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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for drug abuse treatment
130 results foundAuthor: Goos, Cornelius Title: Evaluation and Phase One of the Core Programme on Treatment and Rehabilitation: Dissemination of Best Practices and the International Network of Drug Dependence Treatment and Rehabilitation Resource Centres (TREATNET) Summary: This report is an external evaluation of Phase One of the Core Programme on Treatment and Rehabilitation: Dissemination of Best Practices and the International Network of Drug Dependence Treatment and Rehabilitation Resource Centres (Treatnet). The purpose of the current evaluation is to assess: whether a network of treatment and rehabilitation services has been established and is operational; and whether the established of the network has lead to an improvement of the quality of services offered in the respective centers. Details: New York: United Nations, 2008 Source: Independent Evaluation Unit Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 113768 Keywords: Drug Abuse Treatment |
Author: Shanahan, Marian Title: Estimating the Cost-Savings of Reduced Crime While in Methadone Treatment Summary: The aim of this study was to assess if there was evidence of cost-savings due to crimes averted while individuals were engaged in methadone maintenance as a treatment for heroin use. Two sets of analyses are presented in this paper, and they were produced over a four year period for a population-based sample of New South Wales methadone clients. The first analysis is descriptive and presents the total number of treatment days and crimes committed on and off methadone, and the costs of treatment, gaol and crimes for the sample over the four year study period. The second analysis reports the results of the use of a regression analysis to explore whether methadone treatment impacts upon the costs of crime and gaol. Details: Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2007. 41p. Source: NDARC Technical Report No. 264: accessed May 8, 2018 at: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource/estimating-cost-savings-reduced-crime-while-methadone-treatment Year: 2007 Country: Australia URL: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource/estimating-cost-savings-reduced-crime-while-methadone-treatment Shelf Number: 116657 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersDrug TreatmentHeroinMethadone |
Author: Egli, Nicole Title: Effects of Drug Substitution Programs on Offending among Drug-Addicts Summary: Drug abusers are generally more involved in crime, in particular property crime, than people who are not drug abusers. Substitution programs have been developed in order to improve drug users' quality of life and to decrease their criminal involvement. Several evaluations, but not all, have reported crime reductions following substitution therapies based on heroin and methadone prescription. This review is aimed at gaining an overall picture on the respective effects of prescription of methadone vs. heroin and other substances. Details: Oslo: The Campbell Collaboration, 2009. 36p. Source: Campbell Systematic Review; 2009:3 Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 116316 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse Treatment |
Author: Matheson, Flora I. Title: Women Offender Substance Abuse Programming and Community Reintegration Summary: In response to continued high levels of substance abuse problems among women offenders under federal jurisdiction, the Correctional Service of Canada implemented a newly designed multi-stage programming model for women offenders. This report presents an evaluation of the various forms of the program. Details: Ottawa: Addictions Research Centre, Research Branch, Correctional Service of Canada, 2008. 41p. Source: Year: 2008 Country: Canada URL: Shelf Number: 118156 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentFemale OffendersSubstance Abuse |
Author: Roman, John K. Title: Cost-Benefit Analysis of Reclaiming Futures Summary: This report outlines and costs and benefits of the Reclaiming Futures initiative, a community-based demonstration project to combat juvenile drug use and delinquency. The evaluation found improvements in treatment delivery and effectiveness, cooperation and information-sharing among service providers, and family involvement in youth care. Details: Portland, OR: Reclaiming Futures National Program Office, Portland State University, 2010. 37p. Source: A Reclaiming Futures National Evaluation Report Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117814 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse TreatmentJuvenile Delinquency PreventionJuvenile Offenders |
Author: World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Western Pacific Title: Assessment of Compulsory Treatment of People Who Use Drugs in Cambodia, China, Malaysia, and Viet Nam Summary: This report deals with compulsory drug treatment centers in four countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region, namely, China, Cambodia, Malaysia and Viet Nam. It describes the treatment and HIV-related interventions provided at the centers, and attempts to assess these from a human rights perspective. Details: Manila: World Health Organization, Western Pacific Region Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2017 at: http://www.aidsdatahub.org/sites/default/files/documents/Assessment_of_compulsory_treatment_of_PUD.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 118231 Keywords: Drug Abuse AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentHuman Immunodefiency Virus (HIV)Human Rights |
Author: McSweeney, Tim Title: The Treatment and Supervision of Drug-Dependent Offenders: A Review of the Literature Prepared for the UK Drug Policy Commission Summary: The main findings of this review show that some interventions can be effective in reducing illicit drug use and offending behaviors with some drug-dependent offenders. In terms of identifying the most effective strategies, the strongest evidence seems to favor the use of therapeutic communities, interventions modelled on the drug court approach and substitute treatments such as methadone maintenance. By contrast, there is very little evidence for the effectiveness of drug testing and intensive forms of supervision. Details: London: UK Drug Policy Commission, 2008. 88p. Source: Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 111156 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse Policy (U.K.)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders |
Author: Cobb, Kimberly Title: South Dakota Intensive Methamphetamine (IMT) Program Summary: This report summarizes the technical assistance provided to the Intensive Methamphetamine (IMT) program in South Dakota; one of the three sites chosen to receive technical assistance by the American Probation & Parole Association. The IMT program presents a unique organizational and operating structure encompassing the South Dakota Department of Corrections, the Division of Pardons and Paroles, Halfway Houses, and the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. These organizations have come together under this program to deliver comprehensive and targeted reentry programming for women offenders identified as having a methamphatamine abuse/dependence diagnosis. Details: Lexington, KY: American Probation & Parole Association, 2007(?). 36p. Source: Technical Assistance Project Report Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118341 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersMethamphetamineReentry (South Dakota)Women Offenders |
Author: Mackin, Juliette R. Title: Baltimore County Juvenile Drug Court Outcome and Cost Evaluation Summary: Drug courts are designed to guide offenders identified as drug-addicted into treatment that will reduce drug dependence and improve the quality of life for them and their families. Benefits to society often take the form of reductions in crime committed by drug court participants, resulting in reduced costs to taxpayers and increased public safety. This report presents the costs associated with the Baltimore County Juvenile Drug Court programs, as well as an analysis of outcomes of participants as compared to a sample of similar individuals who received traditional court processing. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2010. 41p. Source: Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118420 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersJuvenile Drug CourtsJuvenile Offenders |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Title: EMCDDA 2010 Selected Issues - Trends in Injecting Drug Use in Europe Summary: This report brings together data from a wide variety of sources as it describes Europe's current drug injecting problem and plots its trends in recent years. Responses to drug injecting and measures to reduce the harm caused by this form of drug use are also reviewed. The report finds that the available data point to a stable or declining trend of injecting in most European countries, with effective treatment and harm-reduction measures now reaching many users. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010. 22p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: Shelf Number: 119140 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders |
Author: Canty, Chris Title: Evaluation of a Community-Based Drug Law Enforcement Model for Intersectoral Harm Reduction Summary: This report presents the evaluation of four Australian pilot programs in community-based approaches to drug law enforcement. The pilot programs aimed at finding ways to ensure that drug law enforcement strategies, priorities and tactics at the local leval could be made more consistent with the official police commitment to a harm minimization philosophy. Trials were established within Fairfield in New South Wales, the Gippsland region in Victoria dn Mirrabooka and Geraldton in Western Australia. Details: Payneham, SA: Australasian Centre for Policing Research, 2001. 208p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2001 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 118695 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug EnforcementDrug Policy |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Title: Albania: Country Overview 2009 Summary: This country overview provides a structured synopsis of the trends and characteristics of national drug problems in Albania in 2009. It consists of a summary of the national drug situation presenting brief information in the following key areas: drug prevalence, prevention, harm reduction, drugs laws, etc. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2009. 15p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: Albania URL: Shelf Number: 119128 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse PreventionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrugs (Albania) |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Title: Montenegro: Country Overview 2009 Summary: This country overview provides a structured synopsis of the trends and characteristics of national drug problems in Montenegro for 2009. It consists of a summary of the national drug situation presenting brief information in key areas - drug prevalence, prevention, harm reduction, drug laws, etc. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2009. 22p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: Europe URL: Shelf Number: 119127 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse PreventionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug PolicyDrugs (Montenegro) |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Title: Former Yugoslav Republic of Madedonia: Country Overview 2009 Summary: This country overview provides a structured synopsis of the trends and characteristics of national drugs problems in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in 2009. It consists of a summary of the national drug situation presenting brief information in key areas - drug prevalence, prevention, harm reduction, drugs laws, etc. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2009. 20p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: Macedonia URL: Shelf Number: 119124 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug PolicyDrugs |
Author: Best, David Title: Research for Recovery: A Review of the Drugs Evidence Base Summary: The publication of The Road to Recovery: A New Approach to Tackling Scotland’s Drug Problem by the Scottish Government in 2008 signalled a fundamental shift in the way we think of problem drug use and in the approach to the types of interventions that are appropriate to address it. In particular, the switch to a recovery model represented the recognition that the resolution of addiction problems involves not only the drug user, but also their families and communities. It also recognises that recovery is a complex process likely to endure over a number of years after the point of stabilisation or abstinence, and that it is likely to involve fundamental changes in an individual’s social functioning and personal wellbeing, as well as in their place in their community and wider society. The aim of this review was to assess the current state of the evidence base that will help underpin the delivery of the Scottish Government’s drugs strategy – The Road to Recovery. The review examined both the published research base and also the policy context in which the strategy sits, – this provides the link between the evidence base on addictions and the wider context of social inclusion, public health and economic development. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government Social Research, 2010. 207p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2010 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/321958/0103435.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/321958/0103435.pdf Shelf Number: 119789 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Scotland)Drug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse Treatment |
Author: Lulham, Rohan Title: The Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment Program: Impact of Program Participation on Re-Offending by Defendants with a Drug Use Problem Summary: This bulletin reports on the evaluation of re-offending outcomes for the Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment (MERIT) drug diversion program in New South Wales, Australia. MERIT provides defendants in NSW Local Courts with the option of undertaking formal drug treatment while on bail. Re-offending outcomes for a cohort of 2,396 defendants who participated in the MERIT program were compared with a comparison group of defendants who did not participate in the MERIT program but who broadly met the eligibility criteria. To estimate the impact of the program we used a treatment effects model with correction for selection bias. Acceptance into the MERIT program, regardless of completion, was found to significantly reduce the number of defendants committing any theft re-offence by an estimated four percentage points. Acceptance and completion of the MERIT program significantly reduced the number of defendants committing any type of offence by an estimated 12 percentage points, and any theft re-offence by four percentage points. This evaluation provides strong support that participation in the MERIT program reduces defendants’ propensity to commit theft offences and, for those who complete the program, substantially reduces their propensity to commit any type of re-offence. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2009. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Crime and Justice Bulletin, No. 131: Accessed October 9, 2010 at: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/cjb131.pdf/$file/cjb131.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/cjb131.pdf/$file/cjb131.pdf Shelf Number: 119897 Keywords: DiversionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersRe-OffendingRecidivismTheft |
Author: Hall, Wayne Title: Legally Coerced Treatment for Drug Using Offenders: Ethical and Policy Issues Summary: This bulletin discusses the policy and ethical implications raised by legally coercing drug offenders into drug treatment in the community and providing compulsory treatment within the prison system. The bulletin briefly summarises the case for legally coerced drug treatment, describes the different approaches that have been used to implement it, discusses the ethical issues raised by different types of legally coerced drug treatment, and summarises the evidence on the effectiveness of community-based drug treatment with and without legal coercion. The case for, and evidence on, the effectiveness of providing voluntary drug treatment in prisons is then considered. Finally, in the light of the evidence reviewed, the bulletin discusses the NSW Compulsory Drug Treatment Corrections Centre and the challenges in evaluating its effectiveness. Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2010. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice, No. 144: Accessed November 29, 2010 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB144.pdf/$file/CJB144.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB144.pdf/$file/CJB144.pdf Shelf Number: 120301 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug ControlDrug OffendersSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Stover, Heino Title: Towards a Continuum of Care in the EU Criminal Justice System: A Survey of Prisoners Needs in Four Countries (Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland) Summary: Most of the ‘new’ Member States of the EU have, to varying degrees, implemented effective treatment programs and harm reduction projects outside of the prison system. However, effective drug treatment and BBV prevention programs within the prison walls and follow up services for released inmates with problematic drug use still have, in most new Member States, to be developed. Overall, prison policies and practices, in particular in dealing with drug users and related (infectious) diseases, remain an important EU concern. In few of the new Member States the public health imperative of a healthy prison system receives the political attention it deserves. The objectives of the study are operationalised into concrete questions on (i) prevalence, (ii) nature and severity, (iii) characteristics and correlates of problematic drug use, including risk behaviours for HIV and other infectious diseases, (iv) need for care and treatment services and available support systems. The study also assesses differences in prevalence, nature, characteristics and need for services associated with gender and ethnicity. Details: Oldenberg: BIS-Verlag, der Carl von Ossietzky Universitat Oldenburg, 2011. 285p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 22, 2010 at: http://www.connectionsproject.eu/the-project Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.connectionsproject.eu/the-project Shelf Number: 120587 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentHealth CareMedical CarePrisons (Europe) |
Author: Takacs, Istvan Gabor Title: Prisons and Risks: Results of the Research Study Entitled "Risk Behaviours Related to Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections, Drug Use and Services in the Hungarian Prison System" Summary: The aim of this research was to assess risk factors of drug use and transmission of blood borne and sexually transmitted infections within the Hungarian prison system, and also to assess the need, the barriers and the possibilities for harm reduction information providing and service implementation. The research further aimed at developing tools for harm reduction information providing and counseling within the prison system. Details: Budapest: Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, 2010. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 22, 2010 at: http://www.connectionsproject.eu/the-project Year: 2010 Country: Hungary URL: http://www.connectionsproject.eu/the-project Shelf Number: 120588 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersHealth CareMedical CarePrisons (Hungary) |
Author: Adams, Neville Title: Race and the European Criminal Justice System: The Position of Visible Minority Drug Users in the European Criminal Justice System Summary: This is the multi-country report for Europe outlining some of the key issues pertaining to visible minorities and drug use in the criminal justice system. The report is structured so as to ensure that the findings of the primary source research, involving interviews with staff and service users, can be situated within the relevant European wide and national overlapping anti-discriminatory, drug policy and criminal justice contexts. The report structure is as follows: Race and racism, a contextual framework; European anti-discriminatory legislative context; Overview of the normative potential of the EC anti-discriminatory legislation; Visible minorities in Europe and their treatment; European drug policies and legislation; Survey findings; and Conclusion. Details: Brussels: European Commission, Executive Agency for Health and Consumers, 2010. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 22, 2010 at: http://www.connectionsproject.eu/the-project Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.connectionsproject.eu/the-project Shelf Number: 120589 Keywords: DiscriminationDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (Europe)Minorities |
Author: Kramer, John H. Title: Evaluation of RIP D&A Treatment Summary: From 1980 to 2005 Pennsylvania state prison population grew by 400%. Although is not possible to assess the extent to which drug addiction was the driving force for this tremendous increase but we do know that offenders incarcerated in state prison for drug offenses increased 2354% during this time frame and drug offenders accounted for 23.9% of the growth. Offenders convicted of drug offenses are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the role of drug abuse and crime. Support of drug abuse increases theft offenses, burglaries, robberies and other offenses as well. Beyond driving our investment in prison expansion, addiction exerts tremendous costs in terms of lost human resources, and increased health care costs. The growth in prison populations reflect public policy initiatives in the 1980's and 1999's such as the passage of mandatory minimums as our primary focus in stemming the drug abuse problem. Despite significant attempts to deter drug use though harsh penalties and attempts to limit the flow of drugs, drug use seems to have been minimally effected. A1s one Pennsylvania judge reflected to one of the authors, "Drug use is a supply and demand problem, and the more I attempt to change this with tough sentences the more convinced I am that we the way to deal with the drug problem is to reduce the demand through prevention and treatment." This comment joins with a growing refrain from criminal justice experts who see drug abuse as generally impermeable to sanctions and promising results through prevention and treatment. Pennsylvania recognized the need for community based treatment and drug treatment in 1990 by passing legislation expanding sentencing authority for judges to include Intermediate Punishment (IP) (Act 193 of 1990) and building into IP sanctions a strong drug treatment component. Importantly, Pennsylvania supported this with funding to counties for drug and alcohol treatment. The research reported here studies whether these important policy steps were effective at reducing recidivism among drug dependent offenders. Details: State College, PA: Pennsylvania State University, 2006. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2011 at: http://pcs.la.psu.edu/publications/research-and-evaluation-reports/special-reports/evaluation-of-restrictive-intermediate-punishment-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-2006/SpecRptRIPDA2006.pdf#navpanes=0 Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://pcs.la.psu.edu/publications/research-and-evaluation-reports/special-reports/evaluation-of-restrictive-intermediate-punishment-drug-and-alcohol-treatment-2006/SpecRptRIPDA2006.pdf#navpanes=0 Shelf Number: 120715 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersIntermediate Punishments (Pennsylvania)RehabilitationSentencing |
Author: Przybylski, Roger K. Title: Correctional and Sentencing Reform for Drug Offenders: Research Findings on Selected Key Issues Summary: In Colorado and across the nation, offenders convicted of a drug crime make up a sizeable proportion of the prison population. A far larger number of imprisoned offenders are drug-involved or addicted to alcohol or illicit substances. Given the impact that substance abuse and addiction have on prison populations and government spending overall, it is reasonable to explore whether there are safe and cost-effective ways of dealing with drug offenders other than imprisonment. Research has clearly shown, for example, that substance abuse treatment is both effective and cost-beneficial, while incarcerating drug offenders is not a cost-effective use of taxpayer dollars. According to the Vera Institute of Justice, there is an emerging consensus in some states that sentences for drug offenses, particularly those involving simple possession, should be reassessed and that community-based treatment may be a more cost-effective sanction than incarceration for drug offenders. Indeed, the Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy at Roosevelt University’s Institute for Metropolitan Studies recently reported that at least 22 states enacted sentencing reform for drug offenders between 2004 and 2006 alone. This report was developed by RKC Group to support informed discourse on criminal justice policy regarding drug-involved offenders. The report addresses nine specific questions or issues. Findings presented on each are based on a comprehensive review of the criminology and criminal justice literature. Information was obtained by reviewing research, evaluation and other reports with a focus on providing policy makers with objective, accurate, and up-to-date information that can be used to develop safe and more cost-effective approaches for dealing with drug law violators and other substance abusing offenders. Key findings are presented. Details: Lakewood, CO: RKC Group, 2009. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2011 at: http://www.ccjrc.org/pdf/Correctional_and_Sentencing_Reform_for_Drug_Offenders.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.ccjrc.org/pdf/Correctional_and_Sentencing_Reform_for_Drug_Offenders.pdf Shelf Number: 120862 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersSentencing Reform |
Author: English, Kim Title: White Paper from the Treatment Funding Working Group Summary: In 2009, the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice and its Drug Policy Task Force recommended that the public policy of Colorado recognize alcoholism and substance addiction as illnesses and public health problems affecting the general welfare of the state. The Commission made a number of recommendations regarding the need to prioritize treatment for offenders with behavioral health disorders. But the members of the Commission also generally agreed that its recommendations regarding treatment require that treatment be available and accessible to the offender population. The Commission established a Treatment Funding Working Group to investigate issues related to treatment availability and treatment funding allocations. The Working Group early on agreed that the issues of treatment availability and funding cannot be considered without placing substance abuse in the larger context of co‐occurring mental health disorders (the combination of substance use disorders and mental illness is referred to as behavioral health), prevalence rates, the science of addiction, the criminal justice response to relapse, and treatment effectiveness. This report seeks to address these issues. While the report focuses on adults in the justice system, the Working Group recognizes that those in the juvenile justice system are equally important, as are efforts to prevent these problems and to intervene early. Details: Denver, CO: Colorado Department of Public SAfety, Division of Criminal Justice, 2010. 153p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 24, 2011 at: http://cdpsweb.state.co.us/cccjj/PDF/Commission%20reports/Revised%202-14-11%20Treatment%20Funding%20White%20Paper.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://cdpsweb.state.co.us/cccjj/PDF/Commission%20reports/Revised%202-14-11%20Treatment%20Funding%20White%20Paper.pdf Shelf Number: 120867 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersMental Health TreatmentSubstance Abuse (Colorado) |
Author: Flick, Peg Title: HB10-1352 Savings Analysis Report: Review of Analysis Methodology. Pursuant to 24-33.5-503(1)(u), C.R.S. Summary: In May 2010 the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 10‐1352 which substantially altered Article 18, Title 18 concerning Uniform Controlled Substances. These modifications are described in detail in this report. HB 10‐1352 lowered the penalties for drug use and possession and directs expected savings to the Drug Offender Treatment fund for substance abuse treatment of offenders. HB 10‐1352 also directs the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) to report annually on the savings generated by this bill (24‐33.5‐503(u), C.R.S.). This is the first report since the bill was signed into law. The statutory changes went into effect on August 11, 2010. This report describes the methodology used to analyze any savings and presents preliminary findings from an examination of the first 10 weeks following the bill’s effective date. Details: Colorado Springs, CO: Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice, Office of Research and Statistics, 2011. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 24, 2011 at: http://dcj.state.co.us/ors/pdf/docs/Final%201-14-11%20HB1352%20report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://dcj.state.co.us/ors/pdf/docs/Final%201-14-11%20HB1352%20report.pdf Shelf Number: 120868 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (Colorado) |
Author: Justice Policy Institute Title: Addicted to Courts: How a Growing Dependence on Drug Courts Impacts People and Communities Summary: America's growing reliance on drug courts is an ineffective allocation of scarce state resources, according to a new report by the Justice Policy Institute (JPI). Drug courts can needlessly widen the net of criminal justice involvement, and cannot replace the need for improved treatment services in the community. Of the nearly 8 million people in the U.S. reporting needing treatment for drug use, less than one fourth of people classified with substance abuse or a dependence on drugs and/or alcohol receives treatment, and for those who do receive treatment, over 37 percent are referred by the criminal justice system. Addicted to Courts: How a Growing Dependence on Drug Courts Impacts People and Communities finds that providing people with alternatives like community-based treatment are more cost-effective and provide greater public safety benefits than treatment that comes with the collateral consequences associated with involvement in the criminal justice system. Key recommendations from Addicted to Courts include: -- Invest in front-end treatment and services. Providing treatment in the community before a person becomes involved in the criminal justice system can be an effective way to defeat a problem before it starts. -- Implement "real" diversion policies and alternatives to incarceration. Largely as a result of increasing prison and jail populations, states and localities across the country created or are in the process of implementing diversion programs that keep people-mostly those convicted of low-level and drug offenses-out of jail and prison. These initiatives should be encouraged. -- Collect better data on drug courts. National level data on drug court participation and success is hard to come by, making evaluations of the effectiveness of drug court difficult to measure. More data can lead to better evaluations and recommendations for best practices in drug court, and provide policymakers with information necessary to choose where to spend scarce funds. -- Focus court treatment programs on those who would have gone to prison. If a person would have received a prison sentence, then a drug court program can act as a true diversion, saving the state money and protecting public safety through a more intensive period that includes both treatment and supervision. -- Evaluate current drug court policies and practices. Drug court administrators should continuously evaluate policies on participant eligibility that may lead to "cherry picking" and practices that lead to higher failure rates for certain groups, especially those with lower income or people of color. More evaluation will lead to more fair and effective programs. Details: Washington, DC: Justice Policy Institute, 2011. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 22, 2011 at: http://www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/documents/addicted_to_courts_final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/documents/addicted_to_courts_final.pdf Shelf Number: 121096 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug CourtsDrug Offenders |
Author: Drug Policy Alliance Title: Drug Courts Are Not the Answer: Toward a Health-Centered Approach to Drug Use Summary: This report seeks to address the lack of critical analysis that stymies the policy discussion on drug courts, to foster a more informed public debate on the 20-year-old criminal justice phenomenon, and to encourage policymakers to promote drug policies based not on popularity but on science, compassion, health and human rights. This report attempts to answer two questions: 1) What impact have drug courts had on the problem they were created to address: the deluge of petty drug arrests that began to overwhelm courts and fill jails and prisons in the 1980s?; and 2) How do drug courts compare with other policy approaches to drug use in terms of reducing drug arrests, incarceration and costs as well as problematic drug use? To answer these questions, the Drug Policy Alliance analyzed the research on drug courts, other criminal justice programs and non-criminal justice responses to drug use. We also received input criminal justice responses to drug use. We also received input from academics and experts across the U.S. and abroad. This comprehensive review of the evidence. Details: New York: Drug Policy Alliance, 2011. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 22, 2011 at: http://www.drugpolicy.org/docUploads/DrugCourtsAreNottheAnswer.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.drugpolicy.org/docUploads/DrugCourtsAreNottheAnswer.pdf Shelf Number: 121097 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug CourtsDrug Offenders |
Author: Kunic, Dan Title: The Aboriginal Offender Substance Abuse Program (AOSAP): Examining the Effects of Successful Completion on Post-Release Outcomes Summary: Over 90% of the Aboriginal men in federal custody require substance abuse intervention. In response to this need, CSC introduced the Aboriginal Offender Substance Program (AOSAP) in 2004. The first version (V-1) of the program consisted of 31 sessions and was field-tested from November 2004 to June 2005. As a result of feedback from field staff and program participants, a restructured and improved second version (V-2), comprising 53 sessions, was delivered to participants from June 2005 to October 2006. The final version of the program (V-3), 65 sessions in length, was launched in November 2006. All versions of the program were designed to reduce the Aboriginal offender’s risk of relapse to substance abuse and recidivism through a holistic process that examines the impact of substance abuse through the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions of the Aboriginal offender. Contemporary best-practices approaches in substance abuse treatment are also interwoven throughout the program. A cohort of AOSAP participants, who were released to the community on day parole, full parole, or statutory release, were studied for a period not exceeding the warrant expiry date to evaluate the effects of the program on post-release outcomes. If AOSAP reduced the likelihood of revocation and/or testing positive for drugs following conditional release to the community, then the program’s effectiveness with respect to mitigating the risk of revocation and/or relapse to substance abuse was confirmed. The methodology that was employed to investigate the effectiveness of AOSAP is particularly notable because it compared Aboriginal offenders who participated in AOSAP to other Aboriginal offenders who participated in the moderate (M) and high (H) intensity National Substance Abuse Programs (NSAP). Including comparisons of this nature was important because it provided a more conservative estimate of AOSAP’s effect on post-release outcomes. A total of 94 (3.5%) of the Aboriginal men in the release cohort fully or partially participated in AOSAP, and 79 (2.9%) and 344 (12.8%) fully or partially participated in the NSAP high and moderate intensity interventions, respectively. The remaining 2,178 (81%) of the Aboriginal men did not participate in institutionally-based AOSAP or NSAP interventions. Main Findings: 1. Generally, Aboriginal offenders who participated in AOSAP were returned to custody at a lower rate during the follow-up period than the groups of Aboriginal offenders who participated in NSAP-H, NSAP-M, failed to complete a substance abuse program, or did not participate in a substance abuse program prior to release from custody. Aboriginal offenders who participated in versions 2 or 3 of AOSAP were returned to custody at the same rate as Aboriginal offenders who participated in version 1 of AOSAP. There was no statistical difference between versions of AOSAP. Advanced statistical analysis, which allow for the control of offender characteristics associated with criminal behaviour, confirm these results. 2. Only 5% of the successful participants of AOSAP- V 2&3, and 6% of the participants of AOSAP version 1 were returned to custody because of a new offence or charge compared to 16% and 20% of the successful participants of NSAP-H and NSAP-M, respectively. 3. Exposure to substance abuse treatment prior to release from custody was a relatively weak predictor of relapse to substance abuse. Nevertheless, there was some evidence suggesting that successful participants of AOSAP and NSAP-M were less likely to incur a positive urinalysis result while on release than successful participants of NSAP-H. The result emerged after adjusting for the effects of other offender characteristics that are known to be associated with criminal behaviour. 4. There was some evidence that Aboriginal offenders who participated in AOSAP were less likely than Aboriginal offenders from the other program exposure categories to test positive for drugs that are considered dangerous because of the physical harms they cause the individual (e.g., cocaine, opioids) and the effects they have on significant others and the broader community. Details: Ottawa: Research Branch, Correctional Service of Canada, 2009. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 2010 Nº R-217; Accessed March 26, 2011 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r217/r217-eng.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r217/r217-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 121120 Keywords: Corrections ProgramsDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersIndigenous PeoplesInmatesRecidivismRehabilitationSubstance Abuse (Canada) |
Author: Thomson, Nick Title: Detention as Treatment: Detention of Methamphetamine Users in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand Summary: This report examines the establishment and operation of centers to detain and “treat” methamphetamine users in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. It documents the increasing number of such compulsory drug treatment/detention centers (CDTDCs), examines the policies and practices that force people into them, and explores the implications for individual health, public health, and human rights. This approach to treating methamphetamine use is implemented without evidence of effectiveness, and it places people in environments where their basic health needs are unmet and abuse is pervasive. The core issue identified in this report is the use of law enforcement approaches to address health issues. Though drug policies in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos have been amended in recent years to recognize that drug dependence is a health issue, the public security sectors in these three countries tend to trump the smaller and weaker health sectors. Illicit drug use remains a violation of criminal law in these countries, and people who use drugs are treated as criminals. CDTDCs are generally run by police or military personnel. Drug users are often detained using administrative rules rather than criminal laws, and in many cases, do not see a judge or have the ability to question or appeal internment. International actors, particularly agencies of the United Nations and donor states, face a policy conflict when confronted with CDTDCs. At the same time that they advocate for evidence-based treatment, they issue grants to agencies working with these centers or to the centers themselves. The steady growth in the construction of the CDTDCs, and the lack of HIV prevention or treatment, evidence-based and effective drug treatment, or any other medical treatment, reveal the limits of the approach. While opiate users comprise the majority of those detained in CDTDCs in countries like China and Vietnam, in many countries in Southeast Asia it is methamphetamine users who are the overwhelming majority of detainees. The production, trafficking, and use of methamphetamine in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos pose significant challenges to both the law enforcement and health service sectors. As with other problems related to illicit drugs, finding an appropriate balance between the security needs of the community and the health needs and rights of methamphetamine users should be the ultimate goal. The current approach, however, is harmful to the health and rights of individuals, and to the health of the larger community. Details: New York: Open Society Institute, International Harm Reduction Development Program, 2010. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2011 at: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/ihrd/articles_publications/publications/detention-as-treatment-20100301/Detention-as-Treatment-20100301.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Asia URL: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/ihrd/articles_publications/publications/detention-as-treatment-20100301/Detention-as-Treatment-20100301.pdf Shelf Number: 121474 Keywords: DetentionDrug Abuse and Addition (Cambodia, Laos, Thailand)Drug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersHuman Rights |
