Prison Leavers praise local Drug and Alcohol Support Services

Overall, those we spoke to were positive about the services and said awareness of the help available, timely access, supportive key workers and assistance to reintegrate into society were the key factors that were enabling them to succeed.

Between June and August 2024 we spoke to 15 service users via three focus groups.

What did participants tell us?

Receiving timely support was crucial to prevent relapse and those we spoke to were grateful they could access immediate help upon release from prison. They said drug and alcohol services should provide prescriptions quickly to prevent people from relapsing, or changing their mind to get the help they need.  

(Note - when accessing support, many service users will receive a prescription ‘script’ for methadone to help with their withdrawal from drugs and/or alcohol.)

“We’re given the support before we even leave the gate. Here’s your appointment time and we know if we don’t turn up, we are not getting our script, so we’re guaranteed to turn up.”

“If you want to stay off the streets, you need it the day after, if it was a couple of days later, you would start something again.”

Participants were positive about support services and, in particular, the care provided by staff and key workers. Areas for improvement included reducing the turnover of key workers and encouraging attendance at peer support groups. Many said the services had helped them stop or reduce their drug/alcohol use and given them the tools needed to progress in their recovery. 

“I’m in a really good place now. I feel really strong, motivated and focused. I am becoming a lot more self-aware.” 

“My key worker, personally. They look out for me left, right and centre. They are as good as gold …They’ve done rehab for me; they’ve sorted trauma therapy – they’ve done that for me. They’re in touch with me, rings me when I don’t have an appointment, like how are you feeling, they’re so supportive … You know what I mean they’re passionate about their job. It means a lot to me.”

Assistance to reintegrate into society and the community is one of the key areas that participants said they struggled with – for example: finding housing, registering with a GP, accessing financial support, rebuilding relationships and finding employment. Some said they had been released from prison without a home to go to and this had led to a cycle of committing crimes to escape homelessness. 

“I was only out of jail for 6 days when I did my last crime and that’s because they released me homeless, and I said okay – I’ll just do a worse crime.” 

“So not only are they releasing you onto the streets, but they are also releasing you with no money. So within an hour or so you are breaking the law again because you have no money. I’ve been in that situation loads of times. I’ve even gone back to jail the day I got out.”

Participants told us that denial and lack of willpower were the greatest barriers they faced when accessing support. It prevented them from seeking help sooner and meant their chances of success were lower if they were not determined and prepared to engage with the recovery process. They stressed the importance of having goals and motivations to succeed.

“I got a 15-year-old that won’t talk to me at the minute, and they have every right to be like that, but that’s what I fight for, if they weren’t in this world I don’t even think I would.”

Participants said awareness of drug and alcohol support services should be improved to encourage people using drugs and/or alcohol to get the help they need. Most of them had only found out about the services through the criminal justice system. 

“I found out through word of mouth, there is so much help out there, but you only get it if you get told.”