Compulsory Treatment: The Voices of Young Heroin Dependent Offenders

Abstract

This study is a qualitative evaluation of the experiences of 12 young heroin dependent persons who failed to comply with court mandated treatment orders. Based on a phenomenological method of inquiry, the paper explores their perceptions of both compulsory treatment and an outreach intervention. Reasons reported by participants for non-compliance with court directives included (i) their belief that treatment cannot be mandated but must be driven by personal motivation for change, (ii) a lack of confidence in the efficacy of some treatment services, and (iii) lifestyle issues which create barriers to compliance. Outreach interventions were viewed positively by all participants due to (i) convenience and accessibility, (ii) capacity to engender a sense of achievement, and (iii) humanistic orientation. In addition to providing a voice for these young offenders, the paper identifies the potential for their attitudes and behaviours to be explored within a framework characterised by the struggle that some young people experience in an attempt to retain integrity and experience personal power within a context of systemic powerlessness.