Author: Morrish, Dawn Title: A Health Needs Assessment of the Hertfordshire Probation Trust Caseload Summary: There is much literature about the health, particularly mental health of prisoners, but very little about the health needs of offenders in the community. Offender Health Care Strategies concluded that offenders in the community would have similar needs to prisoners, mainly physical health, mental health and substance misuse needs. Whereas, at the end of March 2010 there were 85,184 people (80,894 males and 4,290 females) in custody in England and Wales a rise of 2,200 from March 2009. Amongst the remand population, the largest change since March 2009 by offence group was for drugs offences, which were up by 10%. One of the biggest requirements for community orders and suspended sentence orders from Q4 2008-Q4 2009 was for alcohol treatment, up by 13%. Compared to sentenced offenders there were 241,504 offenders being managed in the community by the National Probation Service as at end December, 2009. For Hertfordshire Probation Trust this figure was 3,487 compared to a prison population of 768 at HMP The Mount, Hertfordshire’s Category C male prison. If offender health is to be effectively addressed, the focus needs to widen to address offender health needs rather than emphasis on health care for prisoners. In the community many offenders seem to have difficulty accessing mainstream health services, and tend to overuse Accident and Emergency centres, but have very little provision of preventive health care or health promotion. The physical and mental health care needs of offenders in the criminal justice system have long been subject to calls for reform. Improving outcomes for this group is important both in terms of re-offending rates and successful rehabilitation. Offenders are subject to considerable health inequalities. They are much more likely to experience mental health problems or have a learning difficulty and are more likely to have problems with drugs and alcohol. Details: Hertfordshire, UK: Hertfordshire Probation Trust and National Health Service Hertfordshire, 2011. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2011 at: http://www.ohrn.nhs.uk/resource/policy/NeedsassessmentHertfordshireProbation.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.ohrn.nhs.uk/resource/policy/NeedsassessmentHertfordshireProbation.pdf Shelf Number: 121693 Keywords: Alcohol AbuseCommunity-based CorrectionsDrug Abuse TreatmentHealth CareMental Health ServicesProbationers (U.K.)RehabilitationSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Open Society Foundations, International Harm Reduction Development Program Title: Treated With Cruelty: Abuses in the Name of Drug Rehabilitation Summary: More and more people who use drugs each year are locked away in the name of drug rehabilitation without any real access to medical care or legal recourse. Drug users rarely enter such detention centers voluntarily, and even if they do, they nearly never are allowed to leave at their will. Detention centers rely on physical abuse, shackles, solitary confinement, and other indignities to “treat” drug addiction and extract labor from the detainees. Moreover, they are often overseen by government authorities, with private business exploiting the forced labor inside. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of people quickly return to drug use once they are released from these centers. Treated with Cruelty: Abuses in the Name of Rehabilitation provides first-person testimonies of drug users who have been detained in such centers located in China, Cambodia, Mexico, and Russia. Tied to these harrowing stories are human rights commentaries, which offer an in-depth review of the international standards in health and human rights that are being denied to the men and women who are locked away. Details: New York: Soros Society Foundations, 2011. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2011 at: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/ihrd/articles_publications/publications/treated-with-cruelty-20110624 Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/ihrd/articles_publications/publications/treated-with-cruelty-20110624 Shelf Number: 121870 Keywords: DetentionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersHuman Rights |
Author: Elliott, Richard Title: Treatment or Torture? Applying International Human Rights Standards to Drug Detention Centers Summary: More and more people who use drugs each year are locked away in the name of drug rehabilitation without any real access to medical care or legal recourse. Drug users rarely enter such detention centers voluntarily, and even if they do, they nearly never are allowed to leave at their will. Detention centers rely on physical abuse, shackles, solitary confinement, and other indignities to “treat” drug addiction and extract labor from the detainees. Moreover, they are often overseen by government authorities, with private business exploiting the forced labor inside. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of people quickly return to drug use once they are released from these centers. Treatment or Torture? Applying International Human Rights Standards to Drug Detention Centers makes the case that abuses in these facilities constitute torture or cruel, degrading, and inhuman treatment. This comprehensive analysis relies on frameworks to suggest governments must take action to close these facilities or risk not meeting their international obligations. It will prove invaluable to anyone bringing cases of torture in drug detention to international, regional, or domestic bodies charged with preventing or prosecuting torture. Details: New York: Open Society Foundations, 2011. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2011 at: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/ihrd/articles_publications/publications/treatment-or-torture-20110624/treatment-or-torture-20110624.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/ihrd/articles_publications/publications/treatment-or-torture-20110624/treatment-or-torture-20110624.pdf Shelf Number: 121871 Keywords: DetentionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersHuman Rights |
Author: Ireland. Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform Title: Review of the Drug Treatment Court Summary: The Drug Treatment Court (DTC) was established on a pilot basis in 2001. It was initially evaluated in 2002 and a further short review was carried out in 2005. The court was placed on a permanent footing in 2006 as recommended in the 2005 review. The Agreed Programme for Government 2007-2012 contained a commitment to expand the court. However, in the light of concerns regarding the numbers being served by the court, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform directed that prior to any expansion a further review should be undertaken in order to evaluate its continued effectiveness. The object of the review is to identify the reasons behind the low number of referrals and examine how increased throughput could be achieved. Details: Dublin: Department of Justice, Equality and Law Review, 2010. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2011 at: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/13113/1/Drug_Court_Report_final_2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Ireland URL: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/13113/1/Drug_Court_Report_final_2010.pdf Shelf Number: 122095 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Addiction and CrimeDrug Courts (Ireland)Drug Offenders |
Author: Wilkinson, Reginald A., ed. Title: Reentry Best Practices: Directors' Perspectives Summary: This compendium presents reentry best practices that were submitted by member agencies. The submissions are clustered into five substantive areas. They were: (1) Prison Programs; (2) Transitional Programs; (3) Mental Health/Substance Abuse Programs; (4) Community Supervision Strategies; and (5) Promising or Unique Services. Details: Middleton, CT: Association of State Correctional Administrators, 2004. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 8, 2011 at: http://www.asca.net/system/assets/attachments/2075/Reentry_Best_Practices_Publication-1.pdf?1296149357 Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://www.asca.net/system/assets/attachments/2075/Reentry_Best_Practices_Publication-1.pdf?1296149357 Shelf Number: 122320 Keywords: Community-based CorrectionsCorrectional ProgramsDrug Abuse TreatmentMental Health ServicesPrisoner Reentry (U.S.)Rehabilitation |
Author: Moore, Michael Title: Balancing Access and Safety: Meeting the Challenge of Blood Borne Viruses in Prison Summary: PHAA was engaged by the ACT Government to investigate and report on models for the implementation of a Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC). The project included an assessment of barriers to implementation of an NSP into the prison, and undertook broad consultations with key stakeholders. The PHAA Report was commissioned in response to the Government’s commitment to investigate a trial needle and syringe program at the AMC in response to recommendation 69 of the Burnet Report entitled External component of the evaluation of drug policies and services and their subsequent effects on prisoners and staff within the Alexander Maconochie Centre. Part of PHAA’s process in developing the report was extensive consultation with key stakeholders. This included prisoners and families; custodial staff and representatives; ACT Health Directorate staff; community health and related service providers, and stakeholder workshops and focus groups conducted during the project. The Report makes 7 recommendations related to: legislative changes to assist the implementation of a needle and syringe program in the AMC; establishing clear rules and procedures; an implementation plan designed to ensure optimal health and safety outcomes for prison staff and the broader community, as well as prisoners; and supportive measures related to the recruitment of an Aboriginal Health Worker for the NSP, secure syringe disposal bins, and monitoring developments in retractable syringe technology. Details: Curtin, ACT, AUS: Public Health Association, 2011. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 10, 2011 at: http://www.health.act.gov.au/c/health?a=sendfile&ft=p&fid=1311820623&sid= Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.health.act.gov.au/c/health?a=sendfile&ft=p&fid=1311820623&sid= Shelf Number: 122347 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentNeedle Exchange ProgramPrisons, Health Care (Australia) |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Title: Problem Amphetamine and Methamphetamine Use in Europe Summary: Amphetamine and methamphetamine are two closely related synthetic substances that act as stimulants of the central nervous system. They can be ingested, snorted or injected, and methamphetamine, particularly in its crystalline form, can be smoked. The two substances can be so similar in their effects and appearance that often the user cannot tell them apart. Their effects include elevated mood; a sense of well-being; increased energy, wakefulness, concentration, alertness, and motor and speech activities; improved performance in physical and mental tasks; and reduced fatigue. Among other effects viewed by users as positive and rewarding are decreased social or sexual inhibitions, and the desire to lengthen social interactions or to socialise with others using the drug. This broad range of effects might explain why the use of amphetamines has been reported among many different population groups including soldiers, workers (e.g. truck or taxi drivers, hospital staff), students, sex workers, clubbers or problem heroin users. Of the main illicit drugs, the patterns and geography of amphetamines (1) use in Europe are among the most difficult to describe. There are several reasons for this. First, the prevalence of amphetamines use varies greatly between countries. The diversity of user groups is possibly one of the largest of all illicit substances found in Europe. In addition, a small number of countries have problem amphetamines use at the heart of their drug problem and, when this is the case, it has very specific socio-historical and epidemiological characteristics. The stimulant market in Europe also appears to be changing frequently, particularly in nightlife settings, with shifts in popularity between substances such as amphetamines, cocaine, ecstasy, piperazines or new stimulant drugs such as mephedrone. Finally, Europe is an important producer of amphetamines with several countries reporting illicit production facilities on their territory. The provision of care for those with amphetamines problems is another area in which differences exist between countries. In general, treatment services are more attuned to the needs of amphetamines users in the countries where problematic use of these substances is longer established, while elsewhere services are targeted to the needs of the largest group of problem drug users, mostly opioid users. Organised in two parts, this Selected issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the history, health effects, supply and use of amphetamines in Europe, as well as describing their problematic use and the responses to them in the European countries that are most heavily affected. The first part begins with a short history of the use of these drugs and a presentation of the laws that are used to control them. This is followed by an analysis of drug supply information, mainly from police and customs services. The next section gives an overview of the prevalence of amphetamines use in the Europe population. The last section of Part I covers the mental and physical health effects of amphetamines use, including a review of the information on infectious diseases and deaths related to these drugs. In Part 2, countries are grouped in four geographical regions and sub-regions according to their amphetamines problems, with particular attention given to those with significant levels of problem amphetamines use. Treatment responses to amphetamines problems are also described for the different countries or groups of countries. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Selected Issue 2010: Accessed August 16, 2011 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_120112_EN_EMCDDA_SI10_Amphetamines.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_120112_EN_EMCDDA_SI10_Amphetamines.pdf Shelf Number: 122402 Keywords: AmphetaminesDrug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentMethamphetaminesSubstance Use and Abuse (Europe) |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Title: Treatment and Care for Older Drug Users Summary: The world is passing through a demographic transition, one of the results of which will be an increasing number of older people in the population. With one in five Europeans above the age of 60 — a proportion that is expected to increase — Europe is the continent with the oldest population. By 2050, it is estimated that every fourth person in Europe will be older than 60. As with the general population, there is evidence to suggest that the drug using population, including those who are in treatment, is also ageing. This would bring with it specific challenges for drug treatment services and increase the burden on wider health, support and care services. The objective of the present publication is to document the ageing phenomenon linked to drug use that is now being witnessed in Europe, and particularly the ageing of problem drug users. The current publication also aims to describe the drug use, health and social characteristics of older drug users and to identify their health and social needs. Current policies, practices and the availability of health and social responses for older drug users in Europe are also presented and discussed. This Selected issue begins with a wider discussion on ageing and drug use in Europe, setting the context for the main focus of the report which is an examination of the situation and responses regarding older problem drug users in the European Union. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Selected Issues 2010: Accessed August 16, 2011 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_120120_EN_EMCDDA_SI10_Ageing.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_120120_EN_EMCDDA_SI10_Ageing.pdf Shelf Number: 122403 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentSubstance Use and Abuse (Europe) |
Author: Waid, Courtney A. Title: An Assessment of Substance Abuse Treatment Programs in Florida's Correctional Institutions for Women Summary: With the “get-tough” stance of the past three decades shaping the landscape of U.S. penal policy, the rate of female incarceration has increased at a rate higher than that for males since the early 1980s (Pollock, 2002). At the turn of the 21st century, 60% of women admitted to prison, compared to 41% of male offenders, were incarcerated for drug-related offenses (Chesney-Lind, 2002; Pollock, 2002). Given this, an understanding of what causes females to relapse and/or recidivate is critical in the development and implementation of appropriate correctional substance abuse treatment. Interest in the efficacy of correctional substance abuse treatment programming has resurfaced after a period of years in which the doctrine of “nothing works” in offender rehabilitation was accepted. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of substance abuse treatment programs operative for female inmates in the state of Florida released between 1995-2001. Consistent with previous research, the analyses produced mixed findings. Specifically, while institutionally-based programming did not reduce recidivism, community based programming was effective three years post-release from programming. Further evaluation (both process and outcome studies) and investment in treatment resources that can address the specific needs of females and provide a continuum of care are provided as recommendations for future research and practice. Details: Tallahassee: Florida State University, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2010. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 17, 2011 at: http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-11152010-001219/ Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-11152010-001219/ Shelf Number: 122419 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentFemale Inmates (Florida)Female OffendersTreatment Programs |
Author: McKeganey, Neil Title: Key Findings from the Drug Outcome Research in Scotland (DORIS) Study Summary: This occasional paper brings together for the first time the key findings arising from the Drug Outcome Research in Scotland study. The difficulties of conducting randomised controlled trials of drug treatment services have led to the endorsement of cohort studies (i.e. repeated follow-up interviews with a cohort of drug users receiving treatment in a range of different treatment modalities) as a pragmatic alternative research design for investigating treatment effectiveness. The DORIS study is the largest ever such cohort study of Scottish drug users, being a sample of 1007 drug users recruited from 33 drug treatment agencies (including five prisons) from across Scotland in 2001/02 and followed up at eight months (DORIS2), 16 months (DORIS3) and 33 months (DORIS4). At DORIS4, 70% of eligible respondents were re-interviewed, a follow-up rate which compares favourably with those of follow-up studies of the UK general population. The DORIS sample is almost sociodemographically identical to the population of Scottish drug users entering treatment in 2001 (and recorded in the Scottish Drugs Misuse Database). Concordance of self-reported drug use and oral fluid test data was high and attrition bias (i.e. differential loss to follow-up) was low. The main findings and implications from the research are presented in this report. Details: Glasgow: University of Glasgow, Centre for Drug Misuse Research, 2008. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2011 at: http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_101969_en.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_101969_en.pdf Shelf Number: 122441 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Scotland)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersPrisoners, Treatment Programs |
Author: Larance, Briony Title: The Diversion and Injection of the Pharmaceutical Opioids Used in Opioid Substitution Treatment: Fidings from the Australian Post-Marketing Surveillance Studies of Buprenorphine-Naloxone, 2006-2008 Summary: Opioid substitution treatment (OST) is effective in treating opioid dependence, and results in significant reductions in the negative health consequences and adverse effects on public order. In Australia, OST is highly regulated: it is available only with an individual patient authority, there is licensing of doctors, and a strong focus on supervised administration of medication. Adherence with OST is important for maximising a range of positive treatment outcomes, but is especially important in preventing injection, "leakage" of prescribed medication to the illicit market, overdose and mortality. The introduction of an opioid agonist-antagonist formulation in Australia was a new approach that was hoped to result in lower levels of injection of the medication. By deterring injection, buprenorphine-naloxone (registered as Suboxone) may reduce its attractiveness in illicit markets. Post-marketing surveillance of the diversion and injection of Suboxone was required as a condition of the product's registration in Australia. Reckitt Benckiser approached the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre to conduct the study independently, by way of an untied educational grant. 1.1. Terminology Post-marketing surveillance studies are usually observational in design and monitor the safety of new medications being used in real-life applications. Pre-marketing (clinical) studies usually involve detailed protocol constraints and small sample sizes, and although they may suggest which medications are likely (or not likely) to be misused, they are limited in their ability to detect and quantify actual misuse. Diversion is used in this report to describe the unsanctioned supply of regulated pharmaceuticals from legal sources to the illicit drug market, or to a user for whom the drugs were not intended. Adherence is used to describe the taking of medication in accordance with prescription directions and the meeting of all the specified conditions of treatment (e.g. consumption of the dose under supervision, attendance at designated dosing times, meeting requests for urinalysis, etc). Non-adherence is, therefore, any use of a medication by the individual to whom it was prescribed where the medication was not taken exactly as directed. This includes (but is not limited to) removing all or part of a supervised dose from the dosing site for personal use or diversion to illicit markets, splitting doses, stockpiling doses, taking more or less than the prescribed dose, and injection of prescribed medication(s). This report seeks to answer the following questions: (i) Is there injection of the agonist-antagonist formulation - buprenorphine naloxone - following its large-scale introduction into treatment programs for opioid dependence? (ii) To what extent is buprenorphine-naloxone injected compared to existing OST formulations, and in particular compared to the mono-buprenorphine product, among those receiving treatment and among out-of-treatment injecting drug users (IDU)? (iii) Is diverted buprenorphine-naloxone less attractive in illicit markets? (iv) What influences the diversion and/or injection of buprenorphine-naloxone? Details: Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2009. 143p. Source: Internet Resource: Technical Report No. 302: Accessed August 22, 2011 at: http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/resources/TR+298-302/$file/TR+302.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/NDARCWeb.nsf/resources/TR+298-302/$file/TR+302.pdf Shelf Number: 122461 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentIllicit DrugsOpioidsPrescription Medicines |
Author: Turkish Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Title: Turkish Drug Report: 2010 Summary: Turkey strongly believes that supply and demand cannot be separated from each other in counteracting drug use and addiction; therefore, coordination and simultaneous actions are essential concerning both fields. Additionally, treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration fields are also integrated parts of this process. Thus, these multilateral actions are to be based on scientific grounds. In this scope, reports based on reliable, accurate and comparable data play an important role in the success of the actions undertaken against addictive substances and drug addiction. These reports are influential in the identification of roadmaps for an effective fight against drugs and efficient use of resources by laying down the weaknesses and strengths of the actions undertaken by States through analysis. In this framework, “Turkish Drug Report” is prepared on an annual basis since 2006 by the Turkish National Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, namely the Turkish National Focal Point of the EMCDDA, affiliated to the Turkish National Police, Department of Anti-Smuggling and Organised Crime. This Report handles and approaches to the drug addiction problem not only in its law enforcement (supply) aspect, but also in all its aspects covering all the relevant ministries, NGOs, treatment and rehabilitation centres, universities and media. One of the most important focus points of this Report is to raise awareness on the perception of the tasks and duties of the relevant agencies and institutions in this multilateral and multidisciplinary counteraction. Detailed information and analysis on the current situation in Turkey concerning drugs and drug addiction and on the interventions in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and criminal justice systems are shared, via this Report, with all the relevant agencies and institutions and are brought into their use. Details: Ankara: Turkish Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2011. 204p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 24, 2011 at: http://polis.osce.org/library/f/3796/3079/GOV-TUR-RPT-3796-EN-Turkish%20Drug%20Report%202010.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Turkey URL: http://polis.osce.org/library/f/3796/3079/GOV-TUR-RPT-3796-EN-Turkish%20Drug%20Report%202010.pdf Shelf Number: 122476 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addition (Turkey)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Control |
Author: Kevin, Maria Title: Addressing Prisoner Drug Use: Prevalence, Nature and Context. 3rd Collection of a Biennial Survey of Prisoners in New South Wales Summary: The extent and severity of drug-related problems among inmate populations presents significant challenges to correctional administrators. Inmates presenting with drug problems are among the most difficult to care for and manage. The current findings suggest an encouraging trend in the rate of drug-related offending and drug-related morbidity in the NSW inmate population. Despite an increase in the NSW prison population in 2003, there has been a decrease in drug-related offending and heavy-end drug use by inmates both before and during imprisonment. Encouragingly, inmates also indicated a greater awareness of the risks associated with drug use when compared with the findings of prior collections in this series. Even though this trend is positive, the levels of drug-related morbidity remain sufficiently high to maintain this as a priority area. The findings from this data collection series provide factual data to improve policy and strategy for this high need and high risk population. This data collection also provides a valuable and unique insight into prison life that can be used in the development of further effective management and rehabilitation programs. Details: Sydney: New South Wales Department of Corrective Services, 2005. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Publication No. 47: Accessed August 26, 2011 at: http://csa.intersearch.com.au/csajspui/bitstream/10627/122/2/RP047.pdf Year: 2005 Country: Australia URL: http://csa.intersearch.com.au/csajspui/bitstream/10627/122/2/RP047.pdf Shelf Number: 108596 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Addiction and CrimeDrug OffendersInmatesPrisoners (Australia) |
Author: Larney, Sarah Title: Opioid Substitution Treatment in Prison and Post-Release: Effects on Criminal Recidivism and Mortality Summary: Heroin dependence is a chronic condition associated with significant health and social harms. The most effective treatment for heroin dependence is opioid substitution treatment (OST), in which long-acting opioid medications such as methadone or buprenorphine are prescribed with the goal of reducing heroin use and associated harms. Internationally, OST is rarely available in prisons, despite the high proportion of heroin users among prisoners. Furthermore, limited research attention has been given to examining how prison-based OST can reduce the harms of heroin dependence. This thesis reports on two systematic literature reviews and three data linkage studies on the effects of prison-based and post-release OST. The first systematic review found that there is good evidence that prison OST reduces heroin use and needle and syringe sharing among prison inmates. The second review found that the evidence relating to the effects of prison OST on post-release outcomes is inconsistent and has limitations. As such, four data linkage studies were undertaken to assess incarceration, offending and mortality outcomes for a cohort of 375 male heroin users recruited in prisons in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in 1996-7. Data were linked for the nearly ten-year period 1 June 1997 – 31 December 2006. The first data linkage study assessed whether the baseline data for the cohort could be linked to other databases with sufficient sensitivity and specificity to obtain reliable and valid results regarding episodes of OST. Results showed that maximum sensitivity and specificity were achieved when participants’ aliases were included as identifiers during the linkage process, and that enrolment in OST during the observation period had been reliably ascertained by linkage. The second data linkage study demonstrated that exposure to OST while in prison did not in itself reduce risk of re-incarceration; rather, it was continuation of treatment as the individual returned to the community that reduced the risk of returning to prison. Among participants who remained in OST post-release, risk of re-incarceration was, on average, 80% that of participants not in OST. The third study, assessing re-offending, did not find a relationship between OST exposure and criminal convictions; however, there were indications of bias in the analysis as a result of informative censoring. The fourth data linkage study analysed mortality outcomes for the cohort. Participant mortality was six times that seen in the age-, sex- and calendar-adjusted NSW population, but was moderated while in OST and while in prison. Although mortality was elevated in the 28 days immediately after release from prison in comparison to all other time at liberty, this difference was not statistically significant; a larger sample size may have resulted in a significant finding in this regard. Although OST has been studied extensively, few studies have employed data linkage to examine long-term treatment outcomes, particularly in relation to treatment participation while in prison. The evidence presented in this thesis provides support for the provision of OST in prisons, and for programs that facilitate prisoners’ access to post-release OST. Integration of prisoner healthcare into public health systems may assist in improving continuity of OST as well as general standards of care. Future research should explore how the duration of pre-release treatment affects post-release outcomes and how OST can be combined with therapeutic approaches that address other risk factors for offending. Further follow-ups of the cohort would provide insights into the course and consequences of heroin use in Australia. Details: Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2010. 192p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 3, 2011 at: http://www.idpc.net/sites/default/files/library/OST-in-prison-and-post-release-effects-on-criminal-recidivism-and-mortality.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.idpc.net/sites/default/files/library/OST-in-prison-and-post-release-effects-on-criminal-recidivism-and-mortality.pdf Shelf Number: 122636 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersDrug Treatment ProgramsHeroinOpioidsPrisoner ReentryRecidivismSubstance Abuse (Australia) |
Author: British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Urban Health Research Initiative Title: Reducing Drug-Related Harm in Thailand. Evidence and Recommendations from the Mitsampan Community Research Project Summary: For decades, Thailand has experienced high rates of illicit drug use and HIV/AIDS among people who inject drugs (PWID). In response to the drug problem, the Royal Thai Government has relied primarily on criminal justice approaches such as policing, incarceration, and mandatory drug detention centers. Despite these efforts, illicit drugs remain easily accessible, drug use is widespread, and the epidemic of HIV/AIDS among PWID continues. The Mitsampan Community Research Project was launched as a collaborative research effort by Thai AIDS Treatment Action Group (TTAG), the Mitsampan Harm Reduction Center, the Urban Health Research Initiative of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (Vancouver, Canada), and Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand). This project sought to investigate patterns of drug use, health services use, criminal justice interactions, and health-related harms among PWID in Bangkok. The Project reached 468 local PWID in Bangkok over two cycles of surveying conducted in 2008 and 2009. The purpose of this report is to summarize the research findings and provide evidence-based recommendations. The majority of research findings presented have been subjected to independent scientific review and published in peer-reviewed journals. These findings are summarized in plain language in order to make this research accessible to a broad stakeholder audience. Details: Vancouver: University of British Columbia, 2011. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 26 at: http://ttag.info/pdf/MSCRP_en.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Thailand URL: http://ttag.info/pdf/MSCRP_en.pdf Shelf Number: 122904 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Thailand)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersIllicit Drugs |
Author: Jacobson, Mireille Title: Regulating Medical Marijuana Dispensaries: An Overview with Preliminary Evidence of Their Impact on Crime Summary: Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have passed laws that allow certain individuals to use marijuana for medical purposes. This report provides an overview of state medical marijuana laws and preliminary findings on the relationship between medical marijuana dispensaries and local crime, based on results from an ongoing analysis in the City of Los Angeles. The authors analyzed data for the ten days prior to and ten days following the June 7, 2010, closure of over 70 percent of the 638 dispensaries then in operation. Crime reports within a few blocks around closed dispensaries were compared with crime reports near those that remained open. The authors found that crime increased in the vicinity of closed dispensaries relative to the vicinity around dispensaries allowed to remain open. The effects are concentrated on crimes, such as breaking and entering and assault, which may be particularly sensitive to the presence of security. Hypotheses for what might drive these results include the loss of on-site security and surveillance, a reduction in foot traffic, a resurgence in outdoor drug activity, or a change in police efforts. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2011. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 26, 2011 at: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2011/RAND_TR987.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2011/RAND_TR987.pdf Shelf Number: 122906 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug PolicyMedical Marijuana |
Author: Domoslawski, Artur Title: Drug Policy in Portugal: The Benefits of Decriminalizing Drug Use Summary: In 2000, the Portuguese government responded to widespread public concern over drugs by rejecting a "war on drugs" approach and instead decriminalized drug possession and use. It further rebuffed convention by placing the responsibility for decreasing drug demand as well as managing dependence under the Ministry of Health, rather than the Ministry of Justice. With this, the official response toward drug-dependent persons shifted from viewing them as criminals, to treating them as patients. Drug Policy in Portugal: The Benefits of Decriminalizing Drug Use is the second in a series of reports by the Open Society Foundations' Global Drug Policy Program that documents positive examples of drug policy reform around the world (the first being From the Mountaintops: What the World Can Learn from Drug Policy Change in Switzerland). Drug Policy in Portugal describes the process, context, ideas, and values that enabled Portugal to make the transition to a public health response to drug use and possession. Now, with a decade of experience, Portugal provides a valuable case study of how decriminalization coupled with evidence-based strategies can reduce drug consumption, dependence, recidivism, and HIV infection, and create safer communities for all. Details: Warsaw, Poland: Global Drug Policy Program, Open Society Foundations, 2011. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 3, 2011 at: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/drugpolicy/articles_publications/publications/drug-policy-in-portugal-20110829/drug-policy-in-portugal-20110829.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Portugal URL: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/drugpolicy/articles_publications/publications/drug-policy-in-portugal-20110829/drug-policy-in-portugal-20110829.pdf Shelf Number: 122963 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Policy (Portugal) |
Author: Csete, Joanne Title: From the Mountaintops: What the World Can Learn from Drug Policy Change in Switzerland Summary: This report looks at how evidence-based services such as heroin treatment, injection rooms, and needle exchange can lower HIV infection rates, improve health outcomes, and lower crime rates. Switzerland, a country known for its solid conservatism, was shaken by seeing its cities become the point of convergence of thousands of drug users and counterculture activists, culminating in large open drug scenes in the late 1980s. The country was hit hard by HIV, which was strongly linked—both in the public mind and in reality—to growing drug injection. A confluence of events and people led Switzerland to reject more repressive policing and instead to rethink drug police practices and drug policy more broadly. Health professionals who were persuaded that the harms of drug injection could be controlled more effectively by public health programs than by policing were at the vanguard of shifting the parameters of Swiss drug policy. Details: New York: Open Society Foundations, 2010. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 3, 2011 at: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/drugpolicy/articles_publications/publications/csete-mountaintops-20101021/from-the-mountaintops-english-20110524.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Switzerland URL: http://www.soros.org/initiatives/drugpolicy/articles_publications/publications/csete-mountaintops-20101021/from-the-mountaintops-english-20110524.pdf Shelf Number: 122979 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Policy (Switzerland)Drug Reform |
Author: Butts, Jeffrey A. Title: Organizing for Outcomes: Measuring the Effects of Reclaiming Futures in Four Communities Summary: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Reclaiming Futures initiative was designed to increase positive outcomes for youth involved with drugs, alcohol and crime by shifting the efforts of the juvenile justice system and the substance abuse treatment system to incorporate strategies that are more community oriented, family focused, and closely coordinated. The Foundation launched Reclaiming Futures by awarding project grants to ten communities in 2002. In four of these communities, researchers tracked the efforts of local Reclaiming Futures projects as they worked to improve the effectiveness of interventions for young offenders. The four communities included Santa Cruz County in California, Cook County (Chicago) in Illinois, a multiple-jurisdiction project in the state of New Hampshire, and King County (Seattle), Washington. The four local evaluation projects assessed the influence of Reclaiming Futures on the actual experiences of youth involved in the juvenile justice and substance abuse treatment systems. The studies examined whether youth received substance abuse screening and assessment more often and more quickly after the implementation of Reclaiming Futures. They asked whether youth participated more frequently in treatment programs and received more support services as a result of Reclaiming Futures. Finally, they examined case processing and case referral patterns to determine whether Reclaiming Futures was associated with changes in youth behavior, as measured by recidivism, or the prevalence of new contacts with law enforcement and the courts. Details: Portland, OR: Reclaiming Futures, Graduate School of Social Work, Portland State University, 2009. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2011 at: http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/14831reclaimingfuturesorganizingforoutcomes2009.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.rwjf.org/files/research/14831reclaimingfuturesorganizingforoutcomes2009.pdf Shelf Number: 123086 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersJuveniles Offenders (U.S.)RecidivismSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Williams, Nancy J. Title: Crime and Medical Marijuana Dispensaries: Exploring the Ecological Association between Crime and Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Summary: Routine activities theory purports that crime occurs in places with a suitable target, motivated offender, and lack of guardianship. Medical marijuana dispensaries (MMDs) may be places that satisfy these conditions, but this has not yet been studied. The current study examined whether or not the density of MMDs are associated with crime. Design: An ecological, cross-sectional design was used to explore the spatial relationship between density of MMDs, sociodemographics and two types of crime rates (violent crime and property crime) in 95 Census tracts in Sacramento, California during 2009. Spatial error regression methods were used to determine associations between crime rates and density of MMDs, controlling for neighborhood characteristics. Findings: Violent and property crime rates were positively associated with percent commercially zoned, percent one person households, and unemployment rate. Higher violent crime rates were associated with concentrated disadvantage. Property crime rates were positively associated with percent of population 15 to 24 years, percent owner occupied households, and presence of highway ramps. Density of MMDs was not associated with violent or property crime rates. Conclusions: Consistent with previous work, variables measuring routine activities at the ecological level were related to crime. There were no observed associations between the density of MMDs and either violent or property crime rates in this study. These results suggest that the density of MMDs may not be associated with increased crime rates or that measures dispensaries take to reduce crime (i.e., doormen, video cameras) may increase guardianship, such that it deters possible motivated offenders. Details: Los Angeles: California Center for Population Research, University of California - Los Angeles, 2011. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: On-Line Working Paper Series PWP-CCPR-2011-010: Accessed October 26, 2011 at: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-CCPR-2011-010/PWP-CCPR-2011-010.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-CCPR-2011-010/PWP-CCPR-2011-010.pdf Shelf Number: 123151 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug PoliceMedical Marijuana (California)Routine ActivitiesSpatial Analysis |
Author: Ferris, Melanie Title: Dodge-Fillmore-Olmsted Methamphetamine Treatment Project: July 2006-December 2007 evaluation report Summary: The Dodge-Fillmore-Olmsted Methamphetamine Treatment Project is a corrections-based treatment program comprised of three treatment components, a jail-based pre-treatment program and gender-specific outpatient treatment programs. This evaluation report describes the characteristics of the clients served through the program and changes in key outcomes for individuals who participated in the program over an 18-month period. Details: St. Paul, MN: Wilder Research, 2008. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 1, 2011 at: http://www.wilder.org/download.0.html?report=2081 Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.wilder.org/download.0.html?report=2081 Shelf Number: 123193 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsDrug Abuse TreatmentMethamphetamine AbuseSubstance Abuse TreatmentTreatment Programs |
