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Substance misusers remanded to prison--a treatment opportunity?
Addiction (Abingdon, England)
|February 2, 1999
Summary
Substance misuse is prevalent among remanded prisoners, with many experiencing dependency and withdrawal. A significant gap exists between the 23% of prisoners needing treatment and current provision, highlighting the need for integrated prison and community services.
Area of Science:
- Criminology
- Addiction Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Remanded prisoners represent a vulnerable population with high rates of substance misuse.
- Understanding the scope of substance misuse and dependency is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify self-reported substance misuse and opiate/stimulant dependency in unconvicted prisoners.
- To examine treatment experiences and identify gaps in care within the prison system.
Main Methods:
- Random selection of 995 unconvicted prisoners across England and Wales.
- Semi-structured interviews using the CAGE Questionnaire and Severity of Dependence Scales (SDS).
- Analysis of prison medical records.
Main Results:
- Before arrest, 19.3% of men and 29.4% of women reported street drug dependency; 12.1% of men and 6.5% of women were solely alcohol-dependent.
- 25% of subjects experienced withdrawal symptoms upon reception; 24% requested treatment.
- Mean SDS scores indicated significant opiate and stimulant dependence.
Conclusions:
- An estimated 23% of unconvicted prisoners require substance misuse treatment, indicating a substantial unmet need.
- The findings underscore the necessity of linking prison-based and community-based services for continuity of care.
- Addressing the shortfall in treatment provision is critical given the rapid community reintegration of remanded prisoners.