Prisons More Responsive to Drug User Needs

July 15, 2010 10:38 am

by Eldred Tellis, 2008

I was delighted to receive an invitation to make an oral presentation of our work at Arthur Road Jail, at the 1^st Conference of the Connections Project.The conference titled ‘Joining the Dots – Criminal Justice, Treatment and Harm Reduction’ was the first of its kind, taking a look at drugs and infections within the European Union Criminal Justice System.It was a great honour to be selected to make a presentation for the session on International Experiences which also had contributions from Russia, Australia and the U.S.A.

Pat O’Hare, President of the International Harm Reduction Association (I.H.R.A), gave the keynote address.He emphasised the need for equal services for drug users ‘inside’ as were made available on the ‘outside’.This he said was part of human rights which need to be upheld.From his vast experience over the last 20 years, he was clear in his pronouncement that security was much higher where majority of services existed and this included ‘needles syringes programme in prison.’

Barnie, President of Swedish Drug Users Association asked a very pertinent question.“How does one try to make the world drug free, when you cannot do it in a PRISON? “ Here you have a lot of drug users, a lot of drugs and not a lot to do in prison…….so……He said that Sweden was a signatory to a WHO Charter with 50 other countries that pledge to have services with prisons similar to those on the outside.Yet there are none except a bowl of condoms.

Annette from the World Health Organisation said that it has been demonstrated that thedrug use exists in prisons and it takes placewith greater risk.Also that Hepatitis C and HIV have a higher rate of transmission in prisons.Inspite of this, there are only 9 Needles syringes programmes in Europe and only one (Iran) in Asia.

The main debate centered around looking at the prison as an opportunity which was cost effective.The main challenge was, how best to go about addressing it.Policies in most countries were inadequate to the needs that existed.

Besides the high, of interacting with experts in the field, was an opportunity to attend aMaster class ofDr. Devayne Simpson.He shared many of his secrets for Adaptive Treatment Planning and Innovative Implementation.Much can be adapted and used even for our own detox camps which is a goal I have undertaken to help build capacities of our own staff.

From the presentations it was also clear how ‘after care’ for drug using prisoners contributed to a five-fold increase in success rates and SANKALP will make a small beginning by taking our discharged clients for a 24 hour support exercise with introduction to our Drop-in centre, the Narcotics Anonymous and some ‘clean’ company on the outside.

More power to us through implementation.