CONMEMORACIONES Y CELEBRACIONES MENSUALES

Jurisdiction Program No. of interviewees

Northern Territory Alcohol program 1

Drug and alcohol 1

Ending offending 1

Queensland Ending offending 1

Making choices 1

Substance abuse 1

South Australia Alcohol and drugs 1

Drug abuse 1

Drug and alcohol 1

Methadone 1

Western Australia Alcohol and drugs 1

Drug and alcohol 2

‘MASU’ 1

When asked whether the programs they had undertaken were Indigenous specific, and what elements made them Indigenous specific, participants identified similar elements to those mentioned for violent offending programs. The Indigenous-specific elements identified were:

having mostly Indigenous participants •

incorporating Indigenous community issues •

incorporating Indigenous culture. •

Most of the interviewees (15 out of 24) felt the substance misuse program they had undertaken would be useful in helping them reduce their substance use when released from prison. Only a small proportion of the interviewees (four out of 24) felt the program had not been useful.

Most interviewees reported they had successfully completed the programs they participated in and had satisfied the program’s requirements. All but one interviewee reported completing the substance abuse program. Almost all participants reported completing anger

management/family violence, cognitive skills and sex offending programs. Rates of completion, based on this small sample, were lower for educational programs, and to a lesser extent employment and cognitive skills programs, than other programs. Prisoners who had been involved in some form of drug or alcohol treatment program while incarcerated reported being satisfied with the interventions delivered. Most of the prisoners (20 out of 26) reported that the treatment they received helped reduce their use of substances. Similarly, 21 out of 26 prisoners felt that the substance abuse treatment would be useful in avoiding drugs and alcohol upon release.

According to prisoners, a variety of substance abuse program and service delivery features were beneficial to reintegration. Half of the respondents said the most useful aspect of substance abuse treatment was learning about the impact of drugs and alcohol on themselves. Prisoners appeared to benefit from the insight gained into how substances influenced their behaviour and altered their physical and emotional wellbeing. Around one-quarter of the prisoners interviewed indicated that learning how their substance abuse affected their family was beneficial. When asked about which aspects of his substance abuse treatment were the most useful, one prisoner in Western Australia said:

Knowing what the alcohol and drugs are doing to you spiritually, mentally and physically. Understanding grog and how it affects your family and life.

Aside from increased awareness, other prisoners reported that the techniques they learned to manage their substance abuse problem, such as harm minimisation and learning to avoid situations that will trigger the behaviour, was the most beneficial aspect of programming. In reference to what he gained from substance abuse programs and services, one prisoner from the Northern Territory said:

Interestingly, some prisoners also reported that the drug and alcohol treatment they participated in would help them to help others facing similar problems. These prisoners felt that the most useful component of programming and service delivery was the information related to substances, including the consequences of substance abuse and the physiological changes associated with alcohol, that could be used to educate their families and communities.

Key respondents

In contrast to prisoner ratings, only one-fifth of key respondents reported that prison and community-based substance abuse treatments were useful to offenders in general. A smaller proportion felt that such programs were useful in reducing these substances in the community upon release. These findings suggest that key respondents feel more work is needed to enhance the utility of programs and services targeting this area. Nevertheless, key respondents highlighted various features of substance abuse programs that were most likely to promote successful reintegration. The largest proportion of key respondents indicated that the focus on increasing self-awareness was the most useful component to offenders. It was noted that understanding why offenders abused substances and how substances contribute to their criminality was helpful in addressing their abuse patterns, and ultimately their offending behaviour. Moreover, these respondents felt that in acquiring greater self-awareness, offenders were also able to understand how their addiction impacted the lives of their family, thus motivating change.

Almost an equal proportion reported that the most useful aspect of substance abuse programming in prisons and the community was skill development. It was noted that developing strategies to minimise the harms associated with substance use, coping with stressful situations which have led to substance abuse in the past and learning how to problem solve were highly useful when re-entering the community. When asked about what they felt was most helpful to offenders, a community key respondent in the Northern Territory said:

Acquisition of life skills, because lack of life skills is the cause of all the other problems. Often [at] times addiction is a symptom of a greater problem. Key respondents also appeared to think highly of the educational components of such programs and services. Around one-quarter of respondents suggested that the information offenders were provided with concerning the physiological effects of drugs and alcohol on the body, and how these effects impact judgement, was highly beneficial. When discussing which aspects of programming best facilitated reintegration, one key respondent interviewed in a Queensland prison said:

[The] education component around impact of substance abuse, and establishing goals and plans, and have an understanding of their psychological and physiological triggers.

A smaller number of key respondents indicated that relapse prevention planning was the most beneficial component of substance abuse programming.