Author: Stoové, Mark Title: External Component of the Evaluation of Drug Policies and Services and their Subsequent Effects on Prisoners and Staff within the Alexander Maconochie Centre Summary: Meeting the health and wellbeing needs of our detainees presents distinct challenges. Most of our detainees have complex health histories - 91 percent of surveyed inmates reported a lifetime use of illicit drugs, with two-thirds of those having a heroin addiction. Three quarters of respondents reported that their current prison sentence was related to drugs and 79 per cent reported that they were affected by drugs when they committed the relevant offence. While the Report acknowledges that the ACT Corrections Health Program and Forensic Mental Health counselling services are providing effective services and activities for the inmates, it also demonstrates that there is more work to be done. Details: Melbourne: Burnet Institute, 2011. 197p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 15, 2011 at: http://www.health.act.gov.au/c/health?a=sendfile&ft=p&fid=1302161190&sid= Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.health.act.gov.au/c/health?a=sendfile&ft=p&fid=1302161190&sid= Shelf Number: 123367 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersDrug PoliciesPrisoners (Australia) |
Author: Mitchell, Ojmarrh Title: Drug Courts’ Effects on Criminal Offending for Juveniles and Adults Summary: Drug courts are specialized courts in which court actors collaboratively use the legal and moral authority of the court to monitor drug-involved offenders’ abstinence from drug use via frequent drug testing and compliance with individualized drug treatment programs. Drug courts have proliferated across the United States in the past 20 years and been adopted in countries outside the United States. Drug courts also have expanded to non-traditional populations (juvenile and DWI offenders). The objective of this review is to systematically review quasi-experimental and experimental (RCT) evaluations of the effectiveness of drug courts in reducing recidivism, including drug courts for juvenile and DWI offenders. This systematic review critically assesses drug courts’ effects on recidivism in the short- and long-term, the methodological soundness of the existing evidence, and the relationship between drug court features and effectiveness. Details: Oslo, Norway: Campbell Collaboration, 2012. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Campbell Systematic Review 2012:4: Accessed February 28, 2012 at: http://www.ndcrc.org/sites/default/files/mitchell_drugcourts_review.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.ndcrc.org/sites/default/files/mitchell_drugcourts_review.pdf Shelf Number: 124302 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug CourtsDrug OffendersProblem-Solving CourtsRecidivism |
Author: Jones, Andrew Title: The Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS): Final Outcomes Report Summary: This report summarises follow-up data from the Drug Treatment Outcomes Research Study (DTORS): a longitudinal study that explores the outcomes of drug treatment in England. The overriding finding is that treatment reduces the harmful behaviours that are associated with problem drug use. The majority of treatment seekers received carecoordinated treatment, expressed satisfaction with their care, were retained in treatment beyond three months, reported significant and substantial reductions in drug use and offending, and improvements in mental well-being and social functioning. DTORS has measured a broad range of outcomes. Where comparable, the positive DTORS outcomes are equivalent to, or better than, those observed a decade ago by NTORS, the previous national outcomes study. Alongside the fact that the number of people in contact with treatment services has more than doubled over the last decade, this suggests that the drug-treatment system has been responding effectively by increasing numbers in treatment and improving treatment effectiveness. Most improvements occur within the first few months of entering treatment. The changes in behaviour observed at first follow-up (three to five months after initial interview) are mainly only sustained at second follow-up (11 to13 months), although there are some additional improvements during this later stage of treatment. This may suggest that there are opportunities to further capitalise on the early gains that are achieved. Further work is needed to establish whether these gains are sustained once treatment has stopped. Levels of drug use declined rapidly within the first three months of starting treatment, and then continued at the same rate, for up to six months. These findings support the validity of the national performance indicator of retention in treatment for at least three months, but suggest potential value in longer measures of retention than currently employed as well as the need for treatment facilities to focus on a continuing process of change. Details: London: Home Office, 2009. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Home Office Research Report 24: Accessed April 11, 2012 at: http://www.dtors.org.uk/reports/DTORS_Final_Main.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.dtors.org.uk/reports/DTORS_Final_Main.pdf Shelf Number: 124935 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (U.K.)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders |
Author: Cowen, Nick Title: Rehabilitating Drug Policy: What Can We Do Better to Reduce Offending by Drug Addicts? Summary: This report examines what is currently working in drug rehabilitation, and what could be done better, with specific reference to the criminal justice system and criminal justice outcomes in England and Wales. The following sections attempt to answer two key questions: 1. What drug interventions are effective? 2. How should effective drug interventions be delivered? The primary evidence is a series of open-ended interviews with practitioners and advocates in the field of drug addiction. In addition, this report attempts to distil some of the implications of current empirical evidence on treatment. Greater weight is given to systematic reviews of the evidence where they have been carried out. Details: London: Civitas, 2012. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 30, 2012 at: http://www.civitas.org.uk/crime/RehabilitatingDrugsPolicy2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.civitas.org.uk/crime/RehabilitatingDrugsPolicy2012.pdf Shelf Number: 125097 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (U.K.)Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersDrug Policy |
Author: Great Britain. National Health Service. National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse Title: Breaking the Link: The Role of Drug Treatment in Tackling Crime Summary: The relationship between problem drug use and crime is complex. Even so, all the evidence indicates that problem drug users are responsible for a large percentage of acquisitive crime, such as shoplifting and burglary. As a direct consequence of the crime they commit, these problem drug users are highly likely to end up in the criminal justice system at some point. Some will serve community sentences, others will be sent to prison. In either case, the criminal justice system now compels them to confront their drug problems. Drug treatment for offenders in the community has improved enormously over the past decade, in terms of availability and quality. Prisons are now catching up, with the introduction of a new treatment regime – the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS). The NTA is now responsible for implementing IDTS in prisons, and this report, in part, looks at the progress that has been made so far. Prisons are logical places to engage problem drug users in effective treatment. The aim is to break the link between their drug use and criminal behaviour, so that they don’t reoffend on release and have the opportunity to recover and reintegrate with society. In this way, effective treatment can liberate them, their families, and the communities that suffer as a result of drug-related crime. Drug treatment has been available in prisons for some time, but this is the first time there will be an evidence-based, individual-focused system offering consistent treatment in all prisons in England. IDTS seeks to ensure that problem drug users in prisons have access to the same quality of treatment as those in the community, and the same chance to rebuild their lives. This report is therefore about the positive impact drug treatment can have towards reducing crime, cutting the cost of drug-related harm to society, and making communities safer for everyone. Details: London: National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, 2004. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2012 at: http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/nta_criminaljustice_0809.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nta.nhs.uk/uploads/nta_criminaljustice_0809.pdf Shelf Number: 125261 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and Crime (U.K.)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) Title: Cost and Financing of Drug Treatment Services in Europe: An Exploratory Study Summary: Recent estimates suggest that, each year, over 1 million Europeans receive treatment for problems related to the use of illicit drugs (EMCDDA, 2010). Of these, more than half receive opioid substitution treatment for problems related to opioid drugs, primarily heroin. The current levels of provision of drug treatment services in the European Union are the result of an expansion of services that has taken place during the last two decades. For much of that time, services expanded against a background of a growing drug problem, and one in which economic conditions were largely favourable. Now, however, in an era of cuts in government expenditure, managing the costs of treatment and ensuring the highest quality and best outcomes for the lowest possible cost are priorities. While measuring and improving drug treatment outcomes have been relatively high on the research agenda in recent years, the cost of treatment has received far less research attention. Addressing this information gap is likely to have a number of benefits for both decision-makers and treatment providers. On the one hand, service providers need accurate information on the costs of service provision in order to plan the allocation of resources. On the other, decision-makers and funders can use such information as a means of cost control, for example, by comparing costs of similar services or those of alternative providers of similar services. Finally, as a part of a fuller economic analysis, information on service costs is needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of interventions and treatment programmes. The cost of drug treatment in Europe is looked at from two main angles in this Selected issue. First, it presents an overview of the main sources of drug treatment funding and the financing mechanisms that are employed in European countries. The available data are presented on who is paying for drug treatment, how funding is organised, and how funding is distributed among different treatment modalities. This is followed by an analysis of the unit costs of different types of drug treatment. Costs related to opioid substitution treatment including the costs of substitution medication for a number of European countries are presented here. This publication keeps a tight focus on the cost of drug treatment and does not attempt to undertake a broader economic analysis of the healthcare and social costs relating to illicit drugs. Exploring the cost and financing of drug treatment services in Europe This Selected issue represents a first attempt to provide a European overview of drug treatment costs, and individual countries are brought into focus to illustrate specific aspects of the analysis. This subject is both topical and methodologically challenging. The varying availability of information as well as the complexity of funding arrangements mean that, at best, only very incomplete estimates can be made of the costs of (or expenditure on) drug treatment in Europe. Details: Luxembourg: Publications Offi ce of the European Union, 2011. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Selected Issue 2011: Accessed September 27, 2012 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_143682_EN_TDSI11001ENC.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_143682_EN_TDSI11001ENC.pdf Shelf Number: 126480 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Europe)Drug Abuse TreatmentIllicit Drugs |
Author: Ricklund, Peter Title: Rapid Referral Program: Spectrum Youth & Family Services: Outcome Evaluation Summary: The Rapid Referral Program is a partnership between Spectrum Youth & Family Services of Burlington, Vermont and the Chittenden County District Court. The purpose of this partnership is to increase access to mental health and substance abuse assessment services for individuals involved in the criminal justice system whose charge(s) are related to substance use. The main objective of the Program is to provide judges with a mechanism at arraignment to rapidly refer defendants to Spectrum Youth Services for substance abuse screening and treatment rather than delaying services until the case is disposed by the court. An outcome evaluation attempts to determine the effects that a program has on its participants. In the case of the Rapid Referral Program (hereafter “the Program”), the objective of this outcome evaluation was to determine the extent to which the Program impacts recidivism among Program participants. An indicator of post-Program criminal behavior that is commonly used in outcome evaluations of criminal justice programs is the number of participants who recidivate -- that is, are convicted of a crime after they complete the Program. For this study an analysis of the criminal history records of the 171 subjects who were referred and accepted into the Program from November, 2008 to September, 2011 was conducted using the Vermont criminal history record of participants as provided by the Vermont Criminal Information Center at the Department of Public Safety. The Vermont criminal history record on which the recidivism analysis was based included all charges and convictions prosecuted in a Vermont District Court that were available as of December 5, 2011. The criminal records on which the study was based do not contain Federal prosecutions, out-of-state prosecutions, or traffic tickets. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS 1. The Rapid Referral Program serves its designated target population. 2. The Rapid Referral Program serves defendants who possess a variety of risk factors generally considered to be related to recidivism. 3. The Rapid Referral Program appears to be a promising approach for positively impacting recidivism among Program participants. 4. The vast majority of Rapid Referral Program participants that recidivate are convicted of new crimes within one year of Program completion. Estimates suggest that the percentage of participants who recidivate is not likely to increase as post-Program elapsed time continues to increase for participants. 5. Generally, post-Program reconvictions for Rapid Referral Program participants involved minor types of crime. 6. The Rapid Referral Program seems to be relatively successful in reducing the number of reconvictions for alcohol and drug crimes among participants after Program completion. 7. The Rapid Referral Program recidivists tended to commit post-Program crime in Chittenden County. Details: Northfield Falls, VT: Vermont Center for Justice Research, 2012. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2012 at: http://www.vcjr.org/reports/reportscrimjust/downloads-2/files/Spectrum%20Report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.vcjr.org/reports/reportscrimjust/downloads-2/files/Spectrum%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 126747 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentMental Health ServicesRecidivismSubstance Abuse (Vermont) |
Author: Mitchell, Ojmarrh Title: The Effectiveness of Incarceration-Based Drug Treatment on Criminal Behavior: A Systematic Review Summary: Many, if not most, incarcerated offenders have substance abuse problems. Without effective treatment, these substance-abusing offenders are likely to persist in non-drug offending. The period of incarceration offers an opportunity to intervene in the cycle of drug abuse and crime. Although many types of incarceration-based drug treatment programs are available (e.g., therapeutic communities and group counseling), the effectiveness of these programs is unclear. The objective of this research synthesis is to systematically review quasi-experimental and experimental (RCT) evaluations of the effectiveness of incarceration-based drug treatment programs in reducing post-release recidivism and drug relapse. A secondary objective of this synthesis is to examine variation in effectiveness by programmatic, sample, and methodological features. In this update of the original 2006 review (see Mitchell, Wilson, and MacKenzie, 2006), studies made available since the original review were included in an effort to keep current with emerging research. Details: Oslo: Campbell Collaboration, 2012. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Campbell Systematic Reviews 2012:18: Accessed November 9, 2012 at: www.campbellcollaboration.org Year: 2012 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 126905 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders |
Author: Drake, Elizabeth Title: Chemical Dependency Treatment for Offenders: A Review of the Evidence and Benefit-Cost Findings Summary: The Washington State Institute for Public Policy was directed by the 2012 Legislature to review whether chemical dependency treatment in the adult and juvenile justice systems reduces crime and substance abuse. The Institute was also asked to estimate the monetary benefits and costs of these programs. We conducted a systematic review of research studies to determine if, on average, these programs have been shown to reduce crime. To narrow our review of this vast literature, we focused on the type of chemical dependency programs funded by Washington taxpayers. We located 55 unique studies with sufficient research rigor to include in our review. Programs for adult offenders have been evaluated more frequently than for juveniles. Of the 55 studies, 45 evaluated treatments delivered to adults while only 10 were for juveniles. Our findings indicate a variety of chemical dependency treatments are effective at reducing crime. Recidivism is reduced by 4-9%. Some programs also have benefits that substantially exceed costs. We found that community case management for adult substance abusers has a larger effect when coupled with “swift and certain.” This finding is consistent with an emerging trend in the criminal justice literature—that swiftness and certainty of punishment has a larger deterrent effect than the severity of punishment. Details: Olympia, WA: Washignton State Institute for Public Policy, 2012. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 5, 2013 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/12-12-1201.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/12-12-1201.pdf Shelf Number: 127838 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrub Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (U.S.) |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Title: Drug Use in Pakistan 2013: Technical Summary Report Summary: This technical summary report on drug use in Pakistan provides baseline information on the prevalence and patterns of drug use. Although several assessments of drug use have been carried out since 1982 in Pakistan, a more comprehensive study was required to understand the extent of drug use and substance misuse. In 2010, the Government of Pakistan Departmental Development Working Party (DDWP) approved a contribution from the national development budget to support more complete research on the drug use situation. The information generated is intended to inform Federal and provincial governments, civil society, and private-sector organizations when designing and implementing effective drug demand reduction interventions including prevention, treatment, and care services that are targeted, responsive, and needs-led. Highly-stigmatized and illegal behaviours, such as drug use, can be extremely challenging to survey. Since any single direct or indirect method has inherent limitations in reliably estimating drug use prevalence, a multi-faceted approach was adopted where several methods were combined. National implementing partners conducted a total of four studies in 2012 covering all four provinces of Pakistan as well as Pakistan-administered Kashmir. A National Health Behaviour Survey (NHBS) based on a household survey approach was conducted by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (n = 51,453). Three further studies were conducted by the Centre for Global Public Health Pakistan, University of Manitoba: an assessment of problem drug users (n = 3,330); an assessment of key informants (n = 1,196) and an assessment of selected drug treatment centres. The estimates generated refer to the annual prevalence of drug use or substance misuse. That is, the proportion or percentage of the population aged 15 to 642 who used any illicit substance in the past 12 months. Estimates for drug use prevalence were calculated independently for each drug type and a combination of two or more direct and indirect methods were used, including self-reported direct estimations, the multiplier-benchmark method, and the network-scale up method. After independent calculations were generated for each drug or substance, these were summed together with the overall figure adjusted to take into account poly-drug use. This report is a technical summary of findings detailing the extent of the drug use problem in Pakistan and the consequences of drug use. In consideration of the key findings, this report also details several steps which can be taken to reduce drug use and associated problems. A full report is currently under development and is due for release in the second quarter of 2013. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2013. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2013 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan/2013.03.01ab_Summary_Report_Drug_Use_in_Pakistan_SvdV_v1.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Pakistan URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/pakistan/2013.03.01ab_Summary_Report_Drug_Use_in_Pakistan_SvdV_v1.pdf Shelf Number: 128153 Keywords: Drug Abuse ControlDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Use and Abuse (Pakistan)Substance Abuse |
Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Home Affairs Committee Title: Drugs: Breaking the Cycle. Ninth Report of Session 2012–13 Summary: Key facts • England and Wales has almost the lowest recorded level of drug use in the adult population since measurement began in 1996. Individuals reporting use of any drug in the last year fell significantly from 11.1% in 1996 to 8.9% in 2011–12. There was also a substantial fall in the use of cannabis from 9.5% in 1996 to 6.9% in 2011–12. • The prevalence of drug use among 11 to 15 year olds has also declined since 2001. In 2010, 18% of pupils reported that they had ever taken drugs and 12% said they had taken drugs in the last year, compared with 29% and 20% in 2001. • Around four in five adults (78%) who had taken any illicit drug in the last year thought it was very or fairly easy for them to personally get illegal drugs when they wanted them: around a third (34%) thought it was very easy and 44% thought it fairly easy. Adults who had not taken any illicit drug in the last year perceived a slightly lower level of ease of obtaining illegal drugs if they wanted them (75% perceived it to be very or fairly easy to obtain drugs compared with 78% of those that had taken drugs in the last year). • Around 50% of all organised crime groups are involved in drugs and 80% of the most harmful groups are involved in drugs predominantly in importation/supply of class A drugs. • Drugs account for some 20% of all crime proceeds, about half of transnational organized crime proceeds and between 0.6% and 0.9% of global GDP. Drug-related profits available for money-laundering through the financial system would be equivalent to between 0.4% and 0.6% of global GDP. Details: London: The Stationery Office Limited, 2012. 149p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmhaff/184/184.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmhaff/184/184.pdf Shelf Number: 128257 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug AddictionDrug OffendersDrug Use and Abuse (U.K.)Organized Crime |
Author: Cheesman, Fred L. Title: Virginia Adult Drug Treatment Courts Impact Study Summary: To date, Virginia has formally implemented 16 adult drug treatment courts. Data from twelve of Virginia’s adult drug treatment courts are included in this report. The twelve adult drug court sites included in this study are: • Charlottesville/Albemarle Adult Drug Court • Chesterfield/Colonial Heights Adult Drug Court • Hampton Adult Drug Court • Henrico Adult Drug Court • Loudoun Adult Drug Court • Newport News Adult Drug Court • Norfolk Adult Drug Court • Portsmouth Adult Drug Court • Rappahannock Regional Adult Drug Court • Roanoke Adult Drug Court • Richmond Adult Drug Court • Staunton Adult Drug Court The other four operational adult drug treatment courts - Tazewell Adult Drug Court, Hopewell/Prince George Adult Drug Court, Bristol Adult Drug Court and Chesapeake Adult Drug Court – were excluded from the study due to limited available data. A total of 1,156 drug court participants were included in the primary analysis of demographics and service level information. For all of the remaining analysis, only the participants that were matched with the comparison group are included (n=972). This report summarizes evaluation findings with respect to several primary issues, such as post-program recidivism, within-program outcomes, and drug treatment court performance measures. Several interesting findings have emerged which are consistent with prevailing drug treatment court trends. Key findings are summarized below. • Virginia drug courts provide a variety of services, substance abuse and ancillary, to participants while at the same time holding them accountable by means of drug testing, sanctions and incentives, and frequent contacts with the court and court staff. • The profile of the typical drug court participant is a young male, unemployed, with limited education, and prior felony, misdemeanor, and drug convictions. This suggests that Virginia’s adult drug courts service high-risk, high-needs offenders. • Virginia drug court participants report cocaine, alcohol, and opiates as their primary drugs of choice. Frequent drug testing indicates that while most participants test positive for illicit drugs at some point in the program, drug use decreases dramatically over time. Lengthy periods of continuous sobriety are observed among drug court participants while enrolled in drug court. Results also indicate that participants are more likely to be employed when they exit their respective programs than when they entered their programs. • About 50 percent of dug court participants successfully graduate their program, very much in-line with national estimates. On average, graduates spend around 1.7 years in their respective programs before graduation, which is slightly higher than recommended best practices. Participants that do not graduate spend about a year in drug court before termination. It is recommended that Virginia drug court programs critically examine their termination policies and strive to reduce their rate of terminations. • Drug court graduates are significantly less likely than terminated clients to recidivate than drug court participants as a whole (combining graduates with non-graduates). • A carefully selected comparison group was used to allow for comparisons between the drug court group, as a whole, and a “business as usual” comparison group. Propensity score matching eliminated or reduced most of the differences between drug court participants and offenders convicted of drug court eligible offenses who did not go to drug court, enabling valid comparisons of program outcomes and impacts described in subsequent analyses. • Drug court participants (graduates and non-graduates combined) are significantly less likely than the propensity score matched comparison group to recidivate while participating in their respective programs. The latter result suggests that Virginia’s drug courts are doing a good job of protecting public safety. • Recidivism was measured using different indices, including arrests, convictions, felony convictions, misdemeanor convictions, and drug offense convictions. When the recidivism rates of drug court participants as a whole (i.e., including both graduates and terminations) are compared to those of the propensity score matched comparison group using all of these indices, drug court participants far out-perform the comparison group. A similar pattern was observed when post-exit recidivism was examined in isolation from in-program recidivism (with the exception of new drug convictions, where no significant difference was observed). These findings, combined with those of the Kaplan-Meier Survival functions, suggest a robust and sustained impact of drug court on recidivism compared to the business-as-usual alternative (probation, jail, and/or prison). These findings need to be confirmed by a multivariate analysis that will control for differences noted between the drug court participants and the comparison group that persisted after propensity score matching. Details: Williamsburg, VA: National Center for State Courts, 2012. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2013 at: http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/spcts/id/244/rec/55 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/spcts/id/244/rec/55 Shelf Number: 128406 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Courts (Virginia)Drug OffendersProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Cheesman, Fred L. Title: Virginia Adult Drug Treatment Courts: Cost Benefit Analysis Summary: To date, Virginia has formally implemented 16 adult drug treatment courts. In addition, there are eight planning courts that gained approval for implementation following the 2012 Virginia General Assembly as a result of changes to the 2012-2014 budget language and an additional adult drug court that was approved in October 2012 by the Virginia Drug Treatment Court Statewide Advisory Board. Data from 12 of Virginia’s adult drug treatment courts are included in this report. The 12 adult drug court sites included in this study are: • Charlottesville/Albemarle Adult Drug Court • Chesterfield/Colonial Heights Adult Drug Court • Hampton Adult Drug Court • Henrico Adult Drug Court • Loudoun Adult Drug Court • Newport News Adult Drug Court • Norfolk Adult Drug Court • Portsmouth Adult Drug Court • Rappahannock Regional Adult Drug Court • Roanoke Adult Drug Court • Richmond Adult Drug Court • Staunton Adult Drug Court The other four operational adult drug treatment courts – Tazewell Adult Drug Court, Hopewell/Prince George Adult Drug Court, Bristol Adult Drug Court and Chesapeake Adult Drug Court – were excluded from the study due to limited available data. The following report is the second produced as a result of the National Center for State Courts’ study of Virginia’s adult drug courts. The critical finding from the first report was that drug court participants in the sample were significantly less likely to recidivate than the carefully matched “business-as-usual” comparison group and that this reduction in recidivism was a robust and sustained effect. In this, the second report, the following research questions were answered: Key Question 1: What defendant characteristics and program characteristics are associated with the graduation rates and recidivism rates of drug court participants? Key Question 2: Controlling for differences in demographics and criminal history, do drug court participants demonstrate better recidivism outcomes than defendants processed through the traditional criminal justice system? Key Question 3: How much does an adult drug court in Virginia cost per participant? Key Question 4: What is the impact on the criminal justice system of processing defendants through a drug court compared to traditional case processing? Details: Williamsburg, VA: National Center for State Courts, 2012. 139p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2013 at: http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/spcts/id/245/rec/54 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/spcts/id/245/rec/54 Shelf Number: 128407 Keywords: Cost Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Courts (Virginia)Drug OffendersProblem-Solving Courts (Virginia)Recidivism |
Author: Brooker, Charlie Title: An Investigation into the Prevalence of Mental Health Disorder and Patterns of Health Service Access in a Probation Population Summary: This study was funded by an East Midlands Research for Patient Benefit grant. The research is divided into three stages, each of which is presented separately below. Stage 1 aimed to investigate the prevalence of mental health disorders, substance misuse, needs and patterns of service access amongst offenders under probation supervision in Lincolnshire, through one-toone clinical interviews with a stratified random sample of offenders. A sub-study was included in this stage which investigated the use of a brief screen for ‘likely caseness’ of Personality Disorder (PD) (SAPAS) with a probation population. This is reported here as ‘Stage 4’. Stage 2 investigated the extent to which probation staff were aware of, and recording, offenders’ mental health and substance misuse problems, and the nature of any action taken by the probation service to address these issues. In Stage 3, qualitative interviews were undertaken in order to investigate the experiences of probation staff when trying to facilitate access to health services for offenders, and the experiences of offenders trying to access health services. This stage of the study aimed to highlight models of good practice in service provision for offenders, and barriers to service access for this hard-to-reach group. This stage also includes recommendations on how access to services could be improved for offenders under probation supervision. The over-arching aim of the research is to pilot a methodology for assessing the prevalence of mental health disorder and substance misuse amongst offenders under probation supervision. In addition, the study aims to gather data which will be shared with a multi-agency steering group and used to inform both probation practice and health service provision for this hard-to-reach group. Details: Lincoln, UK: University of Lincoln, Criminal Justice and Health Research Group, 2011. 172p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2013 at: http://www.cepprobation.org/uploaded_files/RfPB-final-report-17-9-11.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cepprobation.org/uploaded_files/RfPB-final-report-17-9-11.pdf Shelf Number: 128431 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersMental Health ServicesMentally Ill OffendersProbationProbationers (U.K.) |
Author: Pugh, Tracy Title: Blueprint for a Public Health and Safety Approach to Drug Policy Summary: Some of the problems with our current drug policies stem from the fact that these policies have been largely bifurcated between two different and often contradictory approaches. One treats drug use as a crime that cannot be tolerated and should be punished; the other views addiction as a chronic relapsing health or behavioral condition requiring ongoing treatment and support. Neither of these views is all encompassing—it should be recognized that there are patterns of drug use that do not result in significant harm or health problems and therefore require no intervention. The public health approach presented here takes the view that our focus should be on the harm caused by drug use and the harm caused by our policy responses to it. We have focused specifically on illicit drugs, not because they are by themselves more harmful (in fact, tobacco causes more morbidity and mortality than any illicit drug), but because it has become increasingly clear that our current policies to manage illicit drugs are failing. Drug policy in New York is further complicated by multiple actors that all play some role in preventing or responding to drug use. Without a unified framework and better coordination, they often work at cross-purposes. For instance, while New York has grown its network of innovative harm reduction, drug treatment, and alternative-to-incarceration programs, it has also been aggressive in policing and penalizing the same population that accesses these services for possession of drugs and syringes and for relapses. The result is a system that is not working well for anyone. Drug use and its associated harms continue, and our policy responses have resulted in the mass incarceration of New Yorkers, increased racial disparities, stigmatization of individuals and whole subpopulations, fragmented families, deep distrust between police and the communities they serve, and millions of dollars in costs during times of both economic prosperity and, more recently, fiscal crisis. In an era of limited resources, we simply can no longer afford to keep doing what we have been doing when our actions have shown to be largely ineffective and even detrimental: • Drug use affects New Yorkers. The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) estimates that one in 13 New York State residents suffers from a substance abuse condition. An estimated 447,000 people in New York State need treatment but do not get it.1 Statewide, over 1.8 million New Yorkers (1.77 million adults and 156,000 young people ages 12-17) have a substance abuse condition.2 Many more are affected by the drug use of a family member, friend, or colleague. • Incarceration has proven ineffective at reducing drug use. With one in every 100 U.S. adults now in prison and many more involved in the criminal justice system,3 incarceration is increasingly seen as an important public health issue and as a social determinant of health that exacerbates existing health disparities.4-5 In 2011, there were 104,897 adult drug arrests overall in New York City—21,149 were felony arrests and 83,748 were misdemeanors.6 That same year, the New York City Police Department made over 50,000 arrests for marijuana possession7 yet overall rates of drug use, including marijuana, have remained relatively stable.8 • Our drug policies are driving unacceptable racial disparities in our criminal justice system. Despite the relative consistency in the prevalence of drug use across races, the vast majority of those arrested and incarcerated for drug offenses are people of color. In New York City in 2011, more than 85 percent of those arrested for marijuana possession were Black and Latino, mostly young men,9 even though young white males use marijuana at comparable, if not higher, rates.10 • Illicit drug use and our current policy responses to it are costly and require a revised approach. The economic cost of illicit drug use to the U.S. is estimated to be more than $193 billion annually. 11 The average annual cost of incarceration to New York tax payers is estimated at $3.6 billion.12 As incarceration has increased substantially over the last 40 years, illicit drug use has not seen a substantial reduction. New York is poised for change. There is much momentum to move our drug policies toward a public health-based approach. At the local level, communities around the state are actively calling for a new approach. They are challenging criminal justice-dominated strategies for dealing with drug use—such as stop, question, and frisks leading to arrests for low-level marijuana possession—and mass incarceration. At the policy level, New York in 2009 became one of the first and biggest states in the country to move away from the harsh mandatory sentencing laws that characterized drug policy in the U.S. throughout much of the past four decades. The significant reform to the Rockefeller Drug Laws was advanced by a historic conference held at NYAM in January 2009. The conference, called New Directions New York: A Public Health Safety Approach to Drug Policy, helped to delineate a public health and safety approach as a clear alternative to existing policy. The conference made clear that a wide array of community, government, health, and other stakeholders agree that at the center of all our drug policies whether addressing legal or illicit drugs—should be the question, “What impact will our policies have on the public’s health and safety?” This Blueprint seeks to outline an approach that responds to this question using the best evidence available coupled with the input of hundreds of New Yorkers. Details: New York: New York Academy of Medicine, 2013. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2013 at: http://www.nyam.org/assets/3371_DPA_NYAM_Report_FINAL_for_WEB_v2.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.nyam.org/assets/3371_DPA_NYAM_Report_FINAL_for_WEB_v2.pdf Shelf Number: 128583 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersDrug Policy (New York State, U.S.) |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction (EMCDDA) Title: Drug Prevention Interventions Targeting Minority Ethnic Populations: Issues Raised by 33 Case Studies Summary: This Thematic paper contains the results of a study that examined drug prevention interventions for minority ethnic populations in 29 European countries. A total of 33 interventions were reported to the study and the issues they raise are presented and discussed in the paper. The results will inform the EMCDDA’s plans for 2013–15 in terms of monitoring drug prevention interventions particularly in three areas: data collection, design and quality, and the dissemination of knowledge. Details: Lisbon: EMCDDA, 2013. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2013 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_197631_EN_TDXA13001ENN.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_197631_EN_TDXA13001ENN.pdf Shelf Number: 128611 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse PreventionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Policy (Europe)Minority GroupsSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Flick, Peg Title: H.B.10-1352 Savings Analysis Report: First 12 Months of Implementation. Pursuant to 24-33.5-503(1)(u), C.R.S. Summary: In May 2010 the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 10-1352 which substantially altered Article 18, Title 18, concerning Uniform Controlled Substances. The intent of H.B.10-1352 as specified in its legislative declaration was to generate savings from reduced crime classifications and their resulting sentences, and direct those savings into substance abuse treatment. H.B.10-1352 created a distinction between drug use and possession, and the crimes of manufacturing and distribution. Specifically, the bill lowered the crime classification for use and possession crimes, and directed expected savings to the state’s Drug Offender Treatment Fund. H.B.10-1352 also increased the Drug Offender Surcharge for felony, misdemeanor, and petty offenses. H.B.10-1352 directs the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) to report annually on the savings generated by its modifications (24-33.5-503(u), C.R.S.). The statute went into effect on August 11, 2010. This report analyzes the savings realized in first 12 months after its enactment. This analysis attempts to measure the impact of H.B.10-1352 outlined in its fiscal note by comparing the cost of offenders sentenced in the initial 12 month period after the bill’s enactment date to the cost of offenders in the 12 months prior. To be included in this analysis, an offender had to be arrested on or after August 11, 2010 and be filed on, convicted and sentenced on or before August 10, 2011. Cases meeting these same criteria in 2009 were used as the comparison group. Court records for offenders were obtained from the Judicial Branch and from Denver County Court to build a model that tracked offenders meeting the criteria. Sentence start and end dates were obtained from the Office of Community Corrections in the Division of Criminal Justice, and from the Department of Corrections. Caseload data were obtained from the Office of the State Public Defender. Costs per day data were obtained for each sentence placement type. This information was combined into the model to identify and then compare offender costs for pre- and post-1352 groups as each progressed through the justice system. Details: Colorado Springs, CO: Office of Research and Statistics Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public Safety, 2012. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2013 at: http://www.colorado.gov/ccjjdir/Resources/Resources/Report/2012-01_HB1352Rpt.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.colorado.gov/ccjjdir/Resources/Resources/Report/2012-01_HB1352Rpt.pdf Shelf Number: 128699 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (Colorado)Drug Policy |
