Handbook of Psychopathy (2nd. Ed.), New York : Guilford Press | ISBN-13: 978-1462535132 | ISBN-10: 146253513
