This research investigates how individuals who reenter society from prison use coping strategies. Participants are incarcerated individuals who recidivated following a previous release from prison (n = 20). Participants examine their most recent reentry experience via an interview. The research question under investigation is, “What themes describe how individuals cope with reentry from prison to society?” Data and results combine qualitative and quantitative analysis methods. The predominant coping strategy for dealing with reentry barriers is avoidance. There is a defined process experienced by participants, which is initial optimism about release, followed by craving substances, facing practical barriers, and/or feeling overwhelmed. This eventually results in avoidance of managing problems and emotions and substance abuse relapse, which culminates in recidivism.
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