John: Helping a struggling former addict find his feet again.

John is in his thirties. At our first prison visit, he opened up to me about his past struggles with alcoholism. He stated that he had been drinking since he was a teenager and that it had gradually developed over the years into an addiction. He had been using alcohol as a coping mechanism, to deal with factors in his life that were unfortunately out of his control; impoverished upbringing, childhood trauma, contact with the care system and in adulthood, issues with sustaining employment. He felt very strongly that if the right support networks were in place, that he would be able to overcome this addiction and turnover a new leaf.

Following our first prison visit, I had encouraged John to engage with the Prison’s Recovery Café, and encouraged him to have a Mental Health referral completed via the Prison’s Link Centre, to help promote engagement with services that he may decide to continue engagement with upon release. At our second visit, John stated he had been engaging well with prison-based recovery services, feeling as though those in attendance were relatable, coming from backgrounds and dealing with circumstances similar to his own. He had spoken to a number of fellow prisoners about Antabuse, a medication used to treat alcohol-use disorders. He had inquired further about it and learned that he could have it prescribed by a doctor once back in the community, this was a path he felt he needed to go down, as he needed appropriate deterrence for his drinking issue. At our third and final pre-release visit, I learned that John had begun engaging with a community-based addiction-support service (local to his hometown). After speaking to one of their staff members, we agreed that John was someone who would benefit from employment or volunteering post-release, and that they would help facilitate this through an external partnership who provided part-time opportunities for those who have been through the justice system. I also contacted John’s local council, to be put in touch with their economic development service, to ascertain whether or not he would be eligible for funding for training for potential labour jobs. They were helpful and understood the barriers that John may face upon his release, so offered to contact him directly after he had left prison to discuss options with him. I passed this information onto John via Email a Prisoner, so he had time to ruminate before his liberation day.

Following John’s release, he almost immediately began work, following a successful interview for a general labour position (through the help of his local council’s economic development service). He has been travelling around Scotland recently for training and will also be attending training down South in the coming weeks. He was also assessed by his GP and began receiving Antabuse, to help further motivate his abstinence from alcohol. Vouchers were provided by myself to help him purchase food and clothes in his first week before he received his first wage, and he received a Community Care Grant and Crisis Grant from his local Council’s Welfare Fund to further help his situation. His Disability Allowance (which had previously been frozen) is now back to normal, which he will receive in monthly instalments on top of his working wages, which he is grateful for.

John demonstrates the necessity of voluntary throughcare in prison-to-community reintegration, as well as how beneficial external agencies can be in helping those in need get back on their feet following contact with the justice system. John’s case also highlights the importance of Scottish Prison Service staff in providing help and advocacy in a custodial setting, where often individuals are at their lowest. This multi-agency support is vital for those at risk of recidivism and of great use to our supported people.