Corrections_Today_Summer_2025_Vol.87_No.2

S ubstance use disorder (SUD) is highly United States’ prison population has an active SUD. In the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC), similar rates of substance use disorder have been found among the inmate population. As of 2024, approximately 66.7% of inmates score probable or highly probable on the substance abuse scale of the Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS). This is not just a statistic within Virginia’s correctional facilities; it’s a crisis affecting the lives of thousands of incarcerated individuals and their families, every day. For this reason, the entire continuum of care from outpatient programing to mandatory residential treatment programs are available in Virginia correctional centers. These comprehensive treatment programs play a critical role in breaking the cycle of addiction and supporting rehabilitation. The first step: Understanding addiction as a disease NIDA defines addiction as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite harmful consequences and long-lasting changes in the brain. It is considered both a complex brain disorder and a mental illness. Addictive behaviors seen in this light are symptoms not defiant actions. The good news is that while ad diction is prevalent in correctional settings, recovery is possible. SAMHSA defines recovery as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives and strive to reach their full potential. There are many approaches to recovery from substance use. Keep ing this in mind, the VADOC has many pathways to support recovery. This journey requires patience as the path to sobriety is not always a straight line. prevalent in correctional institutions across the United States. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 65% of the

The Recovery Journey

Others’ Expectations

Lived Experience

Peer Recovery Specialists: Guiding the way with lived experience At the center of VADOC’s approach to wellness are Peer Recovery Specialists (PRS); individuals with lived experience who serve as mentors, guides and beacons of hope for those on the path to recov ery. Since 2022, the VADOC trained 94 inmates in 11 different correctional centers to specifically offer SUD peer recovery services. Through State Opioid Response Grant funding, the VADOC has been able to roll out these PRS trainings in Virginia prisons. The Department has also developed a process to offer supervision hours to inmate PRSs to facilitate certification. PRS training is offered to inmates who are infraction free, are positive role models and are serving longer sentences. Inmates who complete the 72-hour Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) PRS train ing must agree to support an SUD program for at least 12 months. This initiative allows for inmates to find meaningful employment opportunities during incarceration, while supporting the development of ground level recovery capital. PRS positions are allocated to support inmates both within the general population, and within the VADOC’s residential treatment programs.

Opposite page: Background: Adobe Stock/melita; Drug & alcohol graphics: Adobe Stock/bearsky23; ECG: Adobe Stock/Icons-Studio; Life preserver: Adobe Stock/thienhuong

Summer 2025 | Corrections Today

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