Routledge Strengths-Based Approaches to Crime and Substance Use: From Drugs and Crime to Desistance and Recovery

Although there is a strong and growing literature in the two areas of desistance and addiction recovery, they have developed along parallel pathways with little systematic assessment of the empirical evidence about the co-occurrence of the relationship or how one area can learn from the other. This book aims to fill that gap by bringing together emerging literature on the relationship between offending and substance use. Instead of focusing on the active period of its onset and persistence, this book examines the mechanisms that support desistance, addiction recovery, and the common themes of reintegration and rehabilitation. With contributions from a wide range of international experts in the fields of desistance and addiction recovery, the book focuses on a strengths-based, relational and community-focused approach to long-term change in offending and drug-using populations, as well as the shared barriers to effective reintegration for both. This book will be highly informative for a wide audience, from academics and students interested in studying desistance and recovery to those working in addiction services and the criminal justice system as well as policy makers and the people undertaking their own journeys to desistance and recovery. Review "In Strengths-Based Approaches to Crime and Substance Use, Drs. David Best and Charlotte Colman offer a superb collection of the latest research and promising, strengths-based practices related to criminal desistance and addiction recovery. The potential synergy between what have been two quite separate arenas offers exciting possibilities for improved outcomes in both sectors. Strengths-Based Approaches to Crime and Substance Use will draw appreciative readers among policy makers and service practitioners in the criminal justice and addiction treatment fields. Highly recommended." - William L. White, Emeritus Senior Research Consultant, Chestnut Health Systems, Author, Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America "Desistance and recovery approaches to drug use and crime have much in common. They both "look through" problematic behaviours in order to identify the values and needs that motivate them. In this excellent edited book David Best and Charlotte Colman have gathered together experts who explore the theoretical relationships between both models and the potential of a combined approach to assist individuals to pursue meaningful lives as well as less harmful ones. This is a creative, important, and timely book." - Professor Tony Ward, FRSNZ, Victoria University of Wellington About the Author David Best is Professor of Criminology at Sheffield Hallam University and an Honorary Professor in the School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) at The Australian National University. He leads research into pathways to recovery and desistance in community and prisons settings. He is the author of five books and almost 200 peer-reviewed papers generally in the areas of recovery and rehabilitation, and he is the lead on a number of international research projects in this area. Charlotte Colman is a professor in Criminology at the Department of Criminology, Criminal Law and Social Law at Ghent University. She has been involved in several international, EU and national research projects in the area of drug policy, recovery and desistance, alternatives to punishment or conviction, drug-related crime and drug supply markets.