TY - JOUR
T1 - Older Former Prisoners’ Pathways to Sobriety
AU - Wyse, Jessica J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by a National Institute on Aging training grant to the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan (T32 AG000221).
Funding Information:
This material was supported with resources and the use of facilities at the Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, Portland VA Health Care System. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States government.
Publisher Copyright:
©, This article not subject to U.S. copyright law.
PY - 2018/1/2
Y1 - 2018/1/2
N2 - ABSTARCT: This study explores how older age shapes processes of substance abuse cessation among male substance users recently released from prison. Semistructured in-depth interviews and brief surveys were conducted with 15 men age 49+, released from prison in a large, eastern U.S. city. A follow-up interview was conducted with each participant (n = 15). Conventional content analysis was used to analyze these data. Aging was central to the stories men told about attaining and maintaining sobriety. Men gained clarity after forced detoxification in prison, which was often followed by a period of reflection and evaluation of their lives. Older age seemed integral for this period of sobriety and reflection to catalyze cognitive change, a phenomenon the author terms “sober aged reflection.” Further, men described a heightened awareness of mortality that had come with older age and were deeply afraid of dying in prison. This fear helped inspire a new commitment to sobriety and concordant rejection of the crime that had been linked with their drug use in the past. Finally, men revealed identities and goals that had changed with time, changes incompatible with ongoing drug use. Policy implications are discussed.
AB - ABSTARCT: This study explores how older age shapes processes of substance abuse cessation among male substance users recently released from prison. Semistructured in-depth interviews and brief surveys were conducted with 15 men age 49+, released from prison in a large, eastern U.S. city. A follow-up interview was conducted with each participant (n = 15). Conventional content analysis was used to analyze these data. Aging was central to the stories men told about attaining and maintaining sobriety. Men gained clarity after forced detoxification in prison, which was often followed by a period of reflection and evaluation of their lives. Older age seemed integral for this period of sobriety and reflection to catalyze cognitive change, a phenomenon the author terms “sober aged reflection.” Further, men described a heightened awareness of mortality that had come with older age and were deeply afraid of dying in prison. This fear helped inspire a new commitment to sobriety and concordant rejection of the crime that had been linked with their drug use in the past. Finally, men revealed identities and goals that had changed with time, changes incompatible with ongoing drug use. Policy implications are discussed.
KW - aging
KW - incarceration
KW - prisoner reentry
KW - substance abuse cessation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85027860472&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85027860472&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/07347324.2017.1355222
DO - 10.1080/07347324.2017.1355222
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85027860472
SN - 0734-7324
VL - 36
SP - 32
EP - 53
JO - Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly
JF - Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly
IS - 1
ER -