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Prison drug services in Kent, Surrey and Sussex failed by lack of aftercare available to prisoners after release

July 11, 2003

The greatest threat to the success of prison-based drug treatments is the lack of aftercare available to prisoners after their release, according to a review published by the Centre for Health Service Studies at the University of Kent. The review, which is part of a wider programme of work evaluating the outcome effectiveness of drug treatment services within Kent, Surrey and Sussex prisons, identifies an urgent need for independent and systematic outcome evaluations of drug services in prison, in line with the commitment of the Prison Service to evidence-based practice and continual improvement of services.

At present, there are no methodologically rigorous evaluations of drug services within British prisons. Running treatment programmes and conducting research within the prison environment face a number of problems intrinsic to the system. These range from disagreement about treatment goals to obtaining client data, issues of confidentiality, the availability of drugs, and divergence in meeting targets over, for example, mandatory drugs testing. However, indications are that those interventions based on cognitive-behavioural principles are the most successful.

The review was commissioned by Geoff Cooke, Area Drug Strategy Co-ordinator for the Prison Service Kent Surrey and Sussex Area, the East and West Kent Health Authorities and the West Sussex Drug Action Team. The aims were to identify treatments that are used for those with substance dependence, describe the current regimes available in prison, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatments, drawing on research evidence from the UK and the US.

Kent, University of