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Pharmacological interventions for drug-using offenders.
Amanda E Perry1, Matthew Neilson, Marrissa Martyn-St James
1Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York, UK, YO105DD.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|December 20, 2013
Summary
Pharmacological interventions, including buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone, significantly reduce drug use and criminal activity in offenders. However, effectiveness varies, and trial quality is a concern.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychiatry
- Addiction Medicine
- Criminology
Background:
- This review is part of a series examining interventions for drug-using offenders.
- It specifically focuses on pharmacological treatments designed to decrease drug use and/or criminal behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions in reducing criminal activity and/or drug use among illicit drug-using offenders.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of 14 electronic databases and 5 web resources was conducted (searches up to 2013).
- Inclusion criteria focused on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pharmacological interventions for drug-using offenders.
- Data on cost and cost-effectiveness were also considered.
Main Results:
- Eleven trials involving 2,678 participants (mostly men) were included.
- Pharmacological interventions significantly reduced drug use (biological, self-report, and continuous measures) and criminal activity (re-arrest, re-incarceration).
- Individual interventions showed mixed results compared to non-pharmacological treatments, with no significant differences found when compared against each other.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacological interventions show promise in reducing drug use and criminal activity in offenders.
- Effectiveness did not significantly differ by treatment setting.
- Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to a small number of trials, potential biases, and limited generalizability to male adult offenders.
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