Background: Studies show that a stable economy, housing and employment is important preparations for release from prison. Clients who are released to a disorderly situation feel fear and anxiety. The Swedish prison and probation service should help these individuals during the transition to society and even offer them drug treatment. Despite this, some individuals experience that they are not helped in the release. Aim: The aim was to illuminate individuals’ experiences at substance abuse after serving prison sentences. Method: The material has been gathered via systematic and unsystematic searches and the study was designed as a literature review. The articles which responded to the aim of this study were included and it resulted in eight articles. Results: Our results will be displayed by themes: To have goals, to stay away from negativity, having a supportive environment, to have home, having accommodation and to have the opportunity to health care. These themes have subthemes: Short and long-term sustainable goals, to use experiences to help others, restart, difficulty, jacking by family and friends, support of professional, a home to go to, nothing to come home to, the ability to obtain a meaningful work, the ability to education. Conclusion: The correctional workers needs knowledge of what former inmates with substance problems felt that they lacked at release. This knowledge is needed in order to improve the individual's transition to freedom and to help them to stay away from drugs and prison.