Punishment or Protection? A Narrative Analysis of how Coercive, Judicial Treatment Initiation Pathways are Constructed in Drug Users' Life Stories

Addiction has come to be framed medically, rather than an issue of deviance (Shiner, 2003). Despite this, British drug policy allowed for the use of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs), and now utilises Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) in Dedicated Drug Courts (DDCs) (MoJ, 2008). Court-ordered drug treatment can be seen as a necessary intervention, in the best interests of those who reject voluntary treatment. At worst, such measures could be considered tantamount to enforced wellness. But how are these measures constructed within the "storied lives" (Plummer, 1995) of those subjected to them?
In the Security, Conflict and Justice Pathway, this thesis will question: to what extent are judicial treatment initiation interventions constructed as a beneficial pathway toward recovery that enables agency, within drug users' life-story narratives? The following sub-questions will operationalise this research question: do participants feel that being subjected to a DTTO, DRR or the DDC process helped them take control over their life, health, family, finances; or gave them less control? Do participants perceive coerced treatment as a genuine (if constrained) choice or as an imposition? Is personal motivation narratively emphasised in terms of treatment engagement? Is motivation to enter treatment constructed differently from ability to engage with it? Are some forms of coercion perceived more favourably, or as more effective, than others?
This study will use narrative methods. Using targeted sampling, participants with experience of DTTOs or DDCs will be recruited from treatment centres and interviewed using the narrative technique (Irving, 2011). The interviews will be unstructured, encouraging participants to frame concepts of coercion and agency themselves, without being constrained to potentially conceptually unsound (Seddon, 2007) questions. The data will be analysed using the technique outlined by Riessman (2008), which comprises both thematic and structural analyses.
This thesis will enhance our collective knowledge on coerced addiction treatment. Much of the theoretical literature is conceptually flawed (Seddon, 2007). By allowing participants to define coercion and agency for themselves, this thesis could contribute to the synthesis of sound conceptual definitions. Methodologically, narratives of coerced treatment are often ignored (Urbanoski, 2010). This thesis will contribute to the rising use of narrative methods in addiction studies (Damon et al, 2016). Moreover it will enhance the empirical research on DTTOs and DDCs, which for DDCs especially, is limited and mainly quantitative (McSweeney et al, 2006; Kerr et al, 2011). This study could also influence future drug policy.
Background research Y1T1
Methods planning Y1T2
Develop Interview Material Y1T3
Recruit Sample Y1T4-Y2T1
Data Collection Y2T2-4
Data Analysis Y3T1-2
Drafting Y3T2-3
Final Draft Y3T4
(Y= Year, T=Term)