Spirituality and Desistance From Substance Use Among Reentering Offenders

Abstract

Prior research has indicated an inverse relationship between religion and criminal behavior; however, few studies have specifically examined the effect of spirituality on the desistance process among a contemporary and diverse sample of reentering drug-involved offenders. A comprehensive understanding of how spirituality is related to desistance from substance use can lead to more effective and evidence-based preventive and rehabilitative interventions. Using data from a longitudinal study of 920 diverse offenders returning to the community after a period of incarceration, the current study examines three distinct forms of substance use (alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine) to gauge the effect that spirituality plays in the desistance process. The findings suggest a relatively high importance of spirituality in terms of preventing substance use during reentry, particularly concerning the use of both alcohol and cocaine.

“I’ve Risen Up From the Ashes That I Created”: Record Clearance and Gendered Narratives of Self-Reinvention and Reintegration

“…Organized religion can provide an accessible “cognitive blueprint” for prosocial decision making and behavior for individuals who may lack appropriate role models and examples in their social environments (Giordano, Longmore, Schroeder, & Seffrin, 2008). Identification as a religious person may increase one’s social capital and respectability; religious teachings may offer a mechanism of external social control; a spiritual or religious community can serve as a prosocial network; and feelings of being forgiven and loved by God may provide emotional support and feelings of peace and happiness that reduce the stress that might otherwise manifest itself in violent behavior or drug abuse (Bakken, Gunter, & Visher, 2013; Giordano et al, 2008). Women may also have stronger desires to build and maintain spiritual relationships, just as they care more about personal relationships.…”

‘I Get More in Contact with My Soul’: Gang Disengagement, Desistance and the Role of Spirituality

“…Particularly relevant to criminologists is the evidence that suggests that meditative practices have the potential to address psychosocial processes that are clearly related to recidivism. For example, research has highlighted that some practices have been found to be helpful in the control of anger that can often lead to violence, and in the reduction of substance dependency (Bakken et al, 2014; Howells et al, 2010). This has important implications, given the evidence that suggests that both drug addiction and violence are often carefully intertwined with gang membership (Densley, 2013; Deuchar, 2018).…”

Coping Strategies and Posttraumatic Growth in Prison

“…The qualitative studies on posttraumatic growth among offenders also highlighted the importance of religious or spiritual coping. In the general literature on coping with imprisonment, spirituality and religion have been described as a key resource for many prisoners (e.g., Allen, Phillips, Roff, Cavanaugh, & Day, 2008;Bakken, DeCamp, & Visher, 2014;Eytan, 2011;Mandhouj, Aubin, Amirouche, Perroud, & Huguelet, 2014;Schneider & Felty, 2009;Tehrani, 1997). O'Connor and Duncan (2011) argued that prisoners attend religious, spiritual, and humanistic practices much more than they did before they got incarcerated.…”