Author: Flick, Peg Title: H.B.10-1352 Savings Analysis Report: First Two Years of Implementation Summary: In May 2010 the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 10-1352 which substantially altered Article 18, Title 18, concerning Uniform Controlled Substances. The intent of H.B.10-1352 as specified in its legislative declaration was to generate savings from reduced crime classifications and their resulting sentences, and direct those savings into substance abuse treatment. H.B.10-1352 created a distinction between drug use and possession, and the crimes of manufacturing and distribution. The bill lowered the crime classification for use and possession, and directed expected savings to the state’s Drug Offender Treatment Fund. H.B.10-1352 also increased the Drug Offender Surcharge for felony, misdemeanor, and petty offenses. H.B.10-1352 directed the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) to report annually on the savings generated by its modifications (24-33.5-503(u), C.R.S.). This final report analyzes the savings realized in the first two years after its implementation. This analysis measured the impact of H.B.10-1352 by comparing the cost of offenders sentenced in the initial two year period after the bill’s enactment to the cost of offenders sentenced in the two years prior. To be included in this analysis, an offender had to commit the offense on or after August 11, 2010 and be filed on, convicted, and sentenced on or before August 10, 2012. Cases meeting these same criteria from August 11, 2008 to August 10, 2010 were used as the comparison group. This analysis attempts to track the cost of all offender sentences. To do so, court records were obtained from the Judicial Branch and from Denver County Court. To supplement court records, sentence start and end dates were obtained from the Office of Community Corrections in the Division of Criminal Justice, and from the Department of Corrections. This information, combined with cost per day of each sentence placement, was used to determine the actual cost of offenders as they progressed through the system. In addition to actual cost, the cost of offender sentences if H.B.10-1352 had not passed was estimated. The savings generated by H.B.10-1352 presented in this report is the difference between the actual cost of sentences served and the estimated costs of the sentences they would have served had the bill not been enacted. Details: Colorado Springs, CO: Office of Research and Statistics Division of Criminal Justice, Colorado Department of Public Safety, 2013. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2013 at: http://www.colorado.gov/ccjjdir/Resources/Resources/Report/2013-03_HB1352Rpt.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.colorado.gov/ccjjdir/Resources/Resources/Report/2013-03_HB1352Rpt.pdf Shelf Number: 128700 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (Colorado) |
Author: Obot, Isidore S. Title: Prevention and Treatment of Drug Dependence in West Africa Summary: The main objective of this policy brief is to assess the state of drug demand reduction (prevention of use and treatment for dependence) in West Africa and analyze responses to the problem of drug demand in the region. The discussion draws from a diverse array of available information from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), research published in peer-reviewed journals, and reports and other materials from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The focus is on illicit drugs though the perspective taken in this brief questions the value of the distinction often made between licit and illicit drugs when addressing dependence on psychoactive substances. This persistent false dichotomy ignores several issues: i) the reality that licit substances such as tobacco and alcohol are usually the first drugs to which young people are exposed; ii) a high proportion of dependent persons use both legal and illegal substances; and iii) dependence on legal drugs is associated with very high health burden and social harm often surpassing the harm attributable to illicit substances. Details: Accra, Ghana: West Africa Commission on Drugs, 2013. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: WACD Background Paper No. 2: Accessed May 22, 2013 at: http://www.wacommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Prevention-Treatment-of-Drug-Dependency-in-West-Africa-2013-04-03.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: http://www.wacommissionondrugs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Prevention-Treatment-of-Drug-Dependency-in-West-Africa-2013-04-03.pdf Shelf Number: 128772 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (West Africa)Drug Abuse PreventionDrug Abuse Treatment |
Author: Reichert, Jessica Title: Community Reentry after Prison Drug Treatment: Learning from Sheridan Therapeutic Community Program participants Summary: The Sheridan Correctional Center National Model Drug Prison and Reentry Program is a drug treatment program providing in-prison substance abuse treatment as well as substance abuse treatment upon release. Prior research has shown reductions in recidivism among Sheridan participants compared to other prisoners. This study examined a group of 50 re-incarcerated men who successfully completed the in-prison phase of the Sheridan program and what led to their re-incarceration. Among this sample, positive findings about the Sheridan program and its participants include: • Sixty-two percent stated they were Very engaged in the Sheridan program. • Slightly more than half (60 percent) felt Sheridan prepared them for success after release. • Over three-fourths (76 percent) indicated they had a job at some point after graduating Sheridan and before their re-incarceration. • A majority (84 percent) reported having little difficulty in finding housing. • Most (86 percent) said Sheridan helped them more than a traditional prison. Other notable findings include: • On average, Sheridan graduates in this study spent 738 days (about two years) in the community before returning to IDOC. The range was 40 to 2,096 days (over five-and-a-half years). • A majority of the men in our sample (90 percent) relapsed into drug or alcohol use after their release from Sheridan. • Slightly more than half (56 percent) of the sample reported they had illegal sources of income. • Sixty-eight 68 percent stated drug dealing was common in the neighborhood they lived in after release. This study found many factors associated with length of time to relapse to drug or alcohol use and recidivism (self-reported criminal activity or re-incarceration) including: • Younger participants engaged in criminal activity and relapsed sooner than older participants. Younger participants also reported being less engaged in the Sheridan program than older participants. • After prison, those who returned to their original neighborhood relapsed sooner than those who did not return to their original neighborhood. • Unemployed participants engaged in criminal activity sooner than employed participants. • Those living in neighborhoods that were perceived as unsafe and/or where drug dealing was common relapsed sooner than those living in safer, lower-risk neighborhoods. • Those who reported spending time with persons who engage in risky activities—substance use and/or criminal activity—relapsed sooner than those who did not spend time with persons engaging in risky activities. • Those with gang involvement engaged in criminal activity and relapsed sooner. • Those who did not complete aftercare engaged in criminal activity and relapsed sooner than those who did complete aftercare. Details: Chicago: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2013. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2013 at: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/public/pdf/researchreports/reentry_sheridan_report_012012.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/public/pdf/researchreports/reentry_sheridan_report_012012.pdf Shelf Number: 128958 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersPrisoner Reentry (Illinois, U.S.)RecidivismRehabilitationSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Global Commission on Drug Policy Title: The Negative Impact Of The War On Drugs On Public Health: The Hidden Hepatitis C Epidemic Summary: Hepatitis C is a highly prevalent chronic viral infection which poses major public health, economic and social crises, particularly in low and middle income countries. The global hepatitis C epidemic has been described by the World Health Organization as a ‘viral time bomb’, yet continues to receive little attention. Access to preventative services is far too low, while diagnosis and treatment are prohibitively expensive and remain inaccessible for most people in need. Public awareness and political will with regard to hepatitis C are also too low, and national hepatitis surveillance is often non-existent. The hepatitis C virus is highly infectious and is easily transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. It therefore disproportionately impacts upon people who inject drugs: of the 16 million people who inject drugs around the world, an estimated 10 million are living with hepatitis C. In some of the countries with the harshest drug policies, the majority of people who inject drugs are living with hepatitis C – more than 90 percent in places such as Thailand and parts of the Russian Federation. The hepatitis C virus causes debilitating and fatal disease in around a quarter of those who are chronically infected, and is an increasing cause of premature death among people who inject drugs. Globally, most HIV-infected people who inject drugs are also living with a hepatitis C infection. Harm reduction services – such as the provision of sterile needles and syringes and opioid substitution therapy – can effectively prevent hepatitis C transmission among people who inject drugs, provided they are accessible and delivered at the required scale. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Instead of investing in effective prevention and treatment programmes to achieve the required coverage, governments continue to waste billions of dollars each year on arresting and punishing drug users – a gross misallocation of limited resources that could be more efficiently used for public health and preventive approaches. At the same time, repressive drug policies have fuelled the stigmatisation, discrimination and mass incarceration of people who use drugs. As a result, there are very few countries that have reported significant declines in new infections of hepatitis C among this population. This failure of governments to prevent and control hepatitis disease has great significance for future costs to health and welfare budgets in many countries. In 2012 the Global Commission on Drug Policy released a report that outlined how the ‘war on drugs’ is driving the HIV epidemic among people who use drugs. The present report focuses on hepatitis C as it represents another massive and deadly epidemic for this population. It provides a brief overview of the hepatitis C virus, before exploring how the ‘war on drugs’ and repressive drug policies are failing to drive transmission down. The silence about the harms of repressive drug policies has been broken – they are ineffective, violate basic human rights, generate violence, and expose individuals and communities to unnecessary risks. Hepatitis C is one of these harms – yet it is both preventable and curable when public health is the focus of the drug response. Now is the time to reform. Details: Rio de Janeiro – RJ – Brasil: The Commission, 2013. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 7, 2013 at: http://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/hepatitis/gcdp_hepatitis_english.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.globalcommissionondrugs.org/hepatitis/gcdp_hepatitis_english.pdf Shelf Number: 129005 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse TreatmentHepatitis CWar on Drugs |
Author: Van Stelle, Kit R. Title: Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) Program: Advancing Effective Diversion in Wisconsin. 2007-2010 Evaluation Report Summary: In 2005, Wisconsin Act 25 (SECTION 90m. 16.964) authorized “grants to counties to enable them to establish and operate programs, including suspended and deferred prosecution programs and programs based on principles of restorative justice, that provide alternatives to prosecution and incarceration for criminal offenders who abuse alcohol or other drugs.” These programs are designed to target non-violent offenders where a violent offender is defined as “a person to whom one of the following applies”: 1. The person has been charged with or convicted of an offense in a pending case and, during the course of the offense, the person carried, possessed, or used a dangerous weapon, the person used force against another person, or a person died or suffered serious bodily harm. 2. The person has one or more prior convictions for a felony involving the use or attempted use of force against another person with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm. (Section 90m. 16.964 (12)). The goals of the TAD program are to “…promote public safety, reduce prison and jail populations, reduce prosecution and incarceration costs, reduce recidivism, and improve the welfare of participants’ families...”. This evaluation report documents the implementation of the TAD program in seven sites in Wisconsin and examines the individual outcomes of offenders who participated in the TAD projects between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2010. 150p. Details: Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, 2011. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 26, 2013 at: http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/about/staff/van-stelle-kit/tad-2011-evaluation-report-full-report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://uwphi.pophealth.wisc.edu/about/staff/van-stelle-kit/tad-2011-evaluation-report-full-report.pdf Shelf Number: 129185 Keywords: Alternatives to Incarceration (U.S.)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersDrug Treatment CourtsProblem-Solving CourtsSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Urban Health Research Initiative Title: Drug Situation in Vancouver. Second Edition. Summary: The Drug Situation in Vancouver report includes detailed information on drug use trends, drug availability, HIV rates, and behaviours among some of the city’s most vulnerable people who use illicit drugs. The analysis found: • Fewer people using injection drugs • Significant decrease in syringe sharing and related HIV and hepatitis C transmissions • Increase in drug cessation and access to addiction treatment • Unchanged ease of access to and affordability of illicit drugs Among people who use drugs in Vancouver, methadone maintenance treatment increased from 11.7 per cent in 1996 to 54.5 per cent in 2008, remaining stable since. In addition, reports of difficulty accessing addiction treatment dropped from 19.9 per cent in 1996 to as low as 3.2 per cent in 2006, and has remained below 1996 levels. There was a corresponding upward trend of injection drug use cessation during a similar period, with a rate of just 0.4 per cent in 1996 compared to 46.6 per cent in 2011. Conversely, researchers found between 2000 and 2011 illicit drugs remained easily accessible and prices were stable. Details: Vancouver, BC: Urban Health Research Initiative, 2013. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2013 at: http://uhri.cfenet.ubc.ca/images/Documents/dsiv2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://uhri.cfenet.ubc.ca/images/Documents/dsiv2013.pdf Shelf Number: 129228 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Vancouver, Canada)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersHIV (Viruses) |
Author: Legal Action Center Title: Legality of Denying Access to Medication Assisted Treatment In the Criminal Justice System Summary: This report examines the prevalence of opiate addiction in the criminal justice system, its devastating consequences, and the widespread denial of access to one of its most effective forms of treatment: medication assisted treatment (“MAT”). The report then analyzes the circumstances in which the denial of MAT violates Federal anti-discrimination laws and the United States Constitution. Details: New York: Legal Action Center, 2011. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 9, 2013 at: http://www.lac.org/doc_library/lac/publications/MAT_Report_FINAL_12-1-2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.lac.org/doc_library/lac/publications/MAT_Report_FINAL_12-1-2011.pdf Shelf Number: 129337 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentMedical CareSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Hewitt, Anthony Title: Report on Substance Misuse Treatment in the Prisons of Northern Ireland Summary: This report is designed to inform the wider review of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, specifically in regard to the area of substance misuse treatment. It assumes a familiarity with the Northern Ireland prisons, with substance misuse and associated interventions, and specifically with good practice guidance on substance misuse interventions in prison. The findings have been informed by visits to the three prisons, interviews with a range of relevant stakeholders (see list at end), examination of strategy and policy, and consideration of operational and clinical protocols and pathways. The timescale involved did not permit interviewing uniformed staff or prisoners and the report does not specifically deal with measures to monitor or reduce the supply of drugs in prison. Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Prison Service, 2011. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 13, 2013 at: http://www.prisonreviewni.gov.uk/report_on_substance_misuse_treatment_in_the_prisons_of_northern_ireland_-_review_undertaken_by_anthony_hewitt_march_2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreviewni.gov.uk/report_on_substance_misuse_treatment_in_the_prisons_of_northern_ireland_-_review_undertaken_by_anthony_hewitt_march_2011.pdf Shelf Number: 129383 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentPrisoners (Northern Ireland) Drug Abuse and AddictPrisons |
Author: Gossop, Michael Title: After Five Years: The National Treatment Outcome Research Study: Changes in substance use, health and criminal behaviour during the five years after intake Summary: Drug misuse and drug dependence are major problems for individuals and for society. They lead to serious unhappiness and illnesses for individuals, and necessitate vast expenditure from society to respond to the associated health and crime problems. Finding effective responses to such problems is a priority. One of the enduring myths about the addictions is that treatments for these disorders are ineffective. This myth persists despite a vast and increasing body of evidence to the contrary. The NTORS project was established to gather information in this country about the treatment outcomes of a large sample of drug misusers who had been treated within the existing national system of treatment services. This report presents a concise, non-technical summary of the implementation of the study and focuses on the headline findings at 5-years. Details: London: National Addiction Center, 2001. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2013 at: http://www.addictiontoday.org/addictiontoday/files/ntors_5.pdf Year: 2001 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.addictiontoday.org/addictiontoday/files/ntors_5.pdf Shelf Number: 129453 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (U.K.)Drug Abuse Treatment |
Author: Oregon. Audits Division Title: Department of Corrections: Treatment of the Highest-risk Offenders Can Avoid Costs Summary: The effects of substance abuse on Oregon’s economy and communities are substantial. According to a report by the consulting firm ECONorthwest, the direct economic costs from substance abuse in Oregon totaled approximately $5.9 billion in 2006. Alcohol and drug enforcement costs alone were about $656 million. As of December 2012, 70% of incarcerated offenders had some level of substance abuse problem. Research indicates that addressing the treatment needs of offenders is critical to reducing overall crime and other societal issues related to substance abuse. Studies also show the importance of treating those offenders with the highest-risk of committing new crimes. Previous evaluations have determined that Department of Corrections (DOC) and county community corrections agencies’ practices are effective and align with best practices. Offenders are systematically assessed for factors known to influence future criminal behavior and these assessments are used in determining offender programming and treatment. Our analysis of offenders released during 2008-2011, found that most were assessed in the community and in prison, and most treatment resources were directed at the highest risk offenders. However, about half of all the highest-risk offenders did not receive treatment. Highest-risk offenders are those who have been assessed by DOC and community corrections agencies as having a medium-to-high risk to reoffend and a moderate-to-high substance abuse challenge. While these offenders are costly to supervise and treat in the community, about $16 a day, the cost is substantially less than the approximate $84 a day cost in prison. We found 4,525 of the offenders assessed as highest-risk who were released from 2008-2011 did not receive treatment. We estimate Oregon taxpayers and victims could have avoided about $21.6 million in costs if substance abuse treatment had been provided to all of the highest-risk offenders. We found variations in funding and treatment efforts among counties. These variations are often due to funding shortfalls and differences in available community corrections services. The expansion of Medicaid eligibility under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which becomes effective in January 2014, offers an opportunity for the State and local community corrections agencies to provide substance abuse treatment to untreated highest-risk offenders, despite current funding limitations. Once the expansion becomes effective, additional released offenders may qualify for coverage. Under the ACA, the federal government will cover almost the entire cost of the expansion population, starting at 100 % funding from 2014-2016 and gradually decreasing to a minimum of 90 % in 2020. This expansion of health care coverage has the potential to relieve financially-stressed counties of nearly all costs of providing substance abuse treatment to offenders in the community and to make treatment seamless following their release. We recommend that DOC management work with county community corrections agencies and the Legislature to coordinate funding and track resources to provide substance abuse treatment for the highest-risk offenders wherever possible. We also recommend that DOC management explore utilizing expanded Medicaid funding for substance abuse treatment for released offenders and consider integrating Medicaid eligibility review into release planning. Details: Salem, OR: Audits Division, 2013. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Report Number 2013-20: Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://www.sos.state.or.us/audits/pages/state_audits/full/2013/2013-20.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.sos.state.or.us/audits/pages/state_audits/full/2013/2013-20.pdf Shelf Number: 129644 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of CrimeCosts of Criminal JusticeDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentRisk AssessmentSubstance Abuse (Oregon, U.S.) |
Author: Kissick, Katherine Title: Bexar County Felony Drug Court: Process, Outcome, and Cost Evaluation Final Report Summary: Drug courts are designed to guide offenders identified as drug-addicted into treatment that will reduce drug dependence and improve the quality of life for the offenders and their families. Benefits to society include substantial reductions in crime, resulting in reduced costs to taxpayers and increased public safety. In the typical drug court program, participants are closely supervised by a judge who is supported by a team of agency representatives operating outside of their traditional roles. The team typically includes a drug court coordinator, case managers, substance abuse treatment providers, prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, law enforcement officers, and parole and probation officers who work together to provide needed services to drug court participants. Prosecuting and defense attorneys modify their traditional adversarial roles to support the treatment and supervision needs of program participants. Drug court programs blend the resources, expertise and interests of a variety of jurisdictions and agencies. Drug courts have been shown to be effective in reducing criminal recidivism (GAO, 2005), improving the psycho-social functioning of offenders (Kralstein, 2010), and reducing taxpayer costs due to positive outcomes for drug court participants (including fewer re-arrests, less time in jail and less time in prison) (Carey & Finigan, 2004; Carey, Finigan, Waller, Lucas, & Crumpton, 2005). Some drug courts have been shown to cost less to operate than processing offenders through business-as-usual in the court system (Carey & Finigan). The Bexar County Felony Drug Court was implemented in January 2004. This program, which is designed to last for 18 months, takes only post-conviction participants. The general program population consists of nonviolent offenders currently on probation assessed as high risk and high needs. It has a capacity to serve approximately 225 participants at one time. In 2009, the Bexar County Felony Drug Court (BCFDC) received a program enhancement grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The program is using this enhancement grant in working towards three goals: 1) obtaining "on-demand" residential beds intended to treat 50 participants each year, 2) receiving training and technical assistance to improve the program, and 3) conducting a program evaluation including process, out-come and cost components. NPC Research performed an initial process assessment of the program as part of a technical assistance program through SAMHSA and completed a report in May of 2010. Midway through the 3-year grant, the BCFDC hired NPC Research to conduct a full process, outcome, and cost evaluation of the program. The process evaluation included in this report provides updated information from the assessment conducted in 2010 as well any changes made to the program since. Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2013. 91p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 4, 2013 at: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Bexar_County_Final_Report_0913.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.npcresearch.com/Files/Bexar_County_Final_Report_0913.pdf Shelf Number: 131736 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Courts (U.S.)Felony Drug OffendersProblem Solving Courts |
Author: Mosher, Clayton C. Title: Final Report on the Program Evaluation of the Pine Lodge Pre-release Residential Therapeutic Community for Women Offenders in Washington State Summary: This research report describes the purpose, methods, results, and implications of an evaluation of the Pine Lodge Pre-Release Therapeutic Community for Women Offenders in Washington State. Funded by the National Institute of Justice as part of its research initiative for local evaluations of prison-based residential substance abuse treatment programs, this evaluation focuses on: (1) factors that affect successful completion of the program; and (2) outcomes, i.e., recidivism, for Pine Lodge participants as compared with a matched control group. Our approach was to supplement primary, qualitative data derived from extensive on-site observations with secondary, quantitative data culled from periodic reports from the facility and the Washington State Department of Corrections. In that regard, this evaluation not only represents a departure from, but also is unique among, evaluations of therapeutic communities reported in the professional literature. We are able to describe (what we believe to be) important insights into the external pressures on the Pine Lodge therapeutic community, the internal dynamics and daily rhythms of the program, and the specific challenges faced by both inmates and staff in the program-insights that are not forthcoming from a reading of secondary program data alone. The operative word in our evaluation study is "change." Despite impressions from the extant literature that prison treatment programs in general, and therapeutic communities in particular, are static entities, our research indicates that they are highly dynamic and ever-changing. In ways both substantive and semantic, the Pine Lodge Pre-Release substance abuse treatment program was not the same entity from the beginning of our study in 1997 to its conclusion in the Summer of 2001. While the therapeutic community experienced "growing pains" in its first few years of operation that led to comparatively low completion rates, recent changes to the program are having a positive impact on completion. Further, women who participated in the Pine Lodge program, when compared with a matched control group, are less likely to be convicted of a new offense upon release. Most important, women who successfully completed the treatment program are the least likely to be convicted of a new offense after release. Overall, "New Horizons" is a prison-based residential substance abuse treatment program that is: Jadmitting, reaching, and servicing its targeted population; conforming to widely-accepted principles of chemical dependency therapy; being delivered by well-trained, highly dedicated professionals; operating at an .appropriate capacity with an effective client-staff ratio; exhibiting the essential characteristics of a therapeutic community; graduating reasonable numbers of participants; and exerting a long-term, positive influence on offenders who complete the program. Specific highlights of our findings, inferences, and recommendations regarding the Pine Lodge "New Horizons" program are itemized. Details: Pullman, WA: Washington State University, 2001. 132p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 31, 2014 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/196670.pdf Year: 2001 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/196670.pdf Shelf Number: 131822 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersFemale OffendersOffender TreatmentPrisonersSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Perry, Amanda E. Title: Interventions for Drug-Using Offenders with Co-occurring Mental Illness (Review) Summary: Interventions for drug-using offenders with co-occurring mental illness Background A number of policy directives are aimed at enabling people with drug problems to live healthy, crime-free lives. Drug-using offenders with co-occurring mental health problems represent a group of people who access treatment for a variety of different reasons. The complexity of the two problems makes the treatment and rehabilitation of this group of people particularly challenging. Study characteristics The review authors searched scientific databases and internet resources to identify randomised controlled trials (where participants are allocated at random to one of two or more treatment groups) of interventions to reduce, eliminate, or prevent relapse or criminal activity of drug-using offenders with co-occurring mental illness. We included people of any gender, age or ethnicity. Key results We identified eight trials (three of which are awaiting classification) evaluating treatments for drug-using offenders with co-occurring mental illness. The interventions included case management via a mental health court, a therapeutic community and an evaluation of motivational interviewing techniques and cognitive skills (a person's ability to process thoughts) in comparison to relaxation training. Overall, the combined interventions were not found to reduce self report drug use, but did have some impact on re-incarceration rates, but not re-arrest. A specific analysis of therapeutic community interventions did subsequently reduce re-incarceration but proved to be less effective for re-arrest and self report drug use. Two single studies evaluating case management via a mental health drug court and motivational interviewing and cognitive skills did not show significant reductions in criminal activity and self report drug use respectively. Little information is provided on the costs and cost-effectiveness of such interventions and trial evaluations focusing specifically on the needs of drug misusing offenders with co-occurring mental health problems are required. Quality of the evidence This review was limited by the lack of information reported in this group of trials and the quality of the evidence is unclear. The evidence is current to March 2013. Details: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014, Issue 1. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2014 at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010901/pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010901/pdf Shelf Number: 131966 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersInterventionMentally Ill OffendersTreatment Programs |
Author: Perry, Amanda E. Title: Interventions for Female Drug-Using Offenders (Review) Summary: Background Drug-using offenders naturally represent a socially excluded group where drug use is more prevalent than in the rest of the population. A growing number of female offenders are being incarcerated for drug-related crimes. For this reason it is important to investigate what we know about what works for female offenders. Study characteristics The review authors searched scientific databases and internet resources to identify randomised controlled trials (where participants are allocated at random to one of two or more treatment groups) of interventions to reduce, eliminate, or prevent relapse or criminal activity of female drug-using offenders. We included people of any age or ethnicity. Key results We identified 11 trials (four of which await classification) of female drug-using offenders. The interventions included: i) two evaluations of therapeutic community (TC) treatment in comparison to an alternative sentencing option and an educational cognitive skills programme; ii) three evaluations of community-based management; iii) a cognitive behavioural programme in comparison to treatment as usual; and iv) buprenorphine treatment. Overall, the findings suggest that together such interventions have an impact on reducing self-reported drug use and re-incarceration. e found individual treatment interventions had differing effects and the results should be interpreted with caution. We identified too few studies to evaluate whether the treatment setting (for example, court or community) had an impact on the success of such programmes. Promising results highlight the use of TC programmes with aftercare and a gender-responsive treatment (GRT) programme; however, this was only one study. No information is provided on the cost and cost effectiveness of these studies. In conclusion, high quality research is required to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment options for female drug-using offenders. Further information on the processes involved in the engagement of women mandated to substance abuse programmes, together with evaluations of cost effectiveness research, will enable policy makers to make informed choices about commissioning the use of adapted programmes specifically targeted at female offenders. Details: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014, Issue 1. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2014 at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010910/pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD010910/pdf Shelf Number: 131968 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Crime Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders Female Offender |
Author: Smith, Leslie A. Title: Therapeutic Communities for Substance Related Disorder (Review) Summary: Therapeutic communities (TCs) are a popular treatment for the rehabilitation of drug users. The results of this review show that there is little evidence that TCs offer significant benefits in comparison with other residential treatment, or that one type of TC is better than another. Prison TC may be better than prison on it's own or Mental Health Treatment Programmes to prevent re-offending postrelease for inmates. Details: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2006, Issue 1. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2014 at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005338.pub2/pdf Year: 2006 Country: International URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005338.pub2/pdf Shelf Number: 131973 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersSubstance Abuse |
Author: Khalifa, Najat Title: Harm Reduction: Evidence, Impacts and Challenges Summary: Harm reduction is now positioned as part of the mainstream policy response to drug use in Europe. However, this has not always been the case, and in reflecting on this fact we felt that the time was right to take stock of how we had arrived at this position, ask what it means for both policies and action, and begin to consider how harm reduction is likely to develop in the future. This monograph builds on other titles in the EMCDDA's Scientific monographs series, where we have taken an important and topical subject, assembled some of the best experts in the field, and allowed them to develop their ideas constrained only by the need to demonstrate scientific rigour and sound argument. Our Scientific monographs are intended to be both technically challenging and thought provoking. Unlike our other publications we take more of an editorial 'back seat' and we do not seek consensus or necessarily to produce a balanced view. Good science is best done when unconstrained, and best read with a critical eye. This volume includes a variety of perspectives on harm reduction approaches, together with an analysis of the concept's role within drug policies, both in Europe and beyond. Readers may not necessarily agree with all of the arguments made or the conclusion drawn, but we hope it is perceived as a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate on how to respond to contemporary drug problems in Europe. A number of contributors explore what harm reduction means and what policies it can encompass, as well as charting how the concept evolved. They reflect on the point we have now reached in terms of both harm reduction practice and the evidence base for its effectiveness. A major issue that many contributors touch on is the difficulty of assessing how complex interventions occurring in real world settings can be evaluated, and why conclusive evidence in such settings can be so elusive. With an eye to the future, we also asked our contributors to wrestle with the difficult issue of how harm reduction might be extended into new areas that are of particular relevance to the evolving European drug situation. Here the empirical base for grounding discussions is far less developed, and a more exploratory approach is necessary. Details: Lisbon: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 2010. 469p. Source: Internet Resource: EMCDDA Monographs 10: Accessed March 28, 2014 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_101257_EN_EMCDDA-monograph10-harm%20reduction_final.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/attachements.cfm/att_101257_EN_EMCDDA-monograph10-harm%20reduction_final.pdf Shelf Number: 132020 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug PolicyIllicit Drugs |
Author: Broadhurst, Kate Title: Consultation with Young People/Parents and Carers in Leicestershire Summary: As part of the Every Child Matters guidance, public funded bodies must now demonstrate how children and young people participate in the design, delivery and evaluation of the services they use. Leicestershire YOS commissioned Perpetuity to consult with young people and their parents/carers to understand how best to actively engage them in the planning and commissioning of substance misuse services. The YOS was also provided with key findings on service users' experience of the service they received, their awareness of services, as well as recommendations for improvement in a succinct report. Details: Leicester, UK: Perpetuity Research & Consultancy International, 2008. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2014 at: http://perpetuityresearch.com/778/youth-offending-service-consultation-with-young-people-parents-and-carers-in-leicestershire/ Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://perpetuityresearch.com/778/youth-offending-service-consultation-with-young-people-parents-and-carers-in-leicestershire/ Shelf Number: 132071 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse PreventionDrug Abuse Treatment |
Author: Powis, Beverly Title: Drug Recovery Wings Set Up, Delivery and Lessons Learned: Process Study of First Tranche DRW Pilot Sites Summary: Drug Recovery Wings (DRWs) were launched in five adult prisons in June 2011. Their core aims were to: - Target those serving short sentences of three to twelve months and who are dependent on drugs/alcohol (including problematic use); - Offer a route out of dependency for those who are motivated to change but need intensive support whilst in the initial stages of their recovery; - Increase the number of short sentenced offenders participating in recovery-focused interventions whilst in custody; and - Improve continuity of care, support and treatment between prisons and the community. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Interventions Unit carried out a process study to describe the defining characteristics of the regime at each pilot site and explore the challenges and lessons that can be learned from setting up a DRW pilot project. The research fieldwork took place between November 2011 and June 2012. The report therefore recognises that the pilots were still at varying stages of implementation and that this study does not reflect the full scale of progress made to date or the range of services that may now be available across pilot sites since fieldwork was undertaken. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of staff and wing participants. These included DRW staff (thirty-six), organisations working in partnership with NOMS both in the prison itself and in the community on release (twelve), staff from the wider establishment (sixteen), current participants of the DRW (forty-four) and those who did not start or complete their stay on the wing (seven). In addition, documentation produced by the wings was obtained and analysed. The study described the regime at each establishment at the time of the fieldwork. All the wings were found to be operating well. They were successfully delivering varied, recovery-focused interventions and had established links to services in the community which provided continuity of care upon release. Staff from the wings, wider establishment and partnership organisations generally spoke positively about the drug recovery regimes. In addition, nearly all the DRW participants interviewed reported a positive change in their attitudes and behaviour from their involvement with the wing. Details: London: National Offender Management Services, Ministry of Justice, 2014. 94p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Analytical Series: Accessed April 19, 2014 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/286040/Drug-recovery-wings-process-study.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/286040/Drug-recovery-wings-process-study.pdf Shelf Number: 132078 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentInmatesPrisonersSubstance Abuse TreatmentTreatment Programs |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Impacts of Drug Use on Users and their Families in Afghanistan Summary: Afghanistan is the world's largest producer and cultivator of opium poppies; it produces almost three quarters of the world's illicit opium. While a significant amount of the opium produced in Afghanistan is trafficked out of the country, in 2009 it was estimated that almost 10 per cent of Afghans aged between 15 and 64 were drug users. Based on interviews with drug users, the family members of drug users, key informants and Government officials, this study aims to provide an insight into the origins, evolution and impact of drug use on users and their families across Afghanistan. While the study is not nationally representative, it seeks to enhance understanding of drug use in Afghanistan and provide information to help strengthen prevention and treatment policies. All the drug users interviewed during the study were "problem drug users", who used drugs such as opium, heroin, hashish and tranquillizers (for non-medical use) daily or several times a week. Although the use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) is rising in Afghanistan, the number of ATS users remains small and that group was not interviewed for the present research study. Details: New York: UNODC, 2014. 120p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 21, 2014 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/Impacts_Study_2014_web.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Afghanistan URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Studies/Impacts_Study_2014_web.pdf Shelf Number: 132097 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse PreventionDrug Abuse TreatmentFamilies of Drug Users |
