EFFECTS OF SUBSTANCE ABUSES ON PRISONERS’ PSYCHO- SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT AND REHABILITATION: THE CASE OF EAST AND WEST HARARGE ZONES PRISONS IN OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Substance abuse is maladaptive pattern of any licit or illicit chemical substance use that adversely results in psychological, social, physical and health problem of a person. The objective of the current study was to assess the effects of substance abuse on the prisoners’ psycho-social adjustment and rehabilitation in East and West Hararghe Zones Prisons. The study employed mixed method of research design. Stratified, simple random, purposive and availability sampling techniques were applied for the study. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages) and inferential statistics (correlations, stepwise multiple and logistic regressions). Total sample of the study was 438 (M=343 and F=95). Among the major findings of the study, 386 (88.13%) were chat and cigarette abusers. The results from the transactional analysis of the five point likert scales have revealed that majority of the prisoners were responded that substance abuse was affected their psycho-social adjustment and rehabilitation in the prisons. The correlation results were revealed that there was negative relationship between ages of the prisoners (r = -0.317, n=438, p < 0.05, two tailed) and substance abuse proportions among them. On the other hand, the results were also showed that there was positive relationship between term of sentences (r = 0.263, n=438, p < 0.05, two tailed), duration of stay in prisons (r = 0.452, n=438, p < 0.05, two tailed), daily chat chewing (r= 0.789, n= 438, p < 0.05, two tailed) and daily cigarette smoking (r= 0.560, n= 438, p< 0.05, two tailed) and substance abuse proportions among prisoners. The stepwise multiple regression model (R2 =0.564) have revealed that age, term of sentences, duration of stay in prisons, daily chat and cigarette utilization together predicted 56.4% of the impacts of these variables on the substance abuse variations among the prisoners which in turn predicted its effects. In logistic regression analysis, the Omnibus Test of Model Coefficient chi-square (χ 2 = 84.62, df = 5, p < 0.05) have indicated that demographic variables mainly sex, age, religion, educational status, crime types, term of sentences and duration of stay in prisons was affected the substance abuse characteristics among the prisoners which in turn predicted its effects. The availability of drugs in prisons, previous experiences of substance abuse, prison’s environmental difficulties, to get relieve from imprisonment feelings, to forget memory of the families and to fight prisons’ boredom life were found to be significantly associated factors to substance abuse among the prisoners. Deep rooted socio-cultural attitude toward substance use, lack of effective substance use policy implementation and controversial nature of chat and cigarette benefits and harms were found the major challenges to prevent substance abuse in the prisons. In conclusion, the high prevalence and chronic utilization of chat and cigarette in the prisons were affected the prisoners’ psycho-social adjustment and rehabilitation. Serious measures were needed to be taken targeting to prevent and control of the provision, availability and utilization of chat and cigarette in the prisons, which in turn aimed to eliminate their effects.