Supporting desistance from crime: The promise of psychedelic-assisted therapy in correctional and reentry contexts.
Tereza Dleštíková
International Journal of Drug Policy December 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.105067 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Topics | Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Desistance from crime Prison aftercare Rehabilitation |
| Key points | Proposes that psychedelic-assisted therapy may support desistance from crime by promoting identity transformation and personal meaning-making, and that community-based, post-release settings are more ethically defensible than correctional institutions. |
Abstract
This paper proposes a psychedelic theory of desistance, arguing that psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) may support the desistance from crime - the cessation of criminal behavior - by promoting identity transformation and personal meaning-making among criminal justice-involved individuals. Drawing from psychedelic science and desistance focused criminological theories, it suggests that, when administered within ethical and therapeutic frameworks, psychedelics can enhance self-reflection, emotional processing, and inner insight - mechanisms known to underlie sustained behavioral change. Because many individuals in the criminal justice system experience trauma, depression and substance dependence, PAT may offer a particularly relevant intervention. The paper contends that community-based, post-release settings are more appropriate and ethically defensible for PAT delivery than correctional institutions. While acknowledging that causal evidence on recidivism outcomes is currently lacking, it outlines the need for carefully designed pilot studies conducted in collaboration with clinicians and reintegration services. Using Czechia as a policy context, it offers a practical roadmap for both future research and practical implementation of PAT in marginalized - justice involved - populations. The central claim is that PAT should function as a complementary component within broader rehabilitation and reintegration strategies, supporting narrative and identity change necessary for long-term desistance from crime.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psychedelic-assisted therapy, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Learning to Let Go: A Cognitive-Behavioral Model of How Psychedelic Therapy Promotes Acceptance | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Awe: a putative mechanism underlying the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy | 2018 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 34
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study. The Lancet Psychiatry May 17, 2016
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression. New England Journal of Medicine November 3, 2022
and 29 more in the library