Insights on Prison Needle and Syringe Programs: Research With Former Prisoners in Canada

Meulen, Emily van der; Watson, Tara Marie; Shalit, Ann De

doi:10.1177/0032885517728901

Cited by 12 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…These ndings illustrate the importance of providing harm reduction services to persons who are incarcerated due to the high likelihood of continued substance use while in custody. Needle exchange programs and supervised injection services within prison settings could decrease harm and overdose in community through training and distribution of take-home naloxone and overdose prevention programming 17,18,19 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Substance Use and Overdose Risk: Documenting the Perspectives of Formerly Incarcerated Persons in the Fraser East Region of BC

McCaughran-Contreras

Fernando

Sikora

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: The relationship between incarceration and risk of overdose has been well-documented in the literature, but few studies document the perspectives of persons at risk of overdose who were incarcerated. This sub-inquiry aimed to understand the experiences of persons with a history of substance use and incarceration in the Fraser East region of BC and how involvement with the criminal justice system affected their drug use and perceived risk of overdose. Methods: The Fraser East Overdose Response project utilized a community-based participatory action approach that included peer researchers with lived experience in all parts of the research process. This qualitative pilot study aimed to better understand individuals at risk of an unwitnessed overdose in order to prevent deaths and identify effective local responses. A snowball sampling technique was used to recruit persons aged 19 and over who used illicit drugs over the past 3 years in the Fraser East since 2016. In total, 22 participants were interviewed. Of these, 13 participants identified a history of incarceration. Interviews were analyzed using a framework analysis approach.Results: The perspectives that participants shared revealed that impacts from incarceration are influenced by policies but also highly individualized. Our inquiry found three broader themes, within which were situated differing and sometimes conflicting interpretations and experiences of systemic environments: (1) incarceration was associated with harms and was perceived to increase risk of overdose following release, (2) incarceration was perceived to have limited impact on substance use and overdose risk, and (3) incarceration was associated with a perceived reduction of substance use and overdose risk.Conclusions: Understanding the complexities of the perceptions of those with lived experience of substance use and incarceration is of importance to better inform interventions in this population. The existing knowledge base urgently requires further inquiry into the intersections between qualitative perspectives, environments and policies, and quantitative outcomes of overdose vís-a-vís correctional institution.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Substance Use and Overdose Risk: Documenting the Perspectives of Formerly Incarcerated Persons in the Fraser East Region of BC

McCaughran-Contreras

Fernando

Sikora

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…It is astonishing that professionals do not feel responsible for the social life to which, as Testa et al underline, the majority of prisoners will come back sooner or later [10]. They are probably not conscious that prisoners' good sexual health should be important for the society to which the prisoners will return [11,30]. It is important that common sex education and an access to condoms could motivate prisoners to undergo medical examinations and, if necessary, treatment, but also to impede the virus transmission while serving prison sentences and later on.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…• only qualified prison officers of a health-conscious attitude can efficiently implement programmes promoting prisoners' sexual health [cf. 9]; • taking care of the sexual health of prisoners is in the interest of the society to which they will finally return [10,11]. According to Polish law, every prisoner has the right to maintain their health, including sexual health.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

HIV/AIDS – the problem in Polish prisons

Łukaszek¹

2019

HIV & AIDS Review

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Introduction: The author has decided to study the issues herein because there is very little research on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections of prisoners in Polish correctional facilities, and efficient penitentiary action should be based on good analysis of the problem. Material and methods: The author presents herein the results of analyses of HIV infections among Polish prisoners in the years 2005-2016 and the results (diagnostics surveys) received from her research projects on the sample of 485 prisoners (2013-2014) and 210 prison service officers (2015-2016). Results: The official number of newly detected HIV infections (2008-2016) is 72 per 100,000 persons and the number of HIV infected prisoners is 280 per 100,000. The officers estimated that the real number of HIV-infected prisoners is 5870 per 100,000 (only direct charges of the officers). The prisoners admitted to frequent sexual activity without using contraception and risky sexual behaviours, which is probably the main reason for their infections. Notwithstanding, the majority of prison officers are against giving or selling condoms to prisoners and their sex education. Conclusions: The study results suggest that the problem of HIV infections among prisoners is much bigger than the official data show. As a result, it is astonishing that Prison Service officers are so unwilling to provide prisoners with condoms and sex education.

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“…However, former prisoners report that in practice, the availability and accessibility of harm reduction measures in prison has fallen short of policy demands (van der Meulen et al , 2018; van der Meulen et al , 2017). Other measures, such as the safe tattooing pilot program previously available in six federal institutions across Canada before budget cuts in 2006, have been cancelled or not pursued out of concern that they encourage drug use and sex.…”

Section: Strategies Of Capturementioning

confidence: 99%

Criminalization and capture strategies in the HIV/AIDS assemblage

Rinaldi

Marques

2020

IJPH

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Purpose This study aims to ask how HIV/AIDS is arranged as a public threat in and through Canadian law, particularly in relation to transmission, and how strategies of capture extend the affective force of criminalization leading to poor health outcomes for persons living with HIV/AIDS. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper with a focus on applying affect theorist Jasbir Puar’s work on assemblage and debility. The authors use Puar’s work to frame the conditions that persons with HIV/AIDS experience in the Canadian criminal justice context as debilitating. Findings The authors found that while HIV transmission is not itself a criminal act in the Canadian criminal justice context, activities where transmission is prevalent or possible have been criminalized, particularly in relation to nondisclosure of health status, sex work and substance use. Further, the authors found that when the activities associated with HIV transmission are criminalized, strategies of capture extend the affective force of criminalization first in the inadequate provision of health-care and pharma-care services, second in state resistance to implement harm reduction measure and third in punitive population management strategies. Originality/value Persons living with HIV/AIDS have historically experienced stigmatization, especially intersecting with neoliberal, white supremacist and heteropatriarchal axes of power. This paper uses assemblage theory to shore up how these relations operate in ways that close off possibilities, by constituting the HIV/AIDS assemblage as a criminal – rather than a health phenomenon. This paper, thus, holds Canada to account for debilitating a historically disadvantaged and multiplying marginalized population.

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Insights on Prison Needle and Syringe Programs: Research With Former Prisoners in Canada

Cited by 12 publications

References 36 publications

Substance Use and Overdose Risk: Documenting the Perspectives of Formerly Incarcerated Persons in the Fraser East Region of BC

Substance Use and Overdose Risk: Documenting the Perspectives of Formerly Incarcerated Persons in the Fraser East Region of BC

HIV/AIDS – the problem in Polish prisons

Criminalization and capture strategies in the HIV/AIDS assemblage

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