Author: Machin, Juliette R. Title: Marion County Fostering Attachment Treatment Court Follow-Up Process and Outcome Evaluation Report Summary: For the past 20 years in the United States, there has been a trend toward guiding nonviolent drug offenders into treatment rather than incarceration. The original drug court model links the resources of the criminal system and substance treatment programs to increase treatment participation and decrease criminal recidivism. As of June 30, 2012, there were 2,734 drug courts, including 1,896 adult and juvenile drug courts, 334 family courts, and 503 other types of drug courts active in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (NDCRC, 2013). Over approximately the last 17 years, the drug court model, originally developed for adult criminal offenders, has been expanded to address the poor outcomes substance-abusing parents traditionally experienced in traditional family reunification programs (Marlowe & Carey, 2012). Family Drug Treatment Courts (FDCs) work with the child welfare system. There have been a modest number studies of FDCs (e.g., Burrus, Mackin, & Finigan, 2011; Green, Furrer, Worcel, Burrus, & Finigan, 2007; Carey, Sanders, Waller, Burrus, & Aborn, 2010a, 2010b). Many of these studies show promising outcomes for families in the child welfare system, including higher treatment completion rates, higher family reunification rates, less time in out-of-home placements for the children, and lower arrest rates (Marlowe & Carey, 2012). In late 2008, NPC Research was contracted by the Oregon State Police and the Criminal Justice Commission to conduct the third year evaluations of 11 drug courts funded by the Byrne Methamphetamine Reduction Grant Project. NPC conducted Drug Court Process Foundations evaluations of 11 Oregon adult and family drug court sites (examining the programs' adherence to best practices within the 10 Key Components, with adjustments for the special family drug court population of parents with child welfare cases). In addition, as a part of this project, NPC performed full process, outcome and cost-benefit evaluations of two family drug court sites, the Marion and Jackson County Family Drug Court Programs. This study is a follow-up to that evaluation of the Marion County program. This summary contains process and outcome evaluation results for the Marion County Fostering Attachment Family Treatment Court (FATC). Details: Portland, OR: NPC Research, 2013. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2014 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/244165.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/244165.pdf Shelf Number: 132121 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug CourtsDrug OffendersProblem-Solving CourtsSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Lamb, Kathleen Title: Recovery Services Evaluation Report: An Assessment of Program Completion Rates, and the Relationship Between Program Completion Status and Recidivism. 2009-2012 Period Summary: Existing literature suggests there is a strong relationship between participation in prison-based substance abuse programming and reduced recidivism. One way in which Ohio's offender population participates in substance abuse treatment is through participation in the intensive outpatient treatment program, which is the focus of this evaluation. This is a three-phase program consisting of the Treatment Readiness Phase, the Intensive Outpatient Phase, and the Recovery Maintenance phase. All phases are grounded in cognitive-behavioral therapy, aiming to change inmate thinking patterns. Prior research has demonstrated that intensive outpatient programs are a cost-effective way to reduce recidivism upon release from prison, although they are most useful when accompanied by supplemental programming (community-based aftercare). The present study has two major goals. The first is to assess completion rates (both successful completers as well as unsuccessful discharges) of offenders participating in intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment programs in Ohio prisons during the period from 2009 to 2012. The second is to establish whether there is a significant relationship between program completion status and recidivism one year after release. This work builds on prior evaluations of Recovery Services substance abuse programs by evaluating a more recent time frame, during which data quality substantially improved over prior periods, and incorporating statistical analyses at both the bivariate level and multivariate level. The multivariate findings assess the relationship between completion and recidivism while holding numerous other inmate characteristics constant. Details: Columbus, OH: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, 2013. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2014 at: http://www.drc.ohio.gov/web/Reports/RS_Evaluation_Dec2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.drc.ohio.gov/web/Reports/RS_Evaluation_Dec2013.pdf Shelf Number: 132394 Keywords: Community-Based AftercareCorrectional ProgramsDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersRecidivismSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: DrugScope Title: It's About Time: Tackling substance misuse in older people Summary: In general, alcohol use declines with age and use of illicit drugs is less common in older people than in their younger counterparts. However, as the Royal College of Psychiatrists highlighted in its 2011 report Our invisible addicts, the number of older people with substance use problems is increasing rapidly. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction has estimated that the number of older people with substance use problems or requiring treatment for substance misuse will more than double between 2001 and 2020. In spite of this, older people with substance use problems have historically been a marginalised group, whose particular needs have not been well met. It's about time: Tackling substance misuse in older people brings together information about older people and substance misuse - including use of alcohol, illicit drugs and prescribed and over-the-counter medications - from a range of sources, including published research and reports, service visits and a roundtable attended by academics, policy specialists, practitioners and former service users. In doing so, it aims to identify some of the key issues and problems in this area, and makes strategic and policy recommendations for change, as well as good practice recommendations for substance misuse and older people's services. Key recommendations include: - A range of interventions are needed for older people with substance use problems, from age-appropriate, non-time limited treatment and support for those who are drug and/or alcohol dependent, to brief interventions for those who are drinking at risk. Support for those with problems with prescription and/or over-the-counter medications also needs to be available. - Many of the services we visited during the research process for the briefing were delivering positive outcomes but faced a discontinuation of their funding. Independent and statutory funders and commissioners need to recognise the importance of services and interventions for older people and to consider options for sustainable funding going forward, particularly as research indicates increased prevalence and need. - Substance misuse services can implement a range of measures to help ensure the accessibility and relevance of services for older people, including specific groups or times for older people, satellite services operating out of community provision aimed specifically at older people - for instance, local support groups - and home visits. - Older people with substance misuse problems may come into contact with a number of health and social care professionals, including those working in primary care settings, older people's mental health services, residential services, and for social care providers. With particular reference to alcohol, these professionals should be trained to deliver brief interventions (IBA) and 'sensible drinking' advice to those who are not dependent, but are drinking at risk. Links with specialist support should be developed for referral of those with serious substance misuse problems. Details: London: DrugScope, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 3, 2014 at: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Resources/Drugscope/Documents/PDF/Policy/ItsAboutTimeWeb.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Resources/Drugscope/Documents/PDF/Policy/ItsAboutTimeWeb.pdf Shelf Number: 132620 Keywords: AlcoholismDrug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentElderlySubstance Abuse |
Author: Youngers, Coletta A. Title: In Search of Rights: Drug Users and Government Responses in Latin America Summary: This report presents the results of the most recent study by the Research Consortium on Drugs and the Law (Colectivo de Estudios Drogas y Derecho, CEDD). The study, entitled "In Search of Rights: Drug Users and State Responses in Latin America" analyzes States-- responses to the consumption of illicitly used drugs, focusing on two key areas; Criminal justice responses and health responses; Vin eight Latin American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. An international consensus appears to be emerging that drug use is not a criminal matter, but a health issue. Nevertheless, as shown by the country investigations that are part of this study, Latin American government responses to the use of illicit substances remain predominantly punitive and handled through the criminal justice system; it is through judicial, rather than healthcare, institutions that states address the illicit use of drugs and drug users. Even in countries in which drug use is not a crime, persistent criminalization of drug users is found. Treating drug use (and users) as a criminal matter is problematic for several reasons. First, as an earlier study by CEDD shows, responses that criminalize drug users are often ultimately more hazardous for the users; health than the drug use itself and do not help decrease levels of use (either problem or non-problem use).2 Second, as this report shows, the criminal justice response contributes to a climate of stigmatization of and discrimination against users, reducing the likelihood that police and the judicial system will take an impartial attitude toward them. Third, the criminalization of drug users is a poor use of public resources in both the public security and health sectors. Finally, this approach to drug use; through criminal justice institutions; violates various fundamental rights of users, including the rights to health, information, personal autonomy and self-determination. All of this violates various national and international human rights norms that States are obligated to uphold. The following is a summary of the studies; key findings: - Most public policies related to drug use in the countries studied take a punitive and prohibitionist approach that does not distinguish among different types of use and/or among substances or users; they are therefore inadequate for addressing the harm caused by problem drug use. - In all of the countries studied, there is strong discrimination against and stigmatization of drug users. Even in countries where use of those substances is not criminalized, we found that consumers are often treated as criminals. This leaves users outside the reach of health systems. - In all the countries studied, we found that drug users are criminally prosecuted. In Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico and Bolivia, drug use is not a crime. Nevertheless, according to the study in Argentina, in a sample from 2011, nearly 75 percent of the cases involving drug law violations that were initiated by security forces in the Federal Criminal Court in the city of Buenos Aires were for possession of drugs for personal use. In Ecuador, 5,103 people are presently incarcerated for possession of narcotic or psychotropic substances, of a total of 6,467 convicted on drug-related charges. In Mexico, 140,860 people nationwide were arrested for drug use between 2009 and May 2013, and investigations were opened in 53,769 cases in the federal system during that period. In Bolivia, 6,316 people were arrested for drug possession (mainly cannabis) between 2005 and 2011, although possession is not classified as a crime. - The criminal justice response puts drug users in a vulnerable position before the authorities, exposing them to corruption, extortion, physical abuse, sexual abuse, arbitrary detention and other violations of their fundamental rights. - Largely because of the stigmatization of drug use, users suffer constant violations of their fundamental rights, including the rights to health, self-determination and free personal development, the right not to suffer discrimination, and the right to information and due process. - The governments studied emphasize controlling the supply of illicitly used drugs over addressing drug use, or demand, which has a negative impact on the ability to provide adequate social and public-health responses to drug use and contributes to the violation of present and future users; rights to health. - There is a marked paucity of information about consumption and a lack of systematization of that information and, in some cases there are methodological and conceptual problems in the gathering of information about drug use. That often leads to an exaggeration of the problem of consumption of illicitly used drugs and hinders the formulation and development of informed policies based on empirical information. - By emphasizing a criminal justice approach over a health-related approach, governments have abdicated their responsibility to users who need treatment, leaving the private sector as the main provider of treatment and rehabilitation services. We found that States often do not regulate and/or oversee private centers, many of which operate informally, using treatments that have no scientific basis. Abstinence-based treatment models predominate in both the public and private sectors and there is little emphasis on harm reduction programs, which have proven more effective in mitigating the negative effects of illicit use of drugs. - Throughout the region, drug users; even when their use is not problematic; can be subjected to treatment involuntarily, forcibly or semi-forcibly. This means that scarce public-health resources that could be used for people who do want and need treatment are used for people who neither need nor want it. Given that situation, the proposal of drug courts offers an alternative to incarceration. One concern, however, is that this proposal is seen as a healthcare response, when its components are still of a criminal justice nature and risk reproducing all of the problems within the criminal justice system with regard to drug use. Details: Mexico: Research Consortium on Drugs and the Law (CEDD), 170p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 10, 2014 at: http://drogasyderecho.org/assets/full-report-english.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Latin America URL: http://drogasyderecho.org/assets/full-report-english.pdf Shelf Number: 132637 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Latin America)Drug Abuse PolicyDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug EnforcementDrug ReformIllicit DrugsSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Bauld, Linda Title: Problem Drug Users' Experiences of Employment and the Benefit System Summary: This study was commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to examine the issues surrounding benefit uptake in England by individuals who use illicit drugs, in particular heroin and crack cocaine. Individuals who take these drugs are termed 'problem drug users' (PDUs). In addressing these issues, the study also explores the wider context of education, training and employment for drug users as well as the role of treatment. This report has two key elements: a review of the literature on drug use and benefit uptake and a qualitative component that included face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 75 drug users and ten professionals who work with drug users to explore specific issues in detail. The research was carried out by a team from the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow and the Centre for the Analysis of Social Policy in the Department of Social and Policy Sciences at the University of Bath. Details: Norwich, UK: Department for Work and Pensions, 2010. 132p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No. 640: Accessed July 30, 2014 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214409/rrep640.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214409/rrep640.pdf Shelf Number: 132849 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (U.K.)Employment |
Author: DrugScope Title: Business as usual? A status report on new psychoactive substances (NPS) and 'club drugs' in the UK Summary: Since 2008-2009, there has been a significant increase in interest in, and probable use of, a new breed of synthetic drugs, which can be grouped together under the term New Psychoactive Substances (NPS). The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (A) defines NPS as "psychoactive drugs which are not prohibited by the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs or by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and which people in the UK are seeking for intoxicant use". Some definitions, particularly from outside the UK, also include so-called 'club drugs' such as ketamine and GHB/GBL that are not included in the UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. This brief, status report, encompasses both NPS and 'club drugs' and gives an overview of current sector knowledge and experience on these substances, with consideration given to: - how and why NPS developed; - what we know (and don't know) about prevalence and patterns of use; - early warning systems in place for information sharing; - enforcement and legislative responses; - health impacts and drug-related deaths; - public health information and harm reduction interventions; - case studies of existing treatment and service-level responses. The report is intended to be of use to frontline drug and alcohol workers, managers and commissioners, as well as policy makers. Details: London: DrugScope, 2014. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 10, 2014 at: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Resources/Drugscope/Documents/PDF/Policy/BusinessAsUsual.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.drugscope.org.uk/Resources/Drugscope/Documents/PDF/Policy/BusinessAsUsual.pdf Shelf Number: 133268 Keywords: Club DrugsDrug Abuse and Addiction (U.K.)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug EnforcementPsychoactive DrugsPsychoactive Substances |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: No Time to Waste: Evidence-Based Treatment for Drug Dependence at the United States Veterans Administration Summary: This briefing paper examines the response of the Veterans Administration to veterans struggling with drug and alcohol dependence, highlighting three programs that use evidence-based models to prevent overdose, treat opioid dependence and end chronic homelessness. These approaches incorporate harm reduction principles that "meet veterans where they are" - providing services along a spectrum to help veterans reduce the negative consequences of drug misuse including the harm of infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Continued support for these programs is critically important, both within the Veterans Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and in the form of essential funding from the United States Congress. Human Rights Watch research indicates: - Expanding veterans' access to naloxone is critical to saving lives from overdose; - Medication-assisted therapy is an effective treatment for opioid dependence that should be accessible to greater numbers of veterans; - Focusing on "Housing First" gives veterans a chance to stabilize and rebuild their lives. The Veterans Administration has adopted evidence-based models because they are effective. But implementing evidence-based responses to drug dependence is a matter of human rights as well as public health. These are principles that apply to all people regardless of whether they have served in the nation's military. The VA provides the three models highlighted here to veterans, but they are essential for all who are drug dependent and may be at risk of overdose, in need of treatment or without a home. By expanding and sustaining these programs the Veterans Administration can set a precedent that ultimately could be a significant contribution to protecting the right to health not only for veterans but for all Americans. Details: New York: HRW, 2014. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2014 at: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/us0614_vets_ForUpload.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/us0614_vets_ForUpload.pdf Shelf Number: 133392 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentMilitary Veterans (U.S.)Substance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Center for Rural Pennsylvania Title: Heroin: Combating this Growing Epidemic in Pennsylvania Summary: In July and August 2014, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency of the General Assembly, convened a series of statewide public hearings to examine the increasing use of heroin and opioid abuse and addiction rates in rural Pennsylvania communities. The hearings were in response to questions posed by state legislators on the increasing number of arrests and overdose deaths attributed to heroin and opioid abuse within their respective legislative districts. Over the two month period, state legislators joined the Center for Rural Pennsylvania Board of Directors to travel across the state, from the southeast to the northwest, in order to receive testimony from over 50 experts and concerned citizens. Hearings were held on July 9th at the Williamsport Regional Medical Center in Lycoming County, July 22nd at the Reading Area Community College in Berks County, August 5th at Saint Francis University in Cambria County, and August 19th at Clarion University of Pennsylvania in Clarion County. The hearings were broadcast by the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) and are available for viewing online. More than 300 pages of compelling testimony were received over the course of 20 hours to identify and discuss ongoing approaches in education and prevention, law enforcement, and treatment in the state. Those offering testimony included: h Parents who offered heartrending stories of children who have passed away or are currently suffering from addiction, and who are seeking to strengthen existing state laws and enact new state laws. h Elected officials who discussed ongoing efforts at the local level to address the rise in heroin and opioid abuse, from the creation of Drug Task Forces, to expanding supervised release programs and implementing new jail based treatment programs. h Law enforcement personnel who discussed heroin trafficking across the state, rising crime rates that are impacting the criminal justice system, and efforts to combat drugs and drug-related activity. h Medical and treatment providers who stressed the need to replace funding that has been cut to treat addiction and connect those struggling with addiction to local resources that can assist them on their road to recovery. Of particular importance was the need for a Prescription Drug Monitoring Registry. h Educators and students who pleaded for parents, schools and community organizations to become more engaged and take a proactive role to learn more about the growing epidemic. h Business and industry leaders who talked of the drug and alcohol abuse among our population, presenting significant workforce issues for Pennsylvania employers. h Recovering addicts who provided insights into heroin and opioid addiction and recovery. The rise in heroin and opioid abuse in Pennsylvania has no geographic boundaries, and crosses all socioeconomic groups, all ages and all races. In 2011, the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimated that 4.2 million Americans age 12 or older had used heroin at least once in their lives. In addition, recent reports note that approximately 80 percent of people who abused heroin reported abusing prescription opioids before starting to abuse heroin (i). Further, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs report confirmed that health care providers wrote 259 million prescriptions for painkillers in 2012, enough for every adult in the United States to have a bottle of prescription painkillers. In 2014, Governor Tom Corbett directed the Departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs and Health to establish the Safe and Effective Prescribing Practices and Pain Management Task Force in an effort to reduce the number of prescription drug abuse cases and the number of overdoses associated with prescription drug abuse in the state. The group was tasked with reviewing prescribing practices and identifying guidelines for health care providers who treat chronic non-cancer pain, as well as opioid prescribing guidelines in the context of hospital emergency departments. The Pennsylvania General Assembly has also recognized the need for closer monitoring of prescription drugs. Legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate that would strengthen a prescription drug monitoring program in the Commonwealth. The program would expand upon the types of drugs already monitored and increase access to the program for pharmacists and health care practitioners with prescriptive rights. During all four Center for Rural Pennsylvania public hearings, one thing was made clear V state and local education and prevention, law enforcement, and treatment efforts must be evaluated and fully coordinated to provide a more effective means to treat and address this growing epidemic in the state. As stated by several presenters, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania cannot arrest its way out of the growing heroin and opioid abuse and addiction crisis. This final report sets forth recommendations and considerations offered by the participants during the four hearings. Some of the recommendations are primed for legislative action; however, it became evident that some issues require additional research and understanding before any proposed action is offered. Through its core mission of research and data analysis, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania will work to further refine the issues, and it encourages local communities to continue their efforts in combating this epidemic. Details: Harrisburg, PA: Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 1, 2014 at: http://www.rural.palegislature.us/documents/reports/heroin_report2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.rural.palegislature.us/documents/reports/heroin_report2014.pdf Shelf Number: 133515 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Pennsylvania) Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Enforcement Heroin Prescription Drug Abuse |
Author: Wen, Hefei Title: The Effect of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Use on Crime: Evidence from Public Insurance Expansions and Health Insurance Parity Mandates Summary: We examine the effect of increasing the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment rate on reducing violent and property crime rates, based on county-level panels of SUD treatment and crime data between 2001 and 2008 across the United States. To address the potential endogeneity of the SUD treatment rate with respect to crime rate, we exploit the exogenous variation in the SUD treatment rate induced by two state-level policies, namely insurance expansions under the Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability (HIFA) waivers and parity mandates for SUD treatment. Once we address the endogeneity issue, we are able to demonstrate an economically meaningful reduction in the rates of robbery, aggravated assault and larceny theft attributable to an increased SUD treatment rate. A back-of-the-envelope calculation shows that a 10 percent relative increase in the SUD treatment rate at an average cost of $1.6 billion yields a crime reduction benefit of $2.5 billion to $4.8 billion. Our findings suggest that expanding insurance coverage and benefits for SUD treatment is an effective policy lever to improve treatment use, and the improved SUD treatment use can effectively and cost-effectively promote public safety through crime reduction. Details: Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2014. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: NBER Working Paper Series: Working Paper 20537: Accessed October 6, 2014 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2505843 Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2505843 Shelf Number: 134228 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AdditionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders (U.S.)Property CrimesRecidivismSubstance Abuse TreatmentViolent Crimes |
Author: Centre for Social Justice Title: Ambitious for Recovery: Tackling drug and alcohol addiction in the UK Summary: Addiction to drugs and alcohol takes a heavy toll on society. In 17 years running BAC O'Connor I have seen the impact, from crime, worklessness and strains on the NHS, to the price paid by individuals and their families. I have witnessed, however, people overcome their addiction and progress to lead full lives as contributing members of society. Provided with a little support to become drug and alcohol free, I have watched people transform their lives and become productive members of society. Recent falls in drug and alcohol use in the wider population conceal a rising cost of addiction: more alcohol-related admissions and readmissions, more prescription drugs issued, and, a surge in use of 'legal highs'. This is a social justice issue. Addiction can strike anyone but the harm of this situation is felt most keenly in poorer communities. Our interim report, No Quick Fix, laid bare the costs, extent and changing nature of drug and alcohol addiction in the UK. We outlined how the Government's 2010 Drug Strategy marked a welcome shift from a policy of maintaining addicts on substitute drugs to an ambition to help people lead drug-free lives. We have seen a rise in the use of mutual aid and the rhetoric of recovery now pervades strategy. Yet while some of the rhetoric has been good, action has been poor. Abstinence from drugs and alcohol, which is key to achieving lasting recovery but is still not the marker by which we measure our success. Equally, rehabs are the most effective route to abstinence for many yet are still the preserve of the wealthy or the lucky few. Making the situation worse, we now have 'legal highs', often more dangerous and addictive than the drugs they seek to imitate, available to buy on high streets across the UK. Our report lays out a programme for whoever next enters government, to tackle addiction and reduce its costs to society. We argue that priorities for the next Parliament should include: a small treatment tax of a penny on a unit is introduced by the end of the next Parliament to provide proper rehabilitation; reform to the welfare, criminal justice and health services to address the addiction problems which drain resources; and, a proper response to 'legal highs'. Details: London: Centre for Social Justice, 2014. 102p. Source: Internet Resource: Breakthrough Britain II: Accessed October 9, 2014 at: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/UserStorage/pdf/Pdf%20reports/CSJJ2073_Addiction_15.08.14_2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/UserStorage/pdf/Pdf%20reports/CSJJ2073_Addiction_15.08.14_2.pdf Shelf Number: 133925 Keywords: AlcoholismDrug Abuse and Addiction (U.K.)Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersRehabilitationSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Keaton, Sandy Title: Enhancing Treatment in a Drug Court Setting: An Evaluation of San Diego County's Pilot Vivitrol Project Summary: In 2012, the North County Drug Court began a pilot project administering Vivitrol to drug court clients with a primary opiate addiction. Vivitrol is an extended-release injectable formulation of naltrexone that was approved in 2006 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for the treatment of alcohol dependence and in 2010 for the treatment of opiate dependence (USFDA, 2010). The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) contracted with the San Diego Association of Governments' (SANDAG) Criminal Justice Research Division to conduct a two-year evaluation of the Vivitrol Pilot Project to determine if the program was implemented as planned and if the expected outcomes were achieved. This is the fourth and final evaluation report and provides the findings from data collected between August 2012 and June 2014. Key Findings of Vivitrol Pilot Project This report constitutes a two-year evaluation of the North County Vivitrol Pilot Project. It is one of the first studies to look at the longer term impacts of Vivitrol among opioid dependents. While the evaluation was limited by small sample size and available comparison group, the findings support further exploration of intramuscular injections of Vivitrol to support engagement and retention in drug treatment among individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Some key findings included: Regardless of the number of shots received, program clients generally reported that Vivitrol helped to control their cravings and supported their recovery. Program clients who completed the prescribed six or more doses of Vivitrol experienced decreased desire to use, did not relapse, and did not reoffend during the study period (a total of 18 months). While positive outcomes were realized for those clients who received the full dosage amount, only around one quarter (26%) received six or more shots. Older clients (36 years old on average) whose primary method of heroin administration was injection were more likely to receive six or more doses than those who were younger and reported other primary modes of use. Program stakeholders surveyed recommended that the Vivitrol project continue because of the success of the clients they witnessed during the pilot project including decreased cravings and greater focus on treatment. Details: San Francisco: Criminal Justice Research Division, SANDAG, 2014. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: CJ Bulletin: Accessed October 9, 2014 at: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1873_17990.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1873_17990.pdf Shelf Number: 133626 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (California)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug CourtsDrug OffendersProblem-Solving CourtsSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: MacSwain, Mary-Ann Title: Characteristics of women participants in the Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP), . Summary: Why we did this study Ensuring that offenders have access to interventions that address their substance abuse issues allows the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) to support the safe reintegration of offenders into society. The treatment needs of federal offenders with opioid dependence are facilitated through the provision of CSC's Methadone Maintenance Treatment Program (MMTP). Some of the objectives of CSC's MMTP include reducing relapse to opioid drug use and the incidence of drug-related criminal activity; improving the offender's general health and quality of life; and assisting and motivating offenders to gradually desist from all illicit drug use. Understanding the characteristics of women MMTP participants will assist CSC in developing its MMTP delivery to more effectively address the challenges of opioid addicted offenders, a group with high levels of criminogenic needs and long criminal histories. What we did The study included women federal offenders who were initiated into CSC's MMTP between January, 2003 and December, 2008 (N = 209). The comparison group consisted of the remaining women institutional population (N = 1879). The demographic characteristics, criminogenic risk and need factors and criminal histories of MMTP participants and the institutional population were compared. The drug use and mental health histories of MMTP participants were also examined. What we found Results indicate that, compared to the institutional population, female MMTP participants had higher static (risk) and dynamic (need) factor ratings. In addition, they had lower reintegration potential and motivation level, and a longer criminal history. MMTP participants were also more likely to currently be serving sentences for offences related to the acquisition of money or personal belongings such as robbery, theft or break and enter, and forgery/fraud, along with other non violent offences. They were also less likely to have current homicide or drug related offences. Most women MMTP participants report the use of pharmaceutical opioids, rather than heroin or a combination of heroin and pharmaceutical opioids. However, in the Pacific and Quebec regions, heroin use was more prevalent. Almost two thirds of women MMTP participants report problematic poly drug use in addition to their opioid use, with cocaine being the most commonly used non-opioid drug. Almost all (97%) of MMTP participants reported a history of injection drug use, and many also reported a history of overdose, and other risk behaviours related to their drug use such as needle sharing. Many women also present for MMT with other mental health issues such as depression (63%), anxiety (62%), and panic disorder (32%), as well as trauma such as physical (81%), mental (74%), and sexual abuse (67%). What it means The current study indicates that women MMTP participants have long criminal histories and represent major challenges for reintegration. However, successful treatment of their addiction and other criminogenic factors may lead to reductions in criminal activity after release. In addition, this research highlights a need to focus attention on the abuse of other drugs, trauma and mental health issues for this group of women. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2014. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No R-307 Accessed October 9, 2014 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/005/008/092/005008-0307-eng.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/005/008/092/005008-0307-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 133630 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersFemale Inmates (Canada)Female OffendersMethadone MaintenanceSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Eurasian Harm Reduction Network Title: Overdose prevention services upon release from prison: Best practices from Scotland, Denmark, Italy and Spain Summary: This 'Fact Sheet' reports on good practice models in four European Union (EU) countries - Scotland, Denmark, Italy and Spain (more specifically, the Catalonia region) - on overdose prevention and management programs upon release from prison. Information gathered includes programme descriptions; evidence of effectiveness; functioning; and involvement of people who use drugs. A separate, complementary mapping report describing the situation in the target countries (Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Romania) regarding overdose prevention services upon release from prisons was also produced within Workstream 3: 'Overdose prevention services upon release from prison: Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland and Romania'. Details: Vilnius: Eurasian Harm Reduction Network (EHRN), 2014. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2014 at: http://harm-reduction.org/sites/default/files/pdf/fact_sheet_best_practices_overdose_prevention.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://harm-reduction.org/sites/default/files/pdf/fact_sheet_best_practices_overdose_prevention.pdf Shelf Number: 133803 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (Europe)Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offender TreatmentDrug OverdosesPrisoner ReentrySubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Great Britain. Home Office Title: Drugs: international comparators Summary: Covers approaches to drugs misuse and drug addiction in other countries: - detailing drug consumption rooms; - heroin-assisted treatment; - dissuasion commissions; - drug courts; - prison-based treatment; - prison-based harm-reduction; - new psychoactive substances; - supply-side regulation of cannabis; - decriminalising the possession of drugs for personal use Details: London: Home Office, 2014. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2014 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368489/DrugsInternationalComparators.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/368489/DrugsInternationalComparators.pdf Shelf Number: 133934 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug CourtsDrug OffendersProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Karam, Johanna Title: Dignity, diversion, home and hope: a review of interventions for volatile substance misuse in regional North Queensland Summary: Volatile substance misuse (VSM) refers to the practice of deliberately inhaling volatile substances for the purposes of bringing about a change in mental state. Rates of inhalant misuse in Australia are difficult to determine but are generally thought to be increasing (Usher et al. 2005). Whilst there is a growing body of literature about VSM, many papers recognise the lack of empirical research investigating the effectiveness of interventions (Skellington Orr & Shewan 2006; Konghom et al. 2010; Ridenour et al. 2007; Ridenour 2005; NHMRC 2011b; S. J. MacLean & d'Abbs 2011; CCYP 2002; d'Abbs & S. J. MacLean 2008; S. MacLean et al. 2012; NIAT 2006). Research into inhalant use interventions in Australia is dominated by investigations of petrol sniffing and other inhalant use in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities (e.g. Cairney and Dingwall 2010; James 2004; S. J. MacLean and d'Abbs 2002; Midford et al. 2010) or capital cities (e.g. Ogwang et al. 2006; Hancock 2004; Takagi et al. 2010). In the regional cities of Central, North and Far North Queensland, young people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island backgrounds overwhelmingly dominate the statistics of inhalant users. This necessitates a targeted, culturally appropriate place based response, as reflected in Australia's National Drug Strategy Complementary Action Plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy 2006). Outbreaks of inhalant use are often highly localised and spasmodic. The episodic nature of outbreaks means that often place based strategies and responses are the most appropriate (NIAT 2006). Criteria outlined by d'Abbs and MacLean (2008) included 'research and consultation to determine specific features of VSM within the local area' as a specific component of any successful intervention. Examination of interventions and applicability within the regional context was therefore deemed warranted. In April 2012, Cairns based government and non-government agencies participated in a one-day forum, facilitated by state-wide capacity building organisation Dovetail, to discuss regional VSM issues and develop an action plan to improve strategies and collaboration. Following the forum, Youth Empowered Towards Independence (YETI) received funding from the former Commonwealth Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) to undertake a 12-month VSM-CAP (Community and Practice) project to help strengthen interventions and supports for inhalant users in the local area. YETI is a not-for-profit non-government organisation that supports young people aged 10-25 years old residing in Cairns. YETI primarily works with vulnerable young people who are at risk of, or are already engaging in the use of illicit drugs and/or alcohol. Approximately 85 per cent of clients accessing services at YETI identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. YETI recognises the importance of research and evaluation for strengthening collaborative interventions and the documentation of VSM practice responses, which are relevant to the local context. The funding ensured that research and documentation of best practice place-based interventions was able to occur. Aims of the VSM-CAP Project included; direct intervention - to reduce harms associated with VSM in the Cairns region and to provide individual support to young people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background to reconnect with country, family and community, and; coordination and collaboration - to build community systems capacity in relation to responding to inhalant use in Cairns and Far North Queensland. This research constituted the third aim of the project. This research examined current regional VSM interventions and collated qualitative and statistical data to develop evidence-based locally responsive interventions to address VSM. The subsequent report also documents a set of practice principles, which underpin YETI's VSM response within the local context. The project identifies, explores and reports some of the issues associated with inhalant use in regional centres of North and Far North Queensland. Most importantly, the report and the associated project give a voice to the 'grass roots' people at the 'coal face' of sniffing in regional Queensland. That is, the voices of young people engaging in VSM and local place based practitioners who work with them. Details: Canberra: Australian Government, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2014. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2014 at: http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications/docs/YETI_dignity_diversion_home_hope.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications/docs/YETI_dignity_diversion_home_hope.pdf Shelf Number: 134178 Keywords: At-Risk YouthDrug Abuse and Addiction (Australia)Drug Abuse TreatmentInhalantsSubstance AbuseSubstance Abuse TreatmentVolatile Substance Misuse |
