The Reason I am Here: Perspectives From Jail on Jail, Drugs, and Early Adversity

Access to people behind bars is limited and contributes to a lack of real-time knowledge about incarceration and its impacts. This mixed-methods study examines how individuals housed in a county jail perceive the effects of incarceration on their lives, relationships, and sense of self. Using a cross-sectional design, 23 participants completed a quantitative questionnaire and in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that the predominantly White male sample reported high exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), early substance use, and substance use patterns that shaped pathways into incarceration. Qualitative data revealed participants’ identity negotiation under confinement, with two intersecting orientations emerging: a collective struggle orientation and a personal accountability orientation. Readiness for change was more strongly associated with personal accountability when embedded in meaningful family relationships. Together, these findings support a Relational–Identity Accountability perspective, highlighting the importance of trauma-informed, family-centered substance use interventions and policies that extend beyond punitive responses to incarceration.