Successful rehabilitation: the experience of charities working with short sentenced offenders (less than 12 months) with substance misuse problems after discharge from prison

An individual released from prison after a period of time is more likely to experience mental health problems (Bradley, 2009). That individual often faces issues like unemployment and homelessness; drugs and alcohol are then used to overcome problems, leading to re-offence to fund the habit. The criminal justice system and the voluntary sector have always worked together to support ex-offenders on their way towards a successful rehabilitation. This study was designed to conduct a primary qualitative research to investigate charities and explore how they support ex-offenders. It was found that although they both work towards the same objective, the government and the voluntary sector do not share the same opinion on what “success” means. This was understood to be a determinant factor in the way government policies are designed and how charities support their clients. As recommendations, policies on offenders management should be made not only based on cost effective procedures but by considering the needs of the offender. Also, future studies could follow the implementation of the new regulations, and include the service users in the research, in order to explore their perspectives on the services they receive as part of their rehabilitation as well as their mental well-being.