“Trying to Find a Release From My Reality”: Jailed Men’s Experience(s) With Substance Use

Abstract

Jails represent a critical opportunity for service provision and linkage facilitation given the incredibly high-need (substance use, mental health) clientele held in their facilities. With American jail populations seeing growth over the past several years, it is imperative we understand how substance use can impact legal trajectories, and how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may impact a person’s substance use. Prior work suggests men may respond to ACEs differently than women, and they also may be more reluctant to seek help. Through the use of 53 semi-structured interviews with jailed men, the current study explores how ACEs may impact jailed men’s initial decision to use illicit or illegal substances and perceived justifications of continued use in adulthood. Results suggest experiencing an ACE did impact our participants’ lifetime and current use. Limitations and recommendations for future research and policy are discussed.

Keywords

substance use corrections mental health childhood adverse experiences

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