Substance Abuse Treatment Motivation: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective of Probation and Parole Clients

Over the last several decades lawmaking in the United States has mostly been punitive in nature with respect to crime that is linked to addiction. As a result of the enormous cost to society in punishing individuals with an addiction, the criminal justice system has increasingly collaborated with the mental health establishment to treat the individual’s core addiction associated with crime. The programs of probation and parole having increasingly been used help people with addiction the opportunity to succeed within their community. The role of internal motivation for substance abuse treatment has predicted treatment retention, decreased relapse rates, and more positive outcomes. However, the literature is minimal in regards to the relationship between external motivation and internal motivation in these highly coerced environments. This study examined how external motivation may influence internal motivation within the parole and probation populations