The Impact of In-Detention Treatment on Female Substance Abusers’ Sense of Self

This study investigates the cognitive changes for female detainees participating in a chemical dependency program that relies on cognitive behavioral therapy to help participants understand their addiction from biological, cognitive, and social perspectives. We examined how in-detention treatment perceptions of self and social connectedness. Qualitative data, collected through essays written by participants pre-treatment and upon release from detention, suggest that the program promotes many of the cognitive changes associated with desistance described by extant theoretical models, including the Identity Theory of Desistance (ITD). Our findings expand our understanding of the identity-desistance link by demonstrating that cognitive changes can occur during detention while women simultaneously experience the "pains of imprisonment." We discuss the implications of our findings for both practice and policy.