Author: Open Society Foundations Title: To Protect and Serve: How Police, Sex Workers, and People Who Use Drugs Are Joining Forces to Improve Health and Human Rights Summary: Around the world, sex workers and people who use drugs report that police are often a major impediment to accessing health and social services. Common police practices- - using condoms as evidence of prostitution, harassing drug users at needle exchange points, or confiscating medications for drug treatment- fuel the HIV epidemic by driving sex workers and drug users away from life-saving services. Emerging partnerships between police, health experts, and community groups are beginning to prove that law enforcement and HIV-prevention programs can work together to save lives while reducing crime. When successfully implemented, these programs reduce the risk of HIV and drug overdose, and protect the health and human rights of these communities. Through detailed case studies from Burma, Ghana, India, Kenya, and Kyrgyzstan, this report examines how public health-centered law enforcement can reduce the risk of HIV infections among sex workers and drug users. The lessons of more than two decades of the response to HIV are clear: Police reform and community-police cooperation are as crucial to HIV prevention among criminalized groups as a condom or a clean needle, and should be supported as a central part of HIV and AIDS programming Details: New York: Open Society Foundations, 2014. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 25, 2014 at: http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/protect-serve-20140716.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Africa URL: http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/protect-serve-20140716.pdf Shelf Number: 134232 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentHealth CarePolice-Community RelationsProstitutesProstitutionSex Workers (Africa) |
Author: Connolly, Johnny. Title: Crack cocaine in the Dublin Region: An evidence base for a crack cocaine strategy Summary: Crack cocaine is produced from powder cocaine using readily available chemical agents such as ammonia or baking soda. Smoking crack is a highly efficient way of getting cocaine into the brain, making its use compulsive and difficult to control in some cases. In early 2005, a number of seizures of crack cocaine were made by An Garda Siochana in Dublin's north-inner city. In addition, there were anecdotal reports of individuals using crack cocaine in Dublin. As a result, the Intersectoral Crack Cocaine Strategy Group (ISCCSG) was established in the north-inner city in March 2006. The group decided to document the nature and extent of crack use; the availability of crack; the impact of crack on the user, the family and the wider community; and current treatment and policing responses to crack use. The Alcohol and Drug Research Unit (ADRU) of the Health Research Board (HRB) was commissioned to complete the study using a rapid situation assessment method. The study involved a review of findings from relevant research, the collection and analysis of up-to-date drug-treatment and criminal justice data, and interviews and focus groups with crack users, service providers and the Garda National Drugs Unit. The study received ethical approval in August 2007. Details: Dublin: Health Research Board, 2008. 142p. Source: Internet Resource: HRB Research Series 6: Accessed February 9, 2015 at: http://www.hrb.ie/uploads/tx_hrbpublications/HRB_Research_Series_6.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Ireland URL: http://www.hrb.ie/uploads/tx_hrbpublications/HRB_Research_Series_6.pdf Shelf Number: 113022 Keywords: Crack Cocaine (Ireland)Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Markets |
Author: Taylor, Liana R. Title: General Responsivity and Evidence-Based Treatment: Individual and Program Predictors of Treatment Outcomes During Adolescent Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Summary: Since it was first articulated, the Risk-Need-Responsivity model (RNR; Andrews, Bonta, & Hoge, 1990) has been extensively researched and is regarded as an empirically supported model for providing effective correctional treatment. It is comprised of three core principles: the risk principle, which provides direction for who should receive treatment; the need principle, which identifies intermediate treatment targets; and the responsivity principle, which states how treatment programs should be structured. The RNR model is purported to be relevant for all offender populations, including female offenders (Dowden & Andrews, 1999a), juvenile offenders (Dowden & Andrews, 1999b), violent offenders (Dowden & Andrews, 2000), and sexual offenders (Hanson, Bourgon, Helmus, & Hogdson, 2009). Yet, the majority of RNR research has examined the risk and need principles, and the responsivity principle remains understudied. The responsivity principle includes two sub-principles: general and specific (Andrews, & Bonta, 2010). The current research explored the general responsivity principle, which states that programs should use theoretically relevant models for individual change, specifically cognitive-behavioral and cognitive-social learning models (Andrews & Bonta, 2010). The following techniques are consistent with these models: "role-playing, modeling, repeated practice of alternative behaviors, cognitive restructuring to modify thoughts/emotions, skills building, or reinforcement" (Andrews & Bonta, 2010, p. 50). Despite empirical support, the RNR model has received minimal application to juveniles, and it has not been widely tested in the substance abuse treatment context. Additionally, it is not clear whether adherence to the RNR model is relevant for reducing substance use outcomes in youth. Adolescent substance abuse treatment programs were designed to address substance use among juveniles, and have been widely researched to determine their effectiveness; yet their effectiveness remains understudied among juvenile offenders. These studies include examinations of specific treatment interventions used, such as Multisystemic Therapy. Many of these interventions are considered to be "evidence-based treatment" (EBT), but there is a wide variety of repositories that classify interventions as "evidence-based" with varying criteria used to classify them. The juvenile drug treatment court model (JDTC) was specifically developed to address substance use and crime among juvenile offenders; however, findings from empirical studies have not demonstrated a strong treatment effect. To address these gaps in the literature, secondary analyses were conducted on data collected from 132 adolescent outpatient substance abuse treatment programs (AOPs) and 10 juvenile drug treatment courts nationwide. This research was an application of the general responsivity principle in the AOP and JDTC context to determine the impact of responsivity adherence on the odds of rearrest and substance use severity. The analyses also included an examination of evidence-based treatment (EBT) in both samples to determine the influence of EBT use scores on the odds of rearrests and substance use severity scores. To examine the AOP sample, multilevel models were used to examine the individual- and program-level impact of responsivity adherence and EBT use. To examine the JDTC sample, multivariate analyses were used to examine the individual-level impact of responsivity adherence and EBT use. Overall, responsivity adherence was not significantly associated with rearrests among AOP participants, nor was it significantly associated with substance use severity scores. Additionally, the odds of rearrest were significantly greater among individuals who received interventions with a higher EBT use score; though, there was no association between the average EBT use scores across programs and the odds of rearrest. There was no significant association between individual- and program-level EBT use scores and substance use severity. Among JDTC participants, an increase in responsivity adherence was associated with an increase in the odds of rearrest and substance use severity. A similar association emerged between EBT use scores and both outcomes, wherein increases in EBT use scores were significantly associated with an increase in the odds of rearrest and substance use severity. The results of the analyses suggest the need for further specification of both general responsivity adherence and "evidence-based" treatment for use in future research and theory; specifically, further elaboration of the general responsivity-adherent techniques and clear criteria for classifying interventions as "evidence-based treatment." The findings also imply that certain types of treatment interventions are more compatible with the JDTC model than other interventions. Additional analyses suggest the possibility that general responsivity adherence and evidence-based treatment may not be unique constructs. Future research may benefit through exploring evidence-based treatment as a criterion for adherence to the general responsivity principle. Details: Philadelphia: Temple University, 2014. 252p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 1, 2015 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248590.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248590.pdf Shelf Number: 135116 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug CourtsDrug OffendersEvidence-Based TreatmentJuvenile Drug OffendersSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Centre for Social Justice Title: Drugs in Prison Summary: Prisons in England and Wales have a serious drug problem - they have done for decades. There is every reason to tackle it. Prisons are straining under the violence it causes. Drug-using prisoners are suffering from physical and mental health conditions and their chances rehabilitation are slim. Society is suffering through addicted prisoners committing crime to fund their habits on release. One of the chief purposes of prison is to reduce crime. In this regard they are clearly failing. It does not have to be this way. It is very possible to change this situation and ensure prisons are a place where people battling addiction recover. Success requires a three-pronged approach: Drugs must be kept out of prisons; Demand for drugs must be reduced; Drug addicted prisoners must receive effective support into recovery. These three requirements are interdependent and failure in just one area will ultimately lead to a failure to tackle the prison drug problem. This paper sets out the Details: London: Centre for Social Justice, 2015. 86p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 21, 2015 at: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/UserStorage/pdf/Pdf%20reports/CSJJ3090_Drugs_in_Prison.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/UserStorage/pdf/Pdf%20reports/CSJJ3090_Drugs_in_Prison.pdf Shelf Number: 135325 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersDrugs in PrisonPrison Contraband (U.K.) |
Author: Ditmore, Melissa Title: When sex work and drug use overlap: Considerations for advocacy and practice Summary: The report examines the multiple and varied contexts within which drug use (including use of alcohol and non-psychoactive substances, including some hormones and image- and performance-enhancing drugs) and sex work overlap. It provides a snapshot of available evidence on the factors that contribute to vulnerability among people who sell sex and use drugs. Drawing on experience from the harm reduction and sex work communities, the report explores implications for practice, highlighting existing programmes that reach people who sell sex and use drugs around the world, and offering practical suggestions on how programmes can better serve this overlapping population. While this broad and complex area cannot be explored in depth within a document of this length, the report aims to draw attention to this often neglected area, and inform policy and programmatic discussions. It is primarily intended to be useful for people who use drugs and sell sex, and those who work with them, in order to inform advocacy and programming. It may also be useful to civil society organisations, government and multilateral agencies with an involvement in programming and policy making on drugs, sex work and health. Details: London: Harm Reduction International, 2013. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2015 at: http://www.ihra.net/files/2014/08/06/Sex_work_report_%C6%924_WEB.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.ihra.net/files/2014/08/06/Sex_work_report_%C6%924_WEB.pdf Shelf Number: 135363 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction Drug Abuse TreatmentProstitutes Prostitution Sex Workers |
Author: Davis Y. Ja Associates Title: Peers Reaching Out Supporting Peers to Embrace Recovery (PROPSPER): A Final Evaluation Report Summary: The Peers Reaching Out Supporting Peers to Embrace Recovery (PROSPER) program, a 4-year federal demonstration project funded through the Recovery Community Services Program (RCSP) initiative of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT)/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), was a unique strength-based peer-to-peer recovery community for people who face the dual challenge of recovery and reentry into society from prison, and their family/significant others, in Los Angeles County. Governed and operated by peers, the program offered stage-appropriate holistic social support through a strategic mix of services comprised of a resource facility, support groups, peer-coaching, workshop/seminars, social and recreational activities, and community events. Featuring Recovery Support, Health & Wellness, and Skills to Prosper components, PROSPER enrolled and served at least 125 new Peers annually, for a total of over 500 Peers served during its four year duration. The project aimed to: - Provide a compelling alternative community to counteract negative forces in peers' lives - Build positive self concept and achievement motivation - Reinforce family/significant others' relationships and support - Amplify the treatment/recovery continuum for the target population. The goals of PROSPER's local evaluation were to: 1) assess the program's effectiveness, 2) identify best practices within the program, and 3) indicate possibilities for expanding and replicating PROSPER elsewhere in California. In addition, PROSPER's strength-based, peer-driven recovery community and the array of social supports (emotional, informational, instrumental, and associational) were designed to test the evidence that social support in the form of a peer support recovery community is a critical construct in providing the transitional resources necessary to reduce relapse and recidivism with this population. Details: San Francisco: Davis Y. Ja and Associates, 2009. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2015 at: http://www.dyja.com/sites/default/files/u24/PROSPER%20Final%20Evaluation%20Report.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.dyja.com/sites/default/files/u24/PROSPER%20Final%20Evaluation%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 135384 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction (U.S.)Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersPeersPrisoner ReentrySubstance Abuse |
Author: Guidry, Sarah R. Title: A Blueprint for Criminal Justice Policy Solutions in Harris County Summary: On any given day, Texas county jails house approximately 65,000 people. More than half of these individuals are typically awaiting trial, not yet having been convicted. Many others are misdemeanants or serving terms for nonviolent offenses. And sadly, some individuals have repeatedly returned to jail, trapped in a continuous cycle of recidivism, unprepared for a life outside of the criminal justice system without access to post-release treatment and programming. As more and more individuals are incarcerated or otherwise involved in the criminal justice system, the fiscal and human costs increase: Individuals with criminal records have difficulty finding stable employment and housing, leading to re-offending; the expenses associated with managing bloated jail populations can be extensive; and public safety and health are likewise compromised when crowded jails fail to meet the needs of incoming and exiting individuals. Despite being home to the largest jail in Texas (and third largest in the United States), Harris County has nonetheless struggled with jail overcrowding for the past four decades. In 1974, a group of inmates filed a lawsuit against the Sheriff and County Commissioners that challenged the conditions of their confinement; it culminated in a federal court order condemning the overcrowded conditions in the Harris County jail, and it provided jurisdiction to the federal court to ensure steps were taken to bring the conditions of the jail within constitutionally protected standards. For nearly two decades, that court wielded its oversight power heavily, frequently intervening to prevent conditions at the Harris County jail from deteriorating further. And yet, following the termination of the court's oversight in the mid-1990's, the Harris County jail population once again swelled. By the late 2000's, Harris County's jail population was exceeding the design capacity of the jail facilities by almost 2,000 inmates and exceeding the target figure for safe operation of the jail by more than 2,400 inmates. The large number of inmates forced the County to outsource approximately 1,000 inmates each month to jail facilities in Louisiana; additionally, the County housed approximately 2,100 inmates in jail facilities in other Texas counties. Unsafe and unsanitary crowding conditions prompted new federal oversight in the form of a 2008 investigation by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Facing a county budget burdened by the fiscal costs associated with such a large number of jail inmates, the Harris County Commissioners Court contracted with the Justice Management Institute (JMI) to conduct a study on improving the County's criminal justice system and addressing the County's jail crowding problem. The release of the JMI report in 2009 and the ongoing DOJ investigation inspired the formation of the Harris County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (HCCJCC), a panel of county officials and stakeholders, as the first step in a concerted effort to solve the County's jail population issues. Since then, various strategies have been implemented to address specialized populations, including those with substance abuse and mental health problems who too frequently end up behind bars. The County has implemented emergency response teams that provide assistance to those in mental health crisis, and District Attorney Devon Anderson has implemented a policy in regard to nonviolent individuals charged with a low-level drug offense who have a history of drug or alcohol dependency; rather than sentencing the person under 12.44(a), the defendant is offered intensive rehabilitation with community supervision to address the addiction issue. Additionally, in October 2014, District Attorney Anderson's office initiated the First Chance Intervention Program, a pilot diversion program offered to first-time offenders who would otherwise be charged with Class B possession of marijuana (2 ounces or less). Harris County Probation Director Teresa May has worked ardently with judges to drastically reduce technical violations among those being supervised, and Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has expanded the use of legally permitted "good time" credit for eligible jail inmates who exhibit positive behavior. We are now seeing a reduction in Harris County's jail population, which has been below its operating capacity since October 2011. Sustaining that initial success would prove difficult, however, and an influx of inmates in the fall of 2013 nearly drove the jail population over its operating capacity. Similar influxes have, at times, necessitated Harris County to make requests to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards for additional jail beds through temporary variances (See Appendix 1). Absent further jail population reduction strategies, more variances may become necessary in the future, and further county resources may be expended on confinement. Those costs are not insubstantial. In fiscal year 2013, following a rise in the County's jail population, taxpayers spent nearly a half-million dollars per day operating the jail. Harris County stakeholders - including law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, jailers, County Commissioners, county budget staff, and treatment providers - must collaborate to deliver cost-savings to county taxpayers through jail population management strategies and through a more public health response to drug use and mental illness. Ultimately, where possible, low-risk, nonviolent individuals should be diverted and handled outside of already overburdened court and jail systems, rather than forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for their pretrial detention and later confinement; meanwhile, those who are exiting jail should have access to post-release assistance to stay on the right path. Smart-on-crime strategies can ensure that funds needed for social services and programs are not unnecessarily diverted to criminal justice oversight. Details: Austin, TX: Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, 2015. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2015 at: http://www.texascjc.org/sites/default/files/publications/Blueprint%20for%20Criminal%20Justice%20Policy%20Solutions%202015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.texascjc.org/sites/default/files/publications/Blueprint%20for%20Criminal%20Justice%20Policy%20Solutions%202015.pdf Shelf Number: 135637 Keywords: Costs of CorrectionsCosts of Criminal JusticeCriminal Justice SystemsDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersGood Time CreditsInmatesJail OvercrowdingJailsPretrial Detention |
Author: Research and Survey Consulting Title: Evaluation of Montana's Residential Methamphetamine Treatment Programs: Elkhorn Treatment Center for Women; Nexus Treatment Center for Men Summary: This report describes, analyzes and presents information from Department of Corrections contracted programs for the treatment of methamphetamine and other drug offenders: the Elkhorn program for women in Boulder, operated by Boyd Andrew Community Services (BACS), and the Nexus program for men in Lewistown, operated by Community Counseling and Correctional Services (CCCS). The report thoroughly describes the population and identifies specific risk factors associated with program and prerelease center completion/non-completion. Recommendations for improving outcome are suggested. The primary evaluation research goal was to establish efficient data collection and reporting methods that could be implemented over an extended period of time, enabling the ongoing reporting of data useful for verifying and improving program effectiveness. This 2013 report incorporates data from the previous 2008 and 2010 reports. In 2011 the DOC shifted responsibility for hiring a program evaluation researcher solely onto the programs who continued to retain Research & Survey Consulting to maintain continuity. Between April of 2007 and July of 2012 data was collected on 867 offenders: 303 admitted to Elkhorn and 564 admitted to Nexus. It is clear that these programs are treating very different populations with regards to gender, family history, criminal history, mental illness etc. Reporting is combined here not for critical comparison but to make report reading more efficient. Over a 5 year period 79.5% of everyone admitted to Nexus and 86.1% of everyone admitted to Elkhorn completed their 9 month stay as sentenced. In the most recent year for which complete data is available, 2011 (most 2012 admissions are still in the 9 month programs or prerelease), both programs saw a lower percentage of completions with Nexus showing the most substantial (but not statistically significant) drop. This reflects the increasingly diverse and complex population of offenders which included substantially more opioid users (for women, opiate users have more than doubled from 15% early in the program to 38% currently), a consistently high rate of risk from psychiatric illness and medications, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and young age as well as convoluted criminal and treatment histories. For Nexus, all offenders who did not complete their Nexus facility stay were initially sent to the Sanction, Treatment, Assessment, Revocation and Transition center (START), Montana State Prison, another DOC facility/program, or a county jail. For Elkhorn, offenders who did not complete their Elkhorn stay all were initially returned to Montana Women‟s Prison, a Passages program, or a county jail. Of those offenders who completed the treatment center portion of the program (Nexus or Elkhorn) and went to a PRC, the completion rate at the PRC was 72.7% for men and 72.1% for women. The completion rate for those who finished both the treatment program and the PRC was 59.39% for Nexus and 60.01% for Elkhorn; there is no statistically significant difference between programs. Details: Missoula, MT: Research & Survey Consulting, 2013. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 6, 2015 at: https://cor.mt.gov/Portals/104/Resources/Reports/MethTreatmentEval2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://cor.mt.gov/Portals/104/Resources/Reports/MethTreatmentEval2013.pdf Shelf Number: 137207 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersMethamphetamine |
Author: Bagalman, Erin Title: Prescription Drug Abuse Summary: An estimated 6.5 million individuals currently abuse prescription drugs in the United States. Unlike policy on street drugs, federal policy on prescription drug abuse is complicated by the need to maintain access to prescription controlled substances (PCS) for legitimate medical use. The federal government has several roles in reducing prescription drug abuse. Coordination. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) coordinates and tracks prescription drug abuse reduction efforts and funding of multiple federal agencies. Regulation. The primary federal statutes governing prescription drug regulation are the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) and the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, commonly called the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Law Enforcement. Federal law enforcement, primarily the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), aims to prevent, detect, and investigate the diversion of prescription drugs while regulating the supply for legitimate medical, commercial, and scientific purposes. Health. Federal agencies and programs involved in health may address prescription drug abuse through service delivery (e.g., the Veterans Health Administration), financing (e.g., Medicare), and research (e.g., the National Institute on Drug Abuse). The federal government, state and local governments, and various private entities (e.g., pharmacies) are currently undertaking a range of approaches to reducing prescription drug abuse. Scheduling of PCS. The scheduling status of a PCS (1) affects patient access to PCS (e.g., by limiting refills); (2) affects the degree of regulatory requirements (e.g., supply chain recordkeeping); and (3) determines the degree of criminal punishment for illegal traffickers. Safe Storage and Disposal. DEA regulates storage of PCS by registered entities (e.g., pharmacies); provides registered entities with options for proper disposal of PCS; and sponsors National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days to assist citizens in safe disposal of PCS. Focusing Law Enforcement. Federal law enforcement efforts may focus on geographic areas with higher rates of prescription drug abuse or on High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) that experience a higher volume of illicit trafficking of PCS. Using Data to Identify Risk. Most states operate prescription drug monitoring programs databases of prescriptions filled for PCS. Other public and private entities also have data that may be analyzed to identify high-risk behavior among prescribers, dispensers, or patients. Awareness and Education. Efforts to increase awareness and education about prescription drug abuse may focus on health care providers, patients, or the general public. Treatment. Some prescription drug abuse may be avoided in treating underlying conditions (e.g., pain) or may be treated with pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic interventions. New products may improve treatment for both underlying conditions and prescription drug abuse. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2016. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2016 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43559.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43559.pdf Shelf Number: 138023 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction Drug Abuse Policy Drug Abuse Prevention Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Enforcement Drug Regulation Prescription Drug Abuse |
Author: Csete, Joanne Title: Detention and Punishment in the Name of Drug Treatment Summary: In some countries, people who use, or are alleged to use, illicit drugs may be detained involuntarily after little or no legal process, ostensibly for the purpose of receiving drug "treatment" or "rehabilitation." These detentions are variously described as compulsory treatment centers, drug rehabilitation centers, detoxification centers, or centers for social education and labor. It is far from clear that all persons detained in this manner are drug-dependent or in need of treatment. If they are, there are international standards to guide treatment of drug-dependence, but drug detention centers often subject detainees to treatment methods that are scientifically unsound, punitive, cruel, inhuman, and degrading. In March 2012, 12 UN bodies-including the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), WHO, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Labour Organization, and the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights-jointly issued a call for the closure of compulsory drug detention centers and an expansion of voluntary, scientifically and medically appropriate forms of treating drug dependence in the health system. The 2012 joint UN statement on compulsory drug rehabilitation centers was a very important step, but a declaration from UN member states condemning these institutions and calling for their closure would advance the cause of ending the abuses they represent. Detention and Punishment in the Name of Drug Treatment highlights considerations that should be brought to bear in the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem, toward the goal of ending arbitrary detention and grave human rights abuses in the name of drug treatment. Details: New York: Open Society Foundations, 2016. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 31, 2016 at: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/detention-and-punishment-name-drug-treatment-20160315.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/detention-and-punishment-name-drug-treatment-20160315.pdf Shelf Number: 138514 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug EnforcementDrug OffendersDrug Policy War on Drugs |
Author: Gyngell, Kathy Title: Breaking the habit: Why the state should stop dealing drugs and start doing rehab Summary: - The Coalition has inherited a failing and costly drug policy. The priority was to prescribe methadone to drug addicts in the hope that that this would replace their use of street drugs, reduce street crime and cut criminal justice costs. - This policy impeded and delayed addicts recovery from addiction. There are as many addicts today as there were in 2004/05. Fewer than 4% of addicts emerge from treatment free from dependency. Drug deaths have continued to rise. In the last three years, the number of referrals to rehabilitation units has fallen to an all-time low of 3,914. - It has been extremely expensive. The cost to the state of maintaining addicts on methadone has doubled since 2002/03 to $730 million a year. Drug users are estimated to receive L1.7 billion in benefits a year, while the welfare costs of looking after the children of drug addicts are estimated at a further L1.2 billion a year (the longer term inter-generational costs are unquantifiable but will probably be far higher). - This brings the total social and economic burden for this population to over L3.6 billion. - The Coalition has wisely recognised the scale of the problem it inherited. However, its proposed solution is flawed. - In particular its 'Drugs Recovery Payment by Results (PbR)' approach will only reinforce the status quo. - The PbR pilots will reward operators who can show that addicts have improved health and employment, who have not offended recently and who are not in treatment for drugs. - This is seriously misguided. Solving the drug problem means recognising the problem for what it is: one of addiction. The solution lies in freeing people from it, not by measuring proxy outcomes (which are easy to manipulate). - In addition, the tendering process is being managed by the National Treatment Agency - the organisation responsible for the previous policy. It clearly favours the current set-up. Independent small-scale rehabilitation operators have in effect been excluded from the PbR trials. Details: London: Centre for Policy Studies, 2011. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 7, 2016 at: https://www.cps.org.uk/files/reports/original/111026175000-breakingthehabit.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.cps.org.uk/files/reports/original/111026175000-breakingthehabit.pdf Shelf Number: 138601 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersDrug PolicyRehabilitation Programs |
Author: Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission Title: Technical Report on Alternatives to Incarceration for Drug-Related Offenses Summary: Convinced that responses to the drug problem should be comprehensive, centering on public health and human rights perspectives, the Government of Colombia, with the support of the Inter‐American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), is committed to encouraging the debate on alternatives which allow for a focus on the individual, moving beyond approaches solely based on repression. The Report on the Drug Problem in the Americas, undertaken by the Organization of American States (OAS), confirms that the use of a punitive approach in response to consumption has meant that the populations most vulnerable to problematic use have been discouraged from access to timely information, public health services, and treatment and prevention programs in general. Furthermore, academic studies and reports from civil society organizations have indicated that indiscriminate repression, including applying severe sanctions for consumption and possession of small quantities, has especially affected the lowest levels of the drug trafficking chain. This situation has aggravated the problem of prison overcrowding that a number of countries in the region are facing. In this context, drug policy has come into conflict with the respect for human rights. The situation of women and their increasing participation in drug-related crimes is especially worrying. Given this reality, it is necessary to understand crime as a social phenomenon and not a fact of nature. For this reason, the State's reaction to crime must start with the analysis of its origins within the community, since only by determining the reasons which bring some members to engage in criminal activity, can it be addressed adequately. The reflexive use of criminal law - frequently manifested in the proliferation of new crimes, increases in sentences, and the indiscriminate incarceration of a large number of offenders - can create fleeting sensations of relief in a society. However, the use of criminal law as the State's only reaction not only leaves the origin of the problem intact, but also places large burdens on the resources of the justice system, and more importantly, in the eyes of a community that could see its actions as inefficient, increases the perception that its repeated intervention no does help to address the problems it seeks to solve. With regard to the fight against drugs, the last four decades show that policies have been developed on the assumption that activities related to all illicit substances should be controlled in the same way, with the understanding that all of the links in the drug trafficking chain merit the same treatment. This perception is mistaken and requires reconsideration in order to allow for differential approaches and responses by the State, not only for different types of drugs, but also for the different types of people who are part of the problem. Details: Washington, DC: Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, 2016. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: (OAS. Official Records Series ; OEA/Ser.L) Accessed September 3, 2016 at: http://www.cicad.oas.org/apps/Document.aspx?Id=3203 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.cicad.oas.org/apps/Document.aspx?Id=3203 Shelf Number: 140137 Keywords: Alternatives to ImprisonmentDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders |
Author: Kane-Willis, Kathleen Title: New Directions for Illinois Drug Policy: An Update on Incarceration for Drug Offenses In Illinois Summary: Drug Use among Arrestees in Cook County Jail Of the ten Arrestee Drug Use Monitoring II sites, Chicago (Cook County) had the greatest number of arrestees testing positive for drugs at 87 percent of the sample. - Cook County also had the highest percentage of poly-substance use confirmed through the urine screen at 40 percent, an increase over the number of arrestees testing positive for poly-substance use in 2007. Cocaine - Cook County had the largest percentage of arrestees testing positive for cocaine at 43.8 percent. - There was very little racial difference among arrestees testing positive for cocaine. Blacks and whites tested positive for cocaine in nearly similar percentages (46.2% and 45.7% respectively), though fewer Latinos tested positive for cocaine (33.4%) than whites or blacks. Heroin - Of the ten sites, Chicago had the highest percentage of arrestees testing positive for heroin at 29 percent. In comparison, Washington DC, which ranked second after Chicago, only had 12 percent of arrestees testing positive for heroin. Chicago's test results also represent a statistically significant increase over the percentage of arrestees testing positive for heroin in 2007. - Racial differences were particularly pronounced for heroin use. The percentage of whites testing positive for heroin (41%) was nearly twice that of black and Latino arrestees (25% and 24% respectively). - Individuals that tested positive for heroin were much more likely to have been arrested for a property crime. Forty-six percent of the arrestees charged with a property crime tested positive for heroin, followed by 27.4 percent of arrestees with a drug possession charge testing positive for heroin. Drug Offenders Entering Prison in Illinois In Illinois, the number of individuals entering Illinois' prisons for drug offenses increased 12 percent from 10,436 individuals in 2000 to 11,680 in 2008. The peak year for drug offenders entering prison was 2005, when the number of drug offenders entering prison reached nearly 15,000 individuals. Individuals entering prison for drug offenses have steadily declined from 2006 to 2008. - One reason for the large number of individuals entering Illinois prisons in 2005 is the large increase in technical violators admitted to prison. The number of these offenders increased more than 290 percent over fiscal year 2000 numbers, from 955 individuals to 3,727 individuals in 2005 - Court commitments also increased, from about 7,800 in 2000 to about 9,600 in 2005, a 23 percent increase. - The combination of increases in court commitments along with the very large increases in technical violations from parolees may partially explain the peak year numbers. Sales and Possession Offenders Individuals who entered prison for drug sales offenses declined during this period from 5,074 individuals in 2000 to 4,202 in 2008. The number of individuals entering Illinois' prisons for drug possession of a controlled substance - that is possession of any drug besides marijuana - increased by more than 42 percent from 4,675 individuals in 2000, to 6,618 offenders in 2008. Since 2002, nearly every year, the percentage of those going to prison for possession offenses has increased. For example: - In 2000, 52 percent of those admitted to prison for drug offenses were convicted of sales offenses, and 48 percent were convicted of possession offenses. - By 2008, possessions offenders made up nearly 62 percent of drug offenders incarcerated for drug offenses, while sales offenders made up just 38 percent of individuals entering prison for drugs. - In 2008, 53 percent of those entering prison for drug offenses were convicted of a Class 4 felony, the lowest-level possession offense. The number of prisons entrances for individuals convicted of the lowest level of drug offenses, Class 4 possession offenses, increased by 34 percent, from 4,634 individuals in 2000 to 6,188 individuals in 2008. - In 2000, these offenders represented 44 percent of admissions to prison for all drug offenses, but by 2008, Class 4 possession offenders comprised 53 percent of admissions for drug offenses that resulted in prison terms. - Imprisonment for individuals convicted of cannabis possession, although small in number, increased by 35 percent from 189 individuals in 2000 to 256 individuals in 2008. - Technical violations among Class 4 drug possession offenders that resulted in a new prison admission increased from 279 individuals in 2000 to nearly 900 individuals in 2008. This was an increase of more than 220 percent. Reducing Recidivism - Drug treatment in jail reduces recidivism by about 4.5 percent. - Drug treatment in prison provides a nearly 6 percent reduction in recidivism. - Drug treatment in the community reduces recidivism by about 9.5 percent. - The largest impact on recidivism rates occurs when individuals are given intensive supervision (parole or probation) with treatment, which reduces recidivism by more than 16 percent. Cost of Incarcerating Lowest Level Drug Offenders in 2008 In Illinois, it costs about $61.36 per day to house an offender in prison. The majority of low-level drug possession offenders will most likely spend a short period of time in prison (e.g. 120 days or less). - The cost for an offender to spend 120 days in prison is approximately $7,363. - The cost of imprisoning the 4,379 Class 4 possession offenders (the lowest level drug offense) in 2008 (assuming an average stay of 120 days) was $34,243,453.00. Details: Chicago: Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy, 2009. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: https://www.roosevelt.edu/CAS/CentersAndInstitutes/IMA/ICDP.aspx Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: https://www.roosevelt.edu/CAS/CentersAndInstitutes/IMA/ICDP.aspx Shelf Number: 147871 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersDrug PolicyDrug ReformIntensive Supervision |
