Needing Treatment: A Snapshot of Provincially Incarcerated Adult Offenders in Nova Scotia with a View towards Substance Abuse and Population Health

Abstract

Currently, Nova Scotia Correctional Services offers little by way of programming or treatment for adult offenders incarcerated under its authority, despite research showing a positive correlation between substance abuse and crime. Through both qualitative and quantitative data, this research report (1) situates the case of Nova Scotia within other literature that addresses crime and substance abuse; (2) presents a snapshot of the demographics and programming needs of provincially incarcerated adult offenders in Nova Scotia; (3) speaks to the need for accredited substance abuse programming for provincially incarcerated offenders; and (4) asserts that "warehousing" inmates may be addressed and potentially ameliorated through a population health approach to addiction policy, programming, and related treatment services. The purpose of this article is to report findings from research conducted with adult offenders incarcerated provincially across Nova Scotia, with a view to exploring links among crime, addiction, and population health. It is found that a large majority of provincial inmates in Nova Scotia are challenged by substance abuse, that crime in Nova Scotia, as elsewhere, is largely correlated to addiction, and that adult offenders appear to be motivated to participate in substance abuse programming while in custody. Prospects for future research are also considered.