The social and institutional context of throughcare and aftercare services for prison drug service clients, with a focus on Black and minority ethnic prisoners

Abstract

This paper examines the social and institutional context of barriers to drug service throughcare and aftercare for prisoners in England and Wales, including those that specifically affect Black and minority ethnic prisoners. A research project in 2004 reviewed relevant literature and statistical data, mapped prison drug services, and sought the perspectives of relevant stakeholders: in total, 334 individuals were recruited to the study. The methodology facilitates analysis of the structure of services and the agency prisoner in accessing them. Recommendations are made for changes to the structure and delivery of prison drug services.

Stigma Associated with Alcohol and Other Drug Use Among People from Migrant and Ethnic Minority Groups: Results from a Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

“…AOD use represented a violation of productivity norms and marked people as irresponsible others. Perceptions of AOD use were often hierarchical based on drug type and perceived impact on functionality [48,49,56,67,68]. Similar to existing literature [70,71], the following participant distinguished themselves from other 'dysfunctional addicts' by engaging in downward comparisons: "I would like you to understand that I am not a drug addict like others, that I don't need it [drugs] every day to function.…”

“…Most studies recruited participants undergoing treatment for substance use disorders [50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58] or reported illicit drug use [48,49,59,60].…”

“…you know when you come in all broken down, looking bad and the reception at the desk give you the look and turn her head on you just coming off the street and you're looking for help, you know. But they don't want to touch you or come near you" (Black female participant who received treatment for substance use disorder, US) [53, p. 72] Studies conducted with people experiencing AOD-related disorders, participants who reported AOD use, family members and community members suggested discovery of AOD use or treatment access would cause secondary stigma for families [21,49,50,52,56,57,60,62,65,68,69]. Studies conducted with community members also identified that AOD use risked bringing shame on an individual's ethnic or religious group, highlighting the need for secrecy [21,59,68].…”

The Life Narrative of a Mixed-Race Man in Recovery from Addiction: A Case-Based Psychosocial Approach to Researching Drugs, ‘Race’ and Ethnicity

“…It's the way I was brought up -smackheads (heroin users) are dirty and they're thieves. (Roy et al, 2008) Murji (1999 suggests that the absence of large numbers of black people from heroin addiction has been observed but never adequately explained. However, Bobby self-identifies as mixed race and expresses difficulties in his identifications with black people.…”

Twelve Committed Men: the feasibility of a community-based participatory HIV-prevention intervention within a Canadian men’s correctional facility

“…However, effective treatment of HIV is feasible in a controlled environment for those who have already contracted the virus, and Correctional Service Canada (CSC) indicated that over 50% of HIV+ men in federal institutions received HIV treatment (8). In addition, European countries have identified ‘through care’ and ‘aftercare’ for incarcerated individuals upon release as an important area for improving their health outcomes and public health (11,15).…”