Author: Kane-Willis, Kathleen Title: Understanding Suburban Heroin Use. Research Findings from the Reed Hruby Heroin Prevention Project at the Robert Crown Center for Health Education Summary: Mexican heroin production has increased significantly since 2002 from an estimated 6.8 metric tons to a production level of 50 metric tons in 2011 - a more than seven-fold increase in just seven years. This increase in production has made heroin more available in many areas across the country, including Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Illinois, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Patterns of suburban heroin use have been reported nationally and in Illinois: - Though heroin use levels may be somewhat stable, use is increasing among young people in many suburban and rural areas, according to the US Department of Justice. - Illinois has seen an increase in young suburban users, evident in public treatment admissions and hospital discharge data. For example: Among 20 to 24 year olds, from 1998 to 2007, hospital discharges for heroin use among Chicagoans declined 67 percent but increased more than 200 percent in the Collar Counties. National survey and treatment data indicate increases in youth heroin use: - According to the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health, initiations to heroin have increased 80 percent since 2002. - Among those ages 12 to 17, survey data indicates that nearly 34,000 youths initiate to heroin in a given year. - Among those ages 12 to 17, survey data indicates that nearly 3,753 youths used heroin on any given day, not necessarily for the first time. - Treatment admissions among those in their teens and their 20s increased by about 56 to 58 percent from 1996 to 2006. - The majority of youth aged 12 to 17 entering public treatment for heroin across the nation were white (76 percent), followed by Latinos (16 percent), with only 2 percent of those entering treatment being African American. - In Illinois, nearly 70 percent of youth under age 18 admitted to public treatment were white. Injection drug use is increasing among younger heroin users: - Over a ten year period, injection drug use has increased among heroin using teens by 94 percent, with about 70 percent of teens reporting injection currently. - Injection drug use among 20 year olds entering treatment for heroin increased by 110 percent, with more than three quarters reporting injection drug use. The academic literature has demonstrated some linkage between the usage of opiate pills to the initiation of heroin and survey data demonstrate that: - In 2008, over 900,000 12 to 17 year olds initiated to prescription pain pills. - While cannabis initiation trumps prescription pain pill initiation, (59 percent vs. 17.1 percent), the second most common illicit drug initiation was to prescription pain pills. Understanding Heroin Use, Addiction and Dependency Heroin has one of the highest dependency liability profiles of any licit or illicit drug--only nicotine ranks higher. As such, the fear the public may have about the increasing heroin use among young people is understandable. Of those who are offered heroin, about 20 percent will try it, and of those, 25 percent will proceed to dependency. The academic literature indicates that the life trajectory of heroin dependent persons is poor, with extremely negative outcomes. There is little information available in the literature on this emerging population of suburban heroin users. In order to build a profile of suburban heroin use and users, the researchers decided to use a "life map" approach. This approach allowed the research team to build profiles of suburban heroin users in order to better understand this growing population. Heroin Interview Findings Among the interviewees, the researchers found three pathways to heroin: 1. Pill Use to Heroin -- Use and dependence on opiate pills prior to using heroin (e.g. using heroin as a replacement for opiate pills when they were difficult to obtain) - One third of the sample was dependent on opioid pills like Oxycontin or Vicodin before transitioning to heroin. - One participant had become addicted after being prescribed Vicodin by his doctor. - Pill users' perception of heroin use were softened (e.g. they were less scared to try it) once they realized the connection between opioid pills and heroin. 2. Cocaine Use to Heroin Use of heroin to ease the effects of cocaine binges (e.g. using heroin to "come down" from the cocaine) o Users who binge on cocaine generally find that they require something to stop the cocaine binge and enable them to fall asleep. Roughly one-third of our sample initiated to heroin in this manner. 3. Poly drug use to Heroin - Poly drug use to heroin was the most common path to initiation among our sample, with just over one third initiating to heroin in this manner. Characteristics of Heroin Initiation - All of the interviewees first initiated use to heroin by inhalation - "snorting" or "sniffing" heroin. Most of the interviewees thought that heroin used this way was "less addictive" or had no addictive qualities at all. - The mean age of first use of heroin was 18.4. Three of the interviewees used heroin at age 15. - All of the interviewees, except one, transitioned from sniffing to injection. - One third of our sample began to use heroin while they were in high school.- Among the higher SES participants, heroin use spread throughout the high school peer group and many people became dependent. - The majority of those interviewed had little or no idea what heroin use dependence consisted of or the withdrawal syndrome associated with it. - Many became addicted quickly after initiation, but dependency was generally identified by another person (someone who was dependent). Interviewees thought that the withdrawal syndrome was the flu or some other illness. Interviewees had minimal drug knowledge: - The majority of heroin interviewees had little or no education regarding heroin use and dependency. - Many indicated that if they had known about heroin - (and other opioids) -addictive and dependency profile, they would not have become addicted. Characteristics of the Sample - More than 75 percent of the interviewees self-reported mental health disorders or exhibited symptoms of mental health disorders. - The high levels of mental health disorders - self-report or observed symptoms - indicate that one reason for using or continuing to use heroin was to ease these symptoms; thus selfmedication was common in most interviewees. - More than two-thirds of the sample exhibited sensation seeking behavior. Negative Experiences Related to Heroin Use Health Mortality rates for heroin dependent persons are extremely high. Over 50 percent of heroin dependent persons will be dead before the age of 50, with the mean age of death being 30. Overdose is a common danger that both novice and dependent users with extensive use backgrounds may face: - About one-third of the sample experienced multiple overdoses. - Two interviewees had friends who died from heroin overdoses. Heroin use causes major health problems, including heart disease, blood borne pathogens from injecting (HIV/HCV/HBV) and dental problems. Heroin dependent individuals have high rates of co-occurring disorders (COD), which makes them more prone to die from suicide than the general population: - One third of the sample suffered significant scarring from injection, amputation or limb damage as a result of injection drug use. - About half the sample had missing teeth, caused by the lack of saliva in the heroin dependent person. - At least three of the interviewees had been hospitalized for a serious event related to drug use including endocarditis, abscesses at the injection site, cellulitis and other infections. - Three of the participants attempted suicide on more than one occasion. Education, Employment and Housing - More than a third lost jobs due to heroin dependency. - More than half left educational programs due to heroin dependency (this includes high school and college). - Nearly half the sample experienced a period of homelessness. Crime Victimization - More than half of the female interviewees had been subject to a crime. Three were victims of violent sexual assault (all while living in precarious housing/homelessness situations). - At least one male was subject to a hold-up at gunpoint by other users. - Many of the interviewees indicated that they had been victims of other forms of crime, such as having money stolen during drug transactions, generally with other users. Criminal Activity As the heroin user becomes more dependent and loses employment, the normal trajectory indicates that the heroin dependent individual will commit crimes to support their habit. Generally these crimes are acquisitive crimes, which are crimes to obtain money. Violent crime is not common among heroin dependent users: - About 75 percent of the sample committed some form of theftXincluding theft from parents, shoplifting, and burglaries. - Those who engaged in drug selling after their addiction did so to provide money for heroin. About half of our male interviewees engaged in drug selling. - Another way in which heroin dependent individuals in our sample paid for heroin was by giving other users rides to the city to purchase heroin. - More than half of the female interviewees engaged in sex work (prostitution) after they had become dependent on heroin. - More than 70 percent of our sample reported an arrest after becoming dependent on heroin. - About half of the sample had at least one felony conviction. - Nearly one-third of our sample experienced incarceration. More men than women (3:1) experienced incarceration after being dependent on heroin. Challenges Overcoming Addiction/Dependency Once heroin dependency is established, the life trajectory of heroin users tends to be one of treatment followed by relapse. This pattern generally continues throughout the individual's life: - The majority of our sample (80 percent) had been in some form of treatment more than one time. - More than half of the sample had used heroin in the three months preceding the interview. - About a third of the sample indicated that while they had not used recently, they would if they had the opportunity. Details: Chicago: Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy, 2015. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: https://www.robertcrown.org/files/Understanding_suburban_heroin_use.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.robertcrown.org/files/Understanding_suburban_heroin_use.pdf Shelf Number: 147872 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersHeroin Addicts |
Author: Kane-Willis, Kathleen Title: Heroin Use: National and Illinois Perspectives Summary: NATIONAL TRENDS Nationally, multiple data sources such as survey data, public treatment admissions and emergency department statistics indicate that heroin use is increasing: Heroin production and availability has grown significantly in the past decade. Reports from the National Drug Intelligence Center highlight the larger yields in Mexico, which has resulted in purer, less expensive and more abundant heroin in U.S. markets. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health, initiations to heroin have increased 40 percent since 2002, from around 100,000 per year to over 140,000 in 2010. The number of individuals entering the emergency room for heroin increased by 12 percent across the country from 2008 to 2010. Nationally, heroin treatment admissions increased slightly from about 280,000 individuals in 2008 to 284,000 in 2009, an increase of 1 percent. In contrast, cocaine treatment admissions declined by 19 percent during the same one-year period. In both 2008 and 2009, the second most common illicit substance for which individuals entered public treatment was heroin. Cocaine ranked third. National data indicate that this growth is mainly occurring among young people: According to the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the average age of first use of heroin decreased from 25.5 years old in 2009 to 21.3 years in 2010. Among those ages 12 to 17, survey data indicate that nearly 34,000 youths initiate to heroin in a given year. On any given day in 2008, 2,866 youth aged 12 to 17 used heroin. Public treatment admissions among the following age cohorts: o Under age 18 increased 14% in one year, o Aged 18 to 20 grew 12% in one year, o Aged 21 to 24 grew 10% in one year. o Under age 30 as a whole increased 8% in one year, o Over age 30 as a whole declined 3% in one year. According to analysis of the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), emergency room mentions of heroin over two years (2008 to 2010): o Increased 8% among those aged 20 and younger, o Increased 23% among those aged 21 to 29, o Increased 15% among those aged 30 to 44, o Decreased 1% among those aged 45 and older. Significant demographic changes are occurring among those seeking help for heroin: According to analysis of the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), emergency room mentions for heroin over two years (2008 to 2010): o Increased among whites by 30%, o Declined among African Americans by 5%. Among those admitted to public treatment for heroin from 2008 to 2009: o The number of whites increased by 4% in one year. o The number of African Americans decreased by 5% in one year. Of those admitted for to public treatment, there were significant demographic differences between younger and older users in 2009: Of those under age 30: o 85% were white, o 3% were African American, o 13% were another race. Of those over age 30: o 46% were white, o 31% were African American, o 23% were another race. The number of injection drug users increased by 5% in just one year, according to public treatment data. Sixty-seven percent of those entering treatment reported injection drug use in 2009: o 79% of whites reported injecting, o 31% of African Americans reported injecting, o 66% of all other races reported injecting. ILLINOIS TRENDS Illinois emergency department and public treatment indicators mirror national patterns overall with service increases among younger, white users, and decreases among older users. Indicators suggest that African American admissions to treatment and the emergency department will continue to decline. Data show two distinct cohorts of heroin users in Illinois: Younger, white users and older African American users. For individuals admitted to the Emergency Department (ED)for heroin, the Chicago metropolitan area ranked: First in the number and rate of individuals entering the ED. First in the number of individuals under age 21 entering the ED. First in the number of individuals aged 21 and entering the ED. First in the number of African Americans entering the ED. Second in the number of whites entering the ED. o However, mention of white heroin users increased by 27% in two years. Public treatment admissions remain high: For the second year in a row (2008 to 2009), heroin is listed as the second most common drug, after alcohol, and the most common illegal substance for which individuals enter publicly funded treatment in Illinois. o In 1998, heroin use was the fourth most common reason Illinoisans entered publicly funded treatment. As with national data, Illinois indicators demonstrate increasing heroin use among younger individuals: According to analysis of the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), emergency room mentions for heroin over two years (2008 to 2010) for the Chicago metropolitan area: o Increased 27% among those aged 20 and younger, o Increased 12% among those aged 21 to 29, o Declined 2% among those aged 30 to 44, o Increased 1% among those aged 45 and older. According to analysis of Illinois public treatment admissions for heroin the following age cohorts: o Under age 18 increased 22% in one year, o Aged 18 to 20 increased 17% in one year, o Aged 21 to 24 increased 11% in one year, o Under age 30 increased 13% in one year, o Over age 30 decreased 5% in one year. Significant demographic differences were noted among those seeking public treatment in Illinois: Whites entering treatment increased by 6% in one year. o Whites made up nearly 30 percent of treatment admissions for heroin in Illinois. African Americans entering treatment decreased by 8% in one year. o African Americans comprised 60 percent of treatment admissions for heroin in Illinois. Latinos entering treatment increased by nearly 50% in one year. o Latinos comprised 10 percent of treatment admissions for heroin in Illinois. There were significant differences between younger and older users admitted to public treatment in 2009: Of those under age 30: o 77% were white, o 7% were African American, o 14% were Latino. Of those over age 30: o 13% were white, o 76% were African American, o 9% were Latino. The number of injection drug users increased by 11% in just one year, according to Illinois public treatment data. Thirty-one percent of those entering treatment reported injection drug use in 2009: o 72% of whites reported injecting, o 9% of African Americans reported injecting, o 47% of Latinos reported injecting. Mortality is increasing throughout Illinois due to heroin. From 2007 to 2011: Overdose deaths attributed to heroin increased by 115% in Lake County Overdose deaths attributed to heroin increased by 100% in Will County Overdose deaths attributed to heroin increased by 50% in McHenry County Details: Chicago: Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy, 2012. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f000/37424f445fa8a386ff1b8f7b780bff768b22.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f000/37424f445fa8a386ff1b8f7b780bff768b22.pdf Shelf Number: 140290 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Crime Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Addiction Drug Offenders Heroin Addicts |
Author: Kane-Willis, Kathleen Title: Diminishing Capacity: The Heroin Crisis and Illinois Treatment in a National Perspective Summary: National Trends - This rise of heroin use has been a major focus of concern among government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and data verify these concerns: - In 2013, the number of individuals (681,000) reporting past year heroin use was significantly higher than in 2007 (314,000), nearly doubling over the six year period. - In 2012, those entering treatment reporting heroin as this primary substance of abuse increased to 16% of all treatment admissions, the highest level since data collection began in 1992. - Heroin overdoses (poisonings) have nearly quadrupled from 2002 to 2013, with 8,200 deaths in 2013. Illinois Trends While heroin treatment episodes are reaching historic highs nationally, in Illinois treatment admissions for heroin are significantly higher than the nation as a whole, for example: - Nationally, heroin treatment admissions comprised 16.4% of total state funded treatment in 2012, while in Illinois heroin admissions make up one-quarter of all treatment admissions for the state, and are 56% greater than the nation as a whole; - In 2012, the Chicago Metropolitan Area percentage of treatment admissions for heroin was more than double the national average (35.1% vs 16.4%). - From 2006 to 2012, heroin was the second most common reason for Illinoisans to enter state publicly funded treatment, after alcohol. In 2000, it was the 4th most common reason. Heroin use is not only rising in urban areas area but is also dramatically increasing in rural and suburban counties. - In 2007, treatment episodes for heroin comprised just 4% of total publicly funded treatment in Metro East Illinois, but by 2012, heroin made up 18% of all treatment episodes - a fourfold increase in just 5 years. - In 2007, treatment admissions in Decatur for heroin comprised just 3% of the total, spiking to 23% in 2012, representing a 6-fold increase. - In 2007, treatment admissions in Peoria-Pekin for heroin were 7% and by 2012 it was 16%, a 119% increase. - Between 2007 and 2012, treatment episodes for heroin more than doubled in Bloomington-Normal and Champaign- Urbana from 5% to 11% and 6% to 13% respectively. According to survey data heroin use is increasing especially among young people in Illinois. - In 2007, 2.5% of Illinois youth reported using heroin in the past year, while in 2013, that number increased to 3.8%, a nearly 50 percent increase in just six years. - The greatest percentage increase occurred among females - a 90% increase over that time period. Males were more likely to report using heroin - nearly six percent in 2013. The Chicago Metropolitan Area ranks in the top for both emergency department mentions for heroin and number of individuals who were arrested and tested positive for heroin. - Arrestees from Cook County tested positive for opiates (including heroin) at a rate of 18.6%, higher than any other area in the nation. - Arrestees from Cook County also self-reported using heroin more times per month than those from any other jurisdiction, (26.8 days per month). - Arrestees from Cook County reported using heroin in the last three days more than those from any other region (15.7%). - The Chicago Metropolitan area ranked first in the country for the total number of mentions for heroin (23,627) nearly double the number for New York City. - Chicago also reported the highest number of heroin mentions among African American mentions (13,178), nearly four times more than New York City (3,463) and nearly 6 times higher than Detroit (2,311). - Among whites, only Boston had more ED mentions for heroin (10,045), but Chicago was second (7,024). - Chicago ranked highest in the number of ED mentions for both women and men. Adjusting for population, Chicago ranked 2nd highest in the number of mentions overall, behind Boston. Declining Treatment Capacity: Illinois in National Perspective While heroin use is increasing in every area of the state, there has been an alarming and dramatic decrease in treatment from 2007 to 2012. - Illinois ranked first in the US for the decline in treatment capacity over this period, a loss of more than half of its treatment episodes, 52% decrease over the five year period. - In 2007, Illinois ranked 28th in state funded treatment capacity, but in 2012 Illinois ranked 44th, or 3rd worst in the nation; only Tennessee and Texas ranked lower. - In 2012, Illinois's state funded treatment rate was (265 per 100K) more than 50% lower than the US rate. - When compared to other Midwestern states, Illinois had the lowest rate of state funded treatment. Minnesota's rate was 2.7 times Illinois's rate (982.1 vs 256.6), Ohio's rate was twice as high as Illinois, Wisconsin rate was 1.8 times greater, and Indiana's rate, which was lower than that for any Midwestern state, aside from Illinois, was still 43% higher than Illinois. Illinois State funding for addiction treatment decreased significantly: - From 2007 to 2012, General Revenue Funding decreased by nearly 30% ($111M vs $79M), while Medicaid funding decreased by 4% over this time period. - These decreases in funding continue in FY 16, where the proposed budget represents a 61% decrease in state funded addiction treatment; - Including Medicaid increases from FY13 to FY16, addiction treatment funding (including Medicaid), still dropped by 28% overall ($163M in 2007 to $116M in the proposed FY16 budget) Details: Chicago: Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy, 2015. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: https://www.roosevelt.edu/CAS/CentersAndInstitutes/IMA/ICDP.aspx Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.roosevelt.edu/CAS/CentersAndInstitutes/IMA/ICDP.aspx Shelf Number: 147874 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersHeroin Addicts |
Author: Kane-Willis, Kathleen Title: Hidden in Plain Sight: Heroin's Impact on Chicago's West Side Summary: The West side of Chicago may be mentioned in media reports, but in passing -- a place where suburban or increasingly rural users travel to in order to purchase heroin. However, Chicago's West side has not been spared from the health consequences of the heroin crisis, which are severe, significant and mostly silent. While the focus remains on suburban and rural users, the majority of hospitalizations for opioids (including heroin) and publicly funded treatment admissions data paint a different picture: In 2013, 80% of the State's heroin treatment admissions occurred in the Chicago Metro Area; Analysis of Illinois Department of Public Health Data indicate that the majority (67%) of total Illinois hospitalizations for opioids, including heroin, occurred in Chicago (2010 data) and 79% occurred in Cook County, while about 3% occurred in DuPage county (2,711) in the same period; West side hospitalizations for opioids, including heroin, comprised nearly 1 out of 4 opioid hospitalizations for the entire State (23%); West side hospitalizations make up 35% of the Chicago's total, compared to 7% for the North Side, and 20% for South side of Chicago; The majority of those hospitalized for opioids on Chicago's West side were Black (83%). Diminishing Capacity Illinois publicly funded treatment capacity has declined rapidly. This decline in funding impacts those across the state but particularly those in the Chicago Metro Area, and may have a disparate impact on Black individuals - especially those in areas like the West side -- who are attempting to gain access to treatment. For example: In just 5 years, from 2009 to 2013, the Chicago Metro Area lost 61% of its publicly funded treatment capacity compared to a state decline of 54%; Blacks entering publicly funded treatment for heroin from the Chicago Metro Area comprised 58% of the Chicago Metro Areas treatment episodes for heroin; The only area with a larger change in treatment episodes occurred in the Bloomington Metro area which experienced a 63% reduction in capacity from 2009 to 2013, while rural areas decreased by 39% and Peoria Metro remained stable. Mortality The image presented in news media and other forums suggests that heroin overdose is primarily a white problem, but analysis of Illinois Public Health data sets paints a different picture: The heroin overdose mortality rate was significantly higher for African Americans (8.94 per 100,000) than for whites (5.86). Latino deaths were too low to calculate a significant rate, but both white deaths and Black deaths increased rapidly between 2013 and 2014; Fifty-seven percent of overdoses among Blacks were due to heroin, while 37% of whites died from heroin overdoses. Chicago had the highest rate of heroin overdose (7.42 per 100,000) significantly higher than Suburban Cook (4.73), Will (5.42), Lake (5.55), McHenry (5.53), DuPage (4.72), Kane (2.86). Arrests and Neighborhood Disparity The majority of the attention paid to the West side in regard to the heroin crisis and use is policing, arrest and incarceration rather than health based solutions for heroin use disorders. These policy and policing decisions have an impact on not only the community but on our spending for the state. Even as arrests for heroin possession declined by 30 percent from 2010 to 2015 across the City of Chicago, the West side neighborhoods of West and East Garfield Park experienced an increase in the heroin possession arrest rate from 2010-2015; The four Chicago neighborhoods with the highest rates of arrest for heroin possession in 2015 include West Garfield Park (2,983 arrests per 100,000), East Garfield Park (1,925 arrests per 100,000), North Lawndale (1,375.58 arrests per 100,000) and Humboldt Park (per 100,000), which all located on the West side of Chicago compared to a City rate of 141 per 100,000; To put these arrest rates in context, the rate for heroin possession arrests in West Garfield Park (2,983 per 100,000) was more than 20 times higher than the rate for the city as a whole (141 per 100,000), East Garfield Park's was about 13 times higher than the citys rate, North Lawndale 9 times higher and Austin (642 per 100,000) 4 times the city's rate; West Garfield Park's rate was 2,000 times higher than Lincoln Park's arrest rate (1.56 per 100,000) and compared to Hyde Park, West Garfield Park's rate of arrest was 766 times higher than Hyde Park's rate (3.89 per 100,000). In five areas of Chicago, no arrests for heroin possession occurred during 2015. Incarcerating individuals costs $25,000 per year, while jail time costs about $150 a day. As the state reconsiders its policies regarding both crime reduction, cost savings and reducing prison populations, it is important to recognize that providing treatment, such as methadone, returns $12 for every dollar spent. Imprisoning individuals with heroin use disorders, a health condition, is neither cost effective nor as effective as treatment in the community. Treatment in the community returns significant savings to taxpayers and societyi in public health and economic savings. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Increase Community Based Treatment Capacity - Particularly Medication Assisted Treatment According to analysis, Cook County has high treatment need and not enough providers for opioid use disorders, for example: In Illinois, for everyone 1,000 residents 3.8 people has opioid use disorders than could be treated under the current system. Currently Cook County can only treat about 15,000 individuals but the need is much higher than the system can accommodate currently. Create a Misdemeanor Classification for Small Amounts of Drugs Heroin and other opioids, no matter the amount, are currently felonies in Illinois but this is inconsistent with federal law, and many other states have created misdemeanors for personal use, for small amounts of drugs other than cannabis. Illinois policymakers have introduced legislation to reduce amounts under 1 gram from a felony to a misdemeanor. According to polling of Illinois residents, 78% of Illinoisan believe in reclassifying small amounts of drugs from a felony to a misdemeanor. Not only would this policy change help prevent the collateral consequences of felony convictions on those with substance use disorder, but it would yield a cost savings of $58M over three years according to a fiscal impact analysis conducted by the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council. Provide Methadone and/or Buprenorphine Maintenance in Cook County Jail and Create Linkages to Treatment Providers There exist a number of models, like the Riker's Island model in New York City, where individuals who are addicted to heroin or other opioids are provided with opioid agonist (e.g. methadone, buprenorphine) treatment in jail and then are linked to continuing methadone or buprenorphine treatment providers in the community. These programs have demonstrated great success in both lowering crime and retaining individuals in treatment - which is one of the biggest predictor of treatment success; Research demonstrates that methadone maintenance yielded better results than counseling alone for detainees in terms of one month and yearly relapse rates. Naloxone Dispensing in Different Environments Researchers have consistently demonstrated that more naloxone distributed in the community lowers the fatal overdose rate overall. In order to ensure that persons who are at high risk for overdose have access to naloxone (which is now covered by Medicaid as private insurance under Public Act 099‐0480), it is essential to ensure that it is more widely distributed under "standing orders," in the following settings: In the Emergency Department, hospitals should prescribe or distribute naloxone to individuals who have experienced overdose; In Treatment Centers and after Detox , according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, naloxone education and distribution programs should be incorporated into the treatment system; In Cook County Jail, Cook County Jail is now launching a pilot to ensure that individuals have access to opioid overdose education and naloxone. This program should be expanded. Increase Access to Harm Reduction Practices Harm reduction practices are an excellent way to bridge the gap to reduce the health consequences of heroin use. Harm reduction practices include the following: Syringe exchange, including cookers, cottons and needles to stop the spread of blood borne pathogens and naloxone distribution; Housing First initiatives, which do not require complete abstinence from substances, before being housed; Safe use and consumption facilities, staffed with medical professionals to ensure that overdoses can be reversed as safe consumption facilities also reduce fatal overdoses in the community. Details: Chicago: Illinois Consortium on Drug Policy, 2016. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: https://www.roosevelt.edu/CAS/CentersAndInstitutes/IMA/ICDP.aspx Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.roosevelt.edu/CAS/CentersAndInstitutes/IMA/ICDP.aspx Shelf Number: 147875 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersHeroinHeroin AddictsNeighborhoods and crime |
Author: Schmitz, Stephanie J. Title: A Multiple Indicator Analysis of Drug and Alcohol Use in LaPorte County: 2008-2012 Summary: Overall Drug Treatment Trends Drug treatment trends show mostly stable cocaine and methamphetamine episodes, while the increase in heroin and other opiates has increased tremendously and alcohol treatments have dropped significantly. In spite of these changes, the most common substance for which LaPorte area residents entered treatment continues to be alcohol. In both 2008 and 2011, the most recent year data was available, alcohol treatment admissions compromised the largest percentage of admissions. - The most common illicit substance for which LaPorte County residents sought treatment in 2011 was for heroin, which increased by more than 560% over a three year period. - Combined, treatment admissions for opiate pills and heroin use represented 46% of all illicit drug treatment episodes in LaPorte County in 2011. This percentage was just 29% in 2008. - Opiate pill treatment admissions increased 250%, from 16 cases in 2008 to 56 in 2011. This represents a tripling in opiate pill treatment admissions. Alcohol Indicators: Treatment and Law Enforcement Data While alcohol treatment episodes still comprise nearly half of all admissions in LaPorte County in 2011, these numbers represent a significant decline from 2008 numbers, when alcohol made up nearly threefourths of all treatment admissions. - The number of individuals admitted for alcohol use disorder decreased by 17%, from 295 cases in 2008 to 244 cases in 2011. - Individuals under aged 30 made up slightly more than 40% of all alcohol treatment episodes, and this percentage remained relatively stable over time. - The majority of people entering treatment for alcohol in LaPorte County (75%) was white in both 2008 and 2011. - The most notable change in alcohol treatment admissions occurred among women, as their admissions for alcohol treatment increased 14% from 2008 to 2011. - Treatment admissions for males decreased 28% from 2008 to 2011. - Data from the Sherriffs Office demonstrated a 46% decrease in Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) arrests in four years, from 334 arrests in 2008 to 180 arrests in 2012. - Public drunkenness offenses also decreased by 45% during the years 2008 to 2012. - Michigan City Police also saw significant decreases in the numbers of individuals arrested for OWI offenses - nearly 60% in the four year period 2008 to 2012. - Among juvenile probationers, the number of ABC status offenses (underage alcohol use) decreased by 12%, from 196 in 2008 to 173 in 2012. - In 2012, only 5 of the 10 fatal car collisions that occurred in LaPorte County were the result of alcohol, down from 8 in 2008 and 10 in 2011. Heroin Indicators: Treatment and Law Enforcement Data Heroin treatment admissions exploded from 2008 to 2011, making heroin the most significant emergent drug threat to LaPorte County over the past several years. Treatment admissions for heroin increased by 560% in just three years, from 20 admissions in 2008 to 132 admissions in 2011. - The majority of people entering treatment for heroin -75% - were under age 30 in 2011. Age of first use is a significant concern because the trajectory of heroin use and dependency can result in considerable long-term health and financial consequences for the individual. - Heroin appears to be problem among only white individuals in LaPorte County. Of those entering treatment for heroin in 2011, all admissions excluding one multiracial individual, were for white LaPorte County residents. No African American individuals entered treatment for heroin in 2011. - Women and men were equally likely to enter treatment for heroin in 2011 (63 versus 69), invalidating the assumption that only males use hard drugs like heroin. Findings from the key informant interviews also verify that women are as likely to report heroin use as men. - LaPorte City Metro Operations data indicates that the largest increases in drug arrests were heroin-related offenses, which increased 290%, from 10 arrests in 2008 to 39 arrests in 2012. Marijuana Indicators: Treatment and Law Enforcement Data Marijuana treatment admissions in LaPorte County more than doubled during the 2008-2011 period. The number of LaPorte residents receiving treatment for marijuana increased by 126%, from 46 episodes in 2008 to 104 episodes in 2011. - The majority of people receiving treatment for marijuana were under age 30 in 2008 and 2011. In 2008, those under the age of 30 comprised 76% of marijuana treatment episodes, while in 2011, this number had dropped slightly to 69%. - The fastest growing treatment admissions occurred among the 30 to 39 year old age cohort. This cohort comprised only 15 percent of treatment episodes in 2008, but rose to nearly 25% in 2011. - Treatment admissions for African American individuals increased more rapidly than treatment episodes for whites during 2008-2011. However, white individuals made up the majority of treatment episodes in both 2008 and 2011. - Women made up about one-fourth of marijuana admissions in 2008, but made up about onethird of marijuana treatment admissions in 2011 - Michigan City Metro Operations data showed that marijuana arrests increased about 50%, from 142 arrests in 2008 to 192 arrests in 2012. - Among juveniles, Michigan City Metro Operations data demonstrated a 65% increase in marijuana possessions offenses, from 20 arrests in 2008 to 33 arrests in 2012. Opiate Pill Indicators: Treatment and Law Enforcement Data In addition to heroin, opiate pills such as Vicodin, oxycodone and others, represent a significant drug problem in LaPorte County. As has been noted in current research, approximately 75% of new heroin users transition to heroin following a period of opiate pill use. Once the pills become difficult or costly to acquire, it becomes easier and less expensive to use heroin. Key informants have suggested that this is happening in the LaPorte treatment population well. Therefore, the opiate pills users of today may become tomorrows heroin users. - Key informant interviews among hospital staff and law enforcement indicated that opiate pill use was an increasing and serious problem in the county. - Treatment admissions for other opiate pills increased significantly from 2008 to 2011. In just three years, these admissions rose 250%, from 16 individuals in 2008 to 56 individuals in 2011. - Patients treated for opiates tended to be significantly older than patients treated for heroin use. In 2011, about 51% of those treated for opiates, excluding heroin, were aged 30 and older. The most rapid growth in treatment episodes occurred among the 30 to 39 age cohort. Although the number of cases was small, the number of admissions among this cohort increased 700%, from 2 cases in 2008 to 16 cases in 2011 - The majority of those entering treatment for opiates other than heroin in 2011 were White, with just two cases reporting another race besides White and 6 cases unreported. No African Americans in LaPorte were admitted into treatment for opiates in 2011. - In 2011, the number of women entering treatment for opiates surpassed the number of men entering treatment for opiates (33% versus 23%). This differs from the gender profile in 2008, as males and females entered treatment for opiates at the same rate during that year. - Arrests for opioid pills reported by LaPorte City Metro Operations increased 480%, from 5 arrests in 2008 to 29 arrests in 2012. Cocaine Indicators: Treatment and Law Enforcement Data While cocaine treatment admissions increased slightly, they remained lower than treatment admissions for most other drugs except methamphetamine. The low number of cocaine treatment admissions in LaPorte County coincides with national treatment trends indicating a reduction in cocaine treatment admissions overall. As more individuals initiate to heroin and opiate use, the number of individuals seeking treatment for cocaine should continue to decrease over the next few years. - In 2011, nearly half of all individuals admitted to treatment were age 30 or older. This suggests that cocaine users in LaPorte County are an aging cohort overall, and key informant interview data with treatment providers support this hypothesis. However, there is a bimodal distribution among those admitted to treatment for cocaine in LaPorte County. The two largest cohorts were those in their 20s (12 cases) and those in their 40s (13 cases) in 2011. - Treatment admissions among white individuals increased during this time period, while treatment admissions among African American individuals remained stable. Overall, whites were much more likely to enter treatment for cocaine than were African Americans (26% versus 10%). - Females were more likely than males to be admitted to treatment for cocaine in both 2008 and 2011. Females comprised 60% of the LaPorte cocaine treatment admissions in 2008 and 2011 and males comprised 40% of the cocaine treatment admissions during those years. - LaPorte City Metro Operations data showed a dramatic 55% reduction in arrests for cocaine, from 62 arrests in 2008 to 28 arrests in 2012. - Michigan City Metro Operations data also showed a 45% decline in the number of arrests for cocaine possession, from 20 arrests in 2008 to just 11 in 2012. Methamphetamines: Treatment and Law Enforcement Data Methamphetamines are a decreasing problem in LaPorte County. Several years ago, the county was asked to prepare for the possibility of methamphetamine production and use among residents, particularly because the county does include some rural communities and these are the areas hardest hit by methamphetamine use. Since that time, the methamphetamine problem has remained very small and seemingly very contained. As of 2011, there were just 4 treatment episodes related to methamphetamine. Law enforcement indicators remain stable. We expect that methamphetamine use, arrests and production labs should continue to remain stable or decline over the next few years. Drugs and Mortality in LaPorte County Interview and data retrieved from the coroners office indicates that in 2012, 35 individuals died from an accidental drug overdose. Of these deaths, 57% included death from heroin alone (5 cases) or in combination with another drug (15). About 43% of deaths due to drugs in the county were unrelated to heroin use. These data suggest that heroin related mortality is a large and growing problem in LaPorte County. Further, the number of individuals who died from drug-induced causes was significantly greater than those killed by alcohol-related car collisions or from alcohol period. Details: Chicago: Roosevelt University, 2013. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: https://www.roosevelt.edu/CAS/CentersAndInstitutes/IMA/Publications.aspx Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.roosevelt.edu/CAS/CentersAndInstitutes/IMA/Publications.aspx Shelf Number: 147890 Keywords: Alcohol AbuseDrug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentSubstance AbuseSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Police Executive Research Forum Title: Building Successful Partnerships between Law Enforcement and Public Health Agencies to Address Opioid Use Summary: In 2014, deaths caused by opioids—including prescription drugs, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—reached record-breaking levels in the United States. With an estimated 78 Americans dying from opioid overdoses each day, In many places, the opioid epidemic has contributed to a shift in how law enforcement agencies fight opioid abuse in their communities. Historically, many of the law enforcement efforts to curb opioid abuse have focused on using enforcement actions (including arrests and incarceration) to target drug use and distribution. However, as opioid-related deaths continue to rise and as more is understood about the nature of opioid addiction, many law enforcement officials are realizing that a more comprehensive approach is needed. "Targeting the 'supply' side of the drug markets, which is what we've been doing for the last 50 or 60 years, is important work," said Leonard Campanello, Chief of Police for the Gloucester (Massachusetts) Police Department. "But this approach alone hasn’t solved the problem. We still have more people addicted. We have more people dying. As police, we need to start looking at the problem from a public health perspective. When our communities are suffering such great losses, it is critical that we find new ways to help." For decades, many law enforcement agencies have supported comprehensive approaches in which police provide enforcement while public health agencies, educational organizations, court systems, and others provide drug treatment and drug abuse prevention work. What is new is the extent to which the opioid epidemic has caused many law enforcement agencies to increase their own involvement in "demand-side" efforts. Today, police officers in many agencies are themselves administering naloxone to save the lives of opioid users who are in an overdose crisis and connecting people to treatment services. And some law enforcement agencies are facilitating "syringe services" programs and other harm reduction efforts and using public health data to drive policy decisions. These strategies, which focus on reducing opioid-related deaths and mitigating the harms caused by opioid abuse, rely on building strong—and often unprecedented—partnerships between the public health and public safety sectors. Details: Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2016. 110p. Source: Internet Resource: COPS Office Emerging Issues Forums: Accessed December 21, 2016 at: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-p356-pub.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/cops-p356-pub.pdf Shelf Number: 147792 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug-Related DeathsPartnerships |
