# If drug & alcohol abuse ends due to long term incarceration s it picked right back up upon release? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2016, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-drug-alcohol-abuse-ends-due-to-long-term-incarceration-s-it-picked-right-back-up-upon-release/745299 "2016-02-06T06:36:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-drug-alcohol-abuse-ends-due-to-long-term-incarceration-s-it-picked-right-back-up-upon-release/745299/1 "2016-02-06T06:36:16Z")
Out of curiosity (if there is any info on this) if a person seriously addicted to drugs or alcohol is jailed for several years and cannot get drugs or alcohol while incarcerated do they stay clean after release or is the drug & alcohol abuse usually picked right back up in short order? I suppose my question is does the underlying craving eventually go away if they stay forcibly clean for long periods of time or not? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-drug-alcohol-abuse-ends-due-to-long-term-incarceration-s-it-picked-right-back-up-upon-release/745299/2 "2016-02-06T07:09:52Z")
According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals 60-80% will commit a drug-related crime after release and 95% return to drug use. While they may have a certain bias I wouldn’t be surprised if their figures are reasonably close. I’m guessing about the same of alcohol abusers. The government currently looks to blame a lot of it on their friends/circle of friends and a lot could be the lack of actual treatment in prisons but it looks like a pretty gloomy picture overall. And don’t forget; there is a certain amount of drugs and booze available in most prisons. Looking for some quick figures I googled “percentage of drug abusers who relapse after jail”. It may give some good places to start reading. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-drug-alcohol-abuse-ends-due-to-long-term-incarceration-s-it-picked-right-back-up-upon-release/745299/3 "2016-02-06T07:22:36Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > And don’t forget; there is a certain amount of drugs and booze available in most prisons. This, very much, and most of it is consumed by people who went in as addicts. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-drug-alcohol-abuse-ends-due-to-long-term-incarceration-s-it-picked-right-back-up-upon-release/745299/4 "2016-02-06T11:13:13Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > This, very much, and most of it is consumed by people who went in as addicts. Hmm, I’ve seen every single trick they use on TV shows, but I’ve always been skeptical about how common it really is to smuggle drugs in (nasty booze I know they can make). Most of the methods used would carry quite a lot of risk for the person supplying them (especially if it’s someone who works in the prison), with the prisoners having minimal capacity to reimburse anyone from the “outside” for their troubles (not that they couldn’t find ways, but I just don’t see how it could be that _common_). Do you have first-hand experience being or working in a prison? Or some other reliable cite? (and don’t take this as an attack; I’m genuinely curious) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-drug-alcohol-abuse-ends-due-to-long-term-incarceration-s-it-picked-right-back-up-upon-release/745299/5 "2016-02-06T11:58:24Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I suppose my question is does the underlying craving eventually go away if they stay forcibly clean for long periods of time or not? No, because the reason they abuse is due to what’s between their ears, not what their liver is working on detoxing this week. Yeah, sure, lock someone up for a long enough period of time the _physical_ cravings go away, but no one _starts_ abusing drugs due to “physical cravings”. If you don’t treat the underlying problems that lead to drug use and abuse in the first place all you’re doing is interrupting use, you’re not touching the addiction. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-drug-alcohol-abuse-ends-due-to-long-term-incarceration-s-it-picked-right-back-up-upon-release/745299/6 "2016-02-06T19:18:03Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > No, because the reason they abuse is due to what’s between their ears, not what their liver is working on detoxing this week. > > Yeah, sure, lock someone up for a long enough period of time the _physical_ cravings go away, but no one _starts_ abusing drugs due to “physical cravings”. > > If you don’t treat the underlying problems that lead to drug use and abuse in the first place all you’re doing is interrupting use, you’re not touching the addiction. ↑ ↑ ↑ This…