Can you get "clean" in dirty water?: A qualitative case study exploring the prison environment, basic needs, and the barriers to substance use rehabilitation

The prison environment has been synonymous with criminality, brutality, and drug activity. Yet, incarcerated individuals are expected to be released from prison clean from drugs and rehabilitated, with little to no access to the basic needs necessary to successfully rehabilitate. This single, qualitative case study explored the prison environment, basic needs, and the barriers to substance use rehabilitation. Data revealed that when basic needs were met, incarcerated individuals had the motivation to reach higher-order needs to aid in their recovery from substance use during treatment and that a negative or drug-infested environment and an unwillingness to change were barriers to sobriety.