Newswise — A new study led by Liliane Cambraia Windsor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work has shown significant reductions in alcohol and substance use among formerly incarcerated men through a unique combination of critical dialogue and capacity-building projects. This innovative approach, tested in a randomized clinical trial, offers new hope for communities struggling with high rates of substance use and its devastating consequences. Key Findings The study, conducted with 602 men with histories of substance use disorders (SUD) and incarceration, aimed to identify effective intervention components that reduce substance use.
Researchers found that peer-delivered critical dialogue (CD) and capacity-building projects (CBP) were effective in reducing substance use when participants attended the sessions consistently. Rationale for Testing Community Wise for Men with Histories of Incarceration and SUD In the United States, most formerly incarcerated individuals self-identify as men. People released from incarceration often return to predominantly Black and historically marginalized communities that have been neglected by governments and private investments.
This neglect results in insufficient social services and high rates of poverty, crime, and unemployment. The compounded effects of racism, classism, and heteronormative stereotypes of masculinity lead to elevated socioeconomic and health-related needs among these men, including disease prev.