Author: Gannoni, Alexandra Title: Readiness to change drug use and help-seeking intentions of police detainees: Findings from the DUMA Program Summary: The nexus between drug use and crime is well established. Offenders are considerably more likely to use illicit drugs than the general population, and a large proportion of offenders attribute their criminal offending to drug use, yet very little is known about how to respond effectively to drug problems among police detainees. Using data obtained through the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) program, this paper explores the readiness to change drug use and help-seeking intentions of Australian police detainees with drug problems. The analysis revealed those detainees most in need of drug treatment were also those most ready to change their drug use. The findings serve as a reminder of the need and desire for interventions for drug abuse among the police detainee population, and have implications for the development of intervention strategies aimed at reducing drug use among offender populations. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2017. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 520: Accessed February 1, 2017 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi520.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi520.pdf Shelf Number: 140773 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Crime Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders |
Author: Public Health England Title: An evidence review of the outcomes that can be expected of drug misuse treatment in England Summary: This review gives policy makers and local areas an objective assessment of what drug treatment outcomes are achievable, and compares outcomes in England to the evidence and to other drug treatment systems It reviews the impact of housing problems, unemployment and social deprivation on treatment engagement and outcomes. The review also considers how drug treatment will need to be configured to meet future need and recommends an appropriate set of measures or indicator for treatment evaluation. Details: London: Public Health England, 2017. 158p., app. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 3, 2017 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/586111/PHE_Evidence_review_of_drug_treatment_outcomes.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/586111/PHE_Evidence_review_of_drug_treatment_outcomes.pdf Shelf Number: 140804 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug Offenders |
Author: Sindicich, Natasha Title: Patient Motivations, Perceptions and Experiences of Opioid Substitution Therapy in Prison Summary: People with opioid dependence are overrepresented in correctional settings (AIHW, 2013; Indig et al., 2010). Opioid substitution therapy (OST) is an effective treatment for opioid dependence, reducing illicit opioid use (Mattick, Breen, Kimber, & Davoli, 2009, 2014) and mortality (Degenhardt et al., 2011). OST is provided in correctional settings in many jurisdictions around the world (HRI, 2014), but there has been limited examination of the patient experience of opioid substitution therapy (OST) in correctional settings. Unexplored issues include reasons for entering (or not entering) treatment; patient perceptions of advantages and disadvantages of OST in prison; and preferences to cease or remain in treatment on release from prison. This latter issue is of particular importance, as clinicians report that patients often wish to cease OST prior to release, even when informed of the risk of overdose and benefits of remaining in treatment. This qualitative study aimed to examine patient motivations for, and perceptions and experiences of, OST in prisons in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Forty-seven participants were recruited from seven correctional centres across NSW between September 2012 and October 2013. All participants had a recorded history of opioid use and/or dependence. To ensure a broad range of perspectives were obtained, participants were selected on the basis of specific exposures to OST: Exposure group A (n=7): New inductions to OST. These individuals were within 28 days of commencing OST at the time of interview. They may have been in OST previously, in community or custodial settings; Exposure group B (n=11): Continuing OST from the community. This group of patients had been in OST prior to custody, and were in treatment in custody for at least 28 days before interview (i.e. had some familiarity with the opioid treatment program in prison). Exposure group C (n=10): Commenced OST in custody. These participants were in treatment for at least 28 days before interview (i.e. had some familiarity with the opioid treatment program in prison). Exposure group D (n=9): Voluntarily ceased OST in custody. Exposure group E (n=10): Patients who reported heroin use on reception to prison, but have not entered OST or have declined to be placed on the OST waiting list during this custodial sentence. The sample was predominantly male (n=32; 68%), and 18 participants (38%) identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The average age of participants was 35 years. Three-quarters (n=35, 75%) of the sample were sentenced, 11 were on remand, and one participant was unsure of sentencing status. The majority (n=42; 89%) reported a previous incarceration history. Twenty-eight participants were currently prescribed OST (methadone n=27, 57%; buprenorphine-naloxone-naloxone n=1, 2%). Findings by exposure group Among new OST inductions (Group A, n=7), reasons for commencing OST included wanting to abstain from drug use in prison and in the community upon release, as well as to aid with opioid withdrawal. Some participants noted the role of OST in the management of chronic pain. Benefits of OST identified by this group included elimination of opioid cravings, and the financial advantages of not buying drugs in prison. Criticisms of the opioid treatment program reported by this group included the waiting period to enter the program, with over half reporting drug use during this period in order to manage withdrawal symptoms. All participants in this group reported a willingness to stay in OST post-release, with two participants noting that they would prefer to be switched from methadone to buprenorphine formulations due to the lower frequency of administration (every second day) and higher number of ‘take-away’ doses available, which was deemed more practical for meeting employment commitments. Almost all (10/11) Group B patients (continuing OST from the community) were satisfied to remain in OST. Most (7/11) were willing to continue with OST post-release, so as to avoid drug relapse. As in Group A, two participants reported a preference to switch from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone formulations post-release. For those who were wanting to cease treatment prior to release, reasons for this included pressure from family members and friends, the stigma attached to OST, the long-term nature of OST, and the perceived side-effects of poor dental health and appearing "stoned". Group C (n=10) were current OST patients who had commenced OST during this custodial period. Participants in this group reported drug use and unsafe injecting practices while in prison before commencing treatment. Most (6/10) reported that they would remain in OST post-release, at least until they felt they were stable and had a daily routine in the community. Those who wanted to cease treatment prior to release reported that they were primarily on OST for the management of their chronic pain and that on their release, they would seek other medication, often the preferred opioid analgesic they were prescribed prior to custody. Group D (n=9) had ceased OST during their current incarceration period. Around half (4/9) of participants in this group expressed interest in re-starting OST. Motivations for restarting OST included wanting to cease drug use in prison, and prevention of opioid withdrawal. Again, it was reported that drug use and unsafe injecting practices occurred during waiting periods to enrol in treatment. Reasons for ceasing OST related to release from prison and a reluctance to continue in OST due to the long-term nature of treatment, daily stressors of obtaining methadone in the community, and previous unsuccessful attempts OST episodes in the community. Group E (n=10) were people with a history of opioid use and/or dependence who had not entered OST in this period of incarceration. Seven participants in this group reported prior OST in the community or during previous incarcerations. Six of the ten participants in this group reported that they would like to be in OST, preferably prescribed a buprenorphine-naloxone formulation. Recurrent themes across groups Perceptions of opioid treatment program operation Participants were critical of the time taken to be assessed for OST and commenced on treatment. Participants perceived that this process was expedited if they reported drug use in prison to health centre staff; however, drug use is not a high priority indication for treatment entry per se (unlike pregnancy or HIV seropositivity, for example), so it is unclear if this perception was valid. Once treatment had commenced, participants perceived that there was a lack of monitoring and limited discussion of long-term treatment plans, particularly in relation to ceasing OST. Some participants questioned the motivations of other OST patients; for example, people with no recent history of opioid use who requested assessment for the opioid treatment program, or patients who deliberately requested higher doses of medicine than necessary in order to feel intoxicated. Intentions to cease OST prior to or on release Around one-third of current OST patients reported an intention to cease OST prior to or on release from prison. Participants identified aspects of OST in the community that they perceived as restrictive (e.g. daily dosing; difficulties in travelling to clinics within opening hours; difficulties going away from home). Some participants expressed concern that attending an OST clinic would result in drug use and/or crime as a result of exposure to past associates. Participants also expressed concern about the long-term nature of OST, with the perception that OST was replacing one addiction for another and in conflict with the goal of being "drug free". Participants also identified the stigma attached to OST as a reason for ceasing treatment prior to release. For some participants, this issue was framed in terms of where best to withdraw from OST, specifically methadone – in custody, or in the community. These participants identified the prison setting as a more fitting environment for managing withdrawal. Drug use in prison, including buprenorphine-naloxone diversion Across groups there was consensus that drugs including cannabis, heroin, methamphetamine, and buprenorphine-naloxone diverted from the opioid treatment program. Availability and pricing of drugs varied by prison. Drugs were injected and smoked. Awareness of the risk of blood borne virus transmission via sharing of needles and syringes was high, with specific mentions of risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV transmission. Participants reported use of needles and syringes by multiple people despite these risks. The issue of buprenorphine-naloxone diversion from the opioid treatment program was mentioned by 18 participants. Diversion appeared to occur largely in the context of patients being "stood over"; that is, being forced to give their buprenorphine-naloxone to someone else. Participants reported that people engaged in stand over behaviour to obtain buprenorphine-naloxone for their own use (medicating withdrawal symptoms, or getting intoxicated) or to sell for profit. Use of OST for chronic pain Five participants were prescribed methadone for the treatment of chronic pain. Participants generally stated a preference for other analgesic medicines. Methadone was, however, perceived as more effective for pain relief than other options available in the prison setting (e.g. ibuprofen). Naltrexone for the treatment of opioid dependence Over half of participants (27/47) had heard of naltrexone (either oral or implant formulation). There was some scepticism regarding the utility of naltrexone treatment for opioid dependence in the prison settings, primarily because participants believed that those prescribed naltrexone would continue to use, or commence using, non-opioid drugs. Discussion and conclusions Treatment seeking was often precipitated by drug use and injecting in prison. OST was also sought to medicate opioid withdrawal symptoms. Keeping prison-based OST numbers within a range that results in safe management both in custody and upon release to the community has led to delays in accessing OST for those patients seeking to commence treatment in prison, and patients clearly have strong negative views about this approach. Among some participants, the waiting list appeared to act as a barrier to initiating the process of commencing OST. Balancing the needs of opioid dependent patients against operational and capacity issues, and safety and security concerns, are ongoing challenges for clinical staff. With some exceptions, benefits of OST in prison were largely framed in terms of avoiding negative experiences or outcomes, rather than as direct positive benefits of treatment. These findings highlight that although OST is perceived as preventing negative outcomes, it is not necessarily seen as producing positive outcomes for the individual, such as better health or quality of life. This is line with previous research that has reported the considerable ambivalence that many opioid dependent persons have towards OST (Harris & Rhodes, 2013). Diversion of buprenorphine-naloxone from the opioid treatment program appeared to most commonly occur in the context of patients being "stood over" for their medicine, although there may also be patients who voluntarily engage in diversion. The potential for diversion of buprenorphine products used for OST in correctional settings has been previously identified (Gordon et al., 2014; Kinlock, Gordon, Schwartz, & Fitzgerald, 2010; Magura et al., 2009), and the combination buprenorphine-naloxone film was introduced into NSW correctional centres specifically in response to concerns regarding diversion of the mono-buprenorphine formulation (administered sublingually). Policies and procedures for reducing the incidence of diversion and for responding to identified cases of diversion are in place in correctional health centres in NSW. Despite the identified benefits of OST in prison, there was considerable ambivalence among patients regarding continuation of OST once released. Balancing the preference of many patients to cease OST prior to release against patient safety post-release is a substantial challenge for correctional health care providers. The weeks immediately after release from prison are associated with an elevated risk of drug-related death (compared to other time at liberty) (Merrall et al., 2010), and exposure to OST during this period is highly protective against mortality (Degenhardt et al., 2014). As such, correctional health care providers in NSW are trained to advise patients to remain in OST through their transition to the community, and are reluctant to assent to patient requests to cease OST prior to release. This tension between patient preference and evidence-informed clinical practice appears to be perceived by patients as a lack of consultation and/or poor treatment planning. Further work is needed examining provider perspectives of OST in prison, and determining models of care to enhance post-release engagement in OST. Participants reported that injecting drug use occurred in prisons. Awareness of the potential for HCV or HIV transmission through the sharing of injecting equipment was high; nonetheless, participants reported that sharing of needles and syringes was common. Participants perceived a needle and syringe program as feasible for the prevention of re-use of injecting equipment. This study has generated unique data on patient perspectives of OST in correctional settings. We have described patient perspectives on entry to, experiences of, and retention in, OST in prison and post-release. Our findings have highlighted the challenges facing opioid treatment providers in prison in addressing patient ambivalence towards OST and preferences to cease OST prior to release, and can inform the development of policies and clinical practices that are mindful of patient perspectives and concerns. These results are suggestive of the need for further work examining how best to attract and retain opioid dependent prisoners in treatment, including provider perspectives; evaluation of programs designed to increase post-release retention in OST (and other care), and quantitative analyses of retention in OST in prison and post-release. Details: Sydney: NATIONAL DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, 2016. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Technical Report Number 332: Accessed February 24, 2017 at: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/Technical%20Report%20Number%20332.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/Technical%20Report%20Number%20332.pdf Shelf Number: 141212 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsDrug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersOpioidsSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Tate, Kirsty Title: Losing my voice: A study of the barriers and facilitators to disclosure for sex-working women in residential drug treatment Summary: Sex workers present a complex and unique footprint of needs and behaviour patterns. This is especially the case when those women also have drug and alcohol issues. Yet, when many of these women enter drug treatment system, their histories of sex work and the complex patterns of needs that such histories generate are often overlooked. This is not surprising. In comparison to dealing with the immediate needs subsequent to drug and alcohol issues, tackling the needs arising from sex work can seem less urgent. Drug treatment is a momentous process of change, but the background question to this research report is whether just dealing with the drug and alcohol issues is enough or whether it is also necessary for a woman who has sex-worked to create an ex-sex worker role, and what stands in the way of or promotes that? The focus of this research is on sex workers and the residential drug rehabilitation – a setting wherein they are attempting to produce momentous change in their lives. I interviewed street sex workers, escorts and parlour workers. The aim was to contextualise the meanings sex workers placed on sharing their internal world with others and the powerful impact of disclosure of sex work in relation to their treatment. Details: London: The Griffins Society, 2015. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper 2015/02: Accessed April 3, 2017 at: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/system/files/papers/fullreport/griffins_research_paper_2015-02_final.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.thegriffinssociety.org/system/files/papers/fullreport/griffins_research_paper_2015-02_final.pdf Shelf Number: 144700 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentProstitutes Prostitution Sex Workers |
Author: Tanner-Smith, Emily E. Title: Meta-Analysis of Research on the Effectiveness of Juvenile Drug Courts Summary: Objectives. This systematic review and meta-analysis quantitatively synthesized findings from the most current evidence base of juvenile drug court effectiveness research. The objectives of the meta-analysis were to examine the effects of juvenile drug courts on general recidivism, drug recidivism, and drug use outcomes; and to explore variability in these effects across characteristics of the juvenile participants and drug courts. To address these objectives, we synthesized results from randomized and controlled quasi-experimental design studies that reported on the effects of juvenile drug courts located in the United States. Search methods. We conducted a comprehensive and systematic literature search to identify all relevant studies (published or unpublished) that met our pre-specified eligibility criteria, and the literature search is current through December 2014. We searched several electronic databases, supplemented with searches of websites, research registers, reference lists, and hand-searches of key journals and conference proceedings. Data collection and analysis. Standard systematic review practices were used for data collection and analysis. Titles, abstracts, and full-text reports were screened independently by two researchers. A third author resolved any disagreements about eligibility for inclusion. Studies eligible for inclusion were independently coded by two researchers, with a third author resolving any coding disagreements. All data extraction followed a standardized coding protocol, with data entered directly into a FileMaker Pro database. Inverse variance weighted random-effects meta-analysis models were used to estimate overall mean effect sizes, and mixed-effect meta-regression models were used to explore variability in effects across various study characteristics. Contour-enhanced funnel plots were used to assess for publication bias. Results. An extensive literature search located 46 eligible experimental or quasi-experimental evaluations of juvenile drug courts. The quantitative synthesis of effect sizes provided no evidence that juvenile drug courts were more or less effective than traditional court processing in terms of general recidivism, drug recidivism, and drug use outcomes. There was no evidence of an effect on these outcomes during the juvenile drug court program period and in the post-program period. The juvenile drug court evaluations were generally of poor methodological quality. Very few studies employed random assignment, and substantial baseline differences were found between drug court and comparison groups on baseline risk and demographics. Restricting the meta-analysis to studies using the most rigorous designs (randomized and matched quasi-experimental design) provided no evidence of effectiveness on general recidivism, drug recidivism, or drug use outcomes. Finally, there was no evidence that any of the measured participant characteristics or drug court features were associated with drug court effects. Conclusions. There is no evidence that juvenile drug courts are more or less effective than traditional court processing in terms of reducing juveniles' recidivism and drug use, but there is also no evidence of harm. The quality of the body of evidence is very low, however, so we have little confidence in these null findings. Details: Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University, Peabody Research Institute, 2016. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/250439.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/250439.pdf Shelf Number: 146442 Keywords: Drug Abuse TreatmentDrug CourtsJuvenile Drug CourtsJuvenile Drug OffendersProblem-Solving Courts |
Author: Havnes, Ingrid Amalia Title: Violence and diversion of prescribed opioids among individuals in opioid maintenance treatment. A complementary methods study of violent crime convictions in a national cohort and qualitative interviews among prisoners Summary: Background: Opioid dependence is linked to crime, morbidity and mortality, directly through drug overdoses and indirectly via drug-related mortality, accidents, suicides and violence. Violence in general is a major health concern worldwide. Opioid maintenance treatment, OMT, is found to reduce mortality, morbidity and criminal behaviour, but less is known about the effect of OMT on violent crime. A possible negative consequence of OMT is diversion of methadone and buprenorphine and rising overdose deaths related to these medications among individuals not enrolled in OMT. The aim of this thesis is to study violent crimes prior to, during and after OMT in a national cohort and to generate new knowledge about OMT-enrolled individuals' experiences and understandings of being both violent and non-violent offenders, the role of substances in such crimes as well as their understandings and motivations related to diversion of prescribed opioids. Materials and methods: Two complementary data collection methods have been used. Violent convictions were investigated by use of cross-registry methods for a complete longitudinal national OMTcohort of 3221 individuals with an observation period of 9 years and a qualitative study among 12 imprisoned, OMT-enrolled individuals. 28 semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed with a reflexive and interactive approach. Findings: Violent crime rates were significantly reduced during OMT compared with before treatment. The rate of convictions for violent crime during OMT was halved among those who remained in treatment. The reduction was less pronounced for those who left treatment: for this group, the rate of violent convictions after OMT was higher than before treatment. The risk of convictions for violent and non-violent crime during OMT was highest for those with violent convictions prior to treatment. In the qualitative part of the study, it was found that substances and, in particular, high-dose benzodiazepines were deliberately used to induce temporary 'antisocial selves' capable of transgressing individual moral codes and performing non-violent and violent criminal acts, mainly to support costly heroin use prior to OMT. During OMT, impulsive and uncontrolled substance use just prior to the violent acts that the participants were imprisoned for was reported. Benzodiazepines were also used to reduce memories of and alleviate the guilt associated with having committed violent crimes. The study participants maintain moral standards, engage in complex moral negotiations, and struggle to reconcile their moral transgressions. They were found to exhibit a considerable amount of self-control, selfregulation and/or self-initiation of external control related to intake of methadone and buprenorphine in various settings. Their acquired norm of sharing with others in a drug using community was carried along when entering OMT. Several had developed strategies to avoid selling or giving of methadone or buprenorphine to others. Giving one's opioid prescriptions to an individual in withdrawal, was seen as an act of helping. Individuals enrolled in OMT might thus be trapped between practicing norms of helping and sharing and adhering to treatment regulations. Conclusions: Opioid dependent individuals with violent convictions should have access to OMT. Treatment providers should identify individuals with histories of violent behavior. The situation that precede and motivate violent behavior and the potential role of substances prior to and after such crimes should be explored with the patient in question. What appears as a severe antisocial personality disorder may be partly explained by substance use. Treatment providers should explore the living conditions and social lives of individuals applying for and enrolled in OMT. To following OMT guidelines may entail breaking a personal and drug culture norm of sharing and helping by means of providing OMT medications to those in need. Opioid-dependent couples should be encouraged to apply for and enroll in OMT at the same time, if both are motivated for starting treatment. Some individuals might know what particular configurations of internal and external control they need in order to achieve their own treatment goals in OMT. An individual's experience and ability to execute self-control and self-regulation with regard to drug taking may be seen as a resource throughout the course of treatment. Details: Oslo: University of Oslo, 2015. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 4, 2017 at: https://www.duo.uio.no/handle/10852/42124 Year: 2015 Country: Norway URL: https://www.duo.uio.no/handle/10852/42124 Shelf Number: 146719 Keywords: Drug Abuse and CrimeDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug OffendersOpioid EpidemicOpioidsPrescription DrugsSubstance Abuse TreatmentViolent Crime |
Author: Messina, N. Title: Enhancing Prison Treatment for Women Offenders: An In-Depth follow-Up Study Summary: UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP) conducted a two-year pilot study to test the efficacy of a drug abuse treatment program designed for drugdependent women in prison. Specifically, the study examined the relative effectiveness of a "relational-based," multifaceted program called Women's Integrated Treatment (WIT) compared to a standard prison therapeutic community (TC) treatment program. Relational-based programs emphasize the important role of relationships and intimate partners in women's addiction and recovery. The WIT program is a multi-faceted curriculum organized into four modules: 1) self module, 2) relationship module, 3) sexuality module, and 4) spirituality module. A trauma-informed curriculum was also delivered in conjunction with these modules. Other WIT program elements concern, for example, parenting techniques, child custody issues, grief and loss, and decision-making skills. The comparison TC program is comprised of an array of services, including, for instance, individual and group counseling, 12-step meetings, recreational and mutual self-help group discussions, and anger management training. Both programs offer 6 months of aftercare treatment in the community. Although the WIT curriculum has been fully developed (Covington, 1999, 2003), this study is the first empirical test of the curriculum. The pilot study involved the expertise of the Center for Gender and Justice; the cooperation of Valley State Prison for Women (VSPW) in Chowchilla, California; and the treatment experience of Walden House, Inc. - the prison treatment provider. An already existing program (i.e., Integrity) at VSPW was modified to incorporate the WIT curriculum and is thus the target program. The study used an experimental design with random assignment of participants to the two treatment conditions (Integrity vs. TC). A total of 115 participants were recruited, randomly assigned to either the Integrity or TC program, and interviewed at three time points: 1) program entry; 2) 6-months post parole; and 3) 12-months post parole. Data were collected from the participants at 6- and 12-month follow-up interviews, regardless of whether they completed the programs or not. Interviews at 6 months were conducted with 50 Integrity participants and 44 TC participants. Interviews were also conducted at 12 months with 44 Integrity participants and 41 TC participants. Details: Los Angeles: University of California Los Angeles, 2009. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 21, 2017 at: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Adult_Research_Branch/Research_Documents/Enhanced_Treatment_Women_Offenders_March_2009.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Adult_Research_Branch/Research_Documents/Enhanced_Treatment_Women_Offenders_March_2009.pdf Shelf Number: 146792 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsDrug Abuse TreatmentFemale InmatesFemale PrisonersSubstance Abuse Treatment |
Author: Curtin University. National Drug Research Institute Title: The Social Costs of Methamphetamine in Australia 2013/14 Summary: Australia has one of the highest documented rates of methamphetamine use in the world, with about 2.1% of the population aged 14 years and over reporting they have used methamphetamine in the past year. Recent changes in the purity and form of methamphetamine have resulted in a significant rise in public concern and media interest in the harms associated with the consumption of methamphetamine. As documented in this report, methamphetamine consumption is associated with a diverse range of harms and costs to individual drug users, their families and wider society. The objective of this project was to estimate the cost of methamphetamine use to Australia for a specific year (2013/14) rather than the future costs arising from use in that year, due to limitations in the available data and the level of uncertainly concerning future outcomes. Thus, other than years of life lost due to premature mortality, the costs do not include costs for treating chronic health conditions or lower levels of productivity over the lifespan. The harms and costs of drug use are substantially increased for dependent drug users compared with other users(Moore, 2007). We based our analyses on an estimated 160,000 dependent methamphetamine users and 108,000 regular nondependent users (Degenhardt et al., 2016a). There are also estimated to be 240,995 people in Australia who use methamphetamine occasionally (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014a). Finally, we excluded the private costs incurred by non-dependent methamphetamine users. However, the private costs or the "internalities" of dependent drug use were quantified but not added to the overall total. The report identified a range of prevention, supply reduction, harm reduction and treatment initiatives targeting the use of methamphetamine. In 2013/14 school based programs were the major prevention approach, with no substantial general population programs being identified in that year. Supply reduction programs were evident at the local level, through jurisdiction level policing or initiatives such as ProjectStop, which aims to limit access to precursor chemicals through the purchase of some over-the-counter medicines. Nationally, there were initiatives to regulate the commercial supply of chemicals and products that could be used in clandestine laboratories. The major harm reduction initiatives were existing programs that aim to reduce harms from injecting drug use (e.g. needle and syringe programs) that also involve some users of methamphetamine. However, treatment programs, such as withdrawal management, counselling services and residential rehabilitation, were the largest cost items in this area. Chapter 4 provides costing for these items. Details: Perth, Western Australia: The Research Institute, 2016. 200p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 27, 2017 at: https://ndri.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/pdf/publications/T246.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: https://ndri.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/pdf/publications/T246.pdf Shelf Number: 147843 Keywords: Costs of Drug AbuseDrug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentMethamphetamineSubstance Abuse |
Author: Ghandnoosh, Nazgol Title: Opioids: Treating and Illness, Ending a War Summary: More people died from opioid-related deaths in 2015 than in any previous year. This record number quadrupled the level of such deaths in 1999. Unlike the heroin and crack crises of the past, the current opioid emergency has disproportionately affected white Americans-poor and rural, but also middle class or affluent and suburban. This association has boosted support for preventative and treatment-based policy solutions. But the pace of the response has been slow, critical components of the solution-such as health insurance coverage expansion and improved access to medication-assisted treatment- face resistance, and there are growing efforts to revamp the failed and costly War on Drugs. This report examines the sources of the opioid crisis, surveys health and justice policy responses at the federal and state levels, and draws on lessons from past drug crises to provide guidance on how to proceed. The War on Drugs did not play a major role in ebbing past cycles of drug use, as revealed by extensive research and the reflections of police chiefs. In 2014, the National Research Council concluded: The best empirical evidence suggests that the successive iterations of the war on drugs- through a substantial public policy effort-are unlikely to have markedly or clearly reduced drug crime over the past three decades. Growing public awareness of the limited impact and devastating toll of the War on Drugs has encouraged many policymakers and criminal justice practitioners to begin its winding down. The number of people imprisoned nationwide for a drug offense skyrocketed from 24,000 in 1980 to a peak of 369,000 in 2007. It has since declined by nearly one-quarter, reaching approximately 287,000 people in the most recent count. The lessons from past drug crises and the evidence base supporting a public health approach can guide policymakers as they seek an end to the current opioid crisis. Details: Washington, DC: The Sentencing Project, 2017. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 31, 2018 at: https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Opioids-Treating-an-Illness-Ending-a-War.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Opioids-Treating-an-Illness-Ending-a-War.pdf Shelf Number: 148950 Keywords: Drug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentDrug TreatmentOpioidsWar on Drugs |
Author: Sullivan, Riley Title: The Fiscal Impact of the Opioid Epidemic in the New England States Summary: The rise in the abuse of-and addiction to-opioids and the rapid increase in the number of fatal overdoses in recent years have made the opioid epidemic a priority for local, state, and federal policymakers. Understanding the epidemic's direct fiscal impact is key to acknowledging its scope and magnitude. While opioid abuse has many direct and indirect fiscal costs, few studies quantify them. This report assembles available data on the impact of opioid epidemic on criminal justice, treatment, and related health expenditures in the New England states. The research finds that state governments in the region spend a higher percentage on total opioid-related costs and more per capita than the national averages. Across the region, treating opioid-use disorder-on both an emergency and a long-term basis-accounts for the majority of the costs. Estimates for medical treatment expenditures associated with opioid abuse reach as high as $340 million annually in Massachusetts alone. While providing new insight the author acknowledges that the costs considered in this policy report are incomplete. It's plausible that the opioid epidemic's impact on state revenues is also significant and could affect regional fiscal health. For example, individuals incarcerated for drug crimes or in residential treatment programs are not earning wages. Evidence also suggests that non-institutionalized individuals abusing opioids are more likely out of work than employed, likewise resulting in lost revenue (Krueger 2017). The author plans to conduct further research on opioid abuse's impact on employment and labor force participation, which should contribute to a fuller understanding of the epidemic's fiscal cost to the region. However, beyond the fiscal cost is the toll opioid abuse has taken on individuals, families, and communities. The costs analyzed in this report are just a small part of the greater damage inflicted across the region and the country. Details: Boston: New England Public Policy Center; Federal Reserve Bank of Boston: 2018. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Report 18-1: Accessed July 9, 2018 at: https://www.bostonfed.org/publications/new-england-public-policy-center-policy-report/2018/the-fiscal-impact-of-the-opioid-epidemic-in-the-new-england-states.aspx#collapse2 Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.bostonfed.org/publications/new-england-public-policy-center-policy-report/2018/the-fiscal-impact-of-the-opioid-epidemic-in-the-new-england-states.aspx#collapse2 Shelf Number: 150778 Keywords: Cost AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeDrug Abuse and AddictionDrug Abuse TreatmentOpioid CrisisOpioid EpidemicOpioidsPrescription Drug Abuse |
Author: Reichert, Jessica Title: Addressing Opioid Use Disorders in Corrections: A Survey of Illinois Jails Summary: Even with substantial efforts at the state and local levels, opioid overdoses in Illinois continue to rise. Many in jails and prisons suffer from opioid use disorders and some receive treatment. Upon release, the risk of overdose is enhanced due to reduced tolerance. This article presents findings from a survey of 36 Illinois jail administrators on the use of medication-assisted treatment for detainees with opioid use disorders, naloxone distribution to reduce post-release overdose, and policies to ensure safe withdrawal from opioids and other drugs. Details: Chicago: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2018. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2018 at: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/assets/articles/Addressing_Opioid_Use_Disorders_in_Corrections_2018.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/assets/articles/Addressing_Opioid_Use_Disorders_in_Corrections_2018.pdf Shelf Number: 153051 Keywords: Drug Abuse and Addiction Drug Abuse TreatmentJail Inmates Opioid Epidemic Opioids |