How can we tackle drug challenges in prisons effectively?

Top experts gathered to address the high rates of substance use among people living in prison. Key takeaways:

• Tools that track drug trends need to be enhanced to better monitor substance use among people living in this setting
• Prisons must be equipped to handle current and future drug challenges 
• Balanced health and social policies should be implemented to address the complex needs of people living in prison with drug-related problem

From insightful presentations and dynamic working group exchanges to the sharing of experiences and forward-looking reflections, the meeting greatly benefited from the knowledge, engagement, and collaboration of a wide range of European and international experts—both in person and online—from diverse sectors and disciplines: from security to health, from policy to practice, to the voices of those with lived experience.

Prisons across Europe are complex and evolving settings, with specific challenges related to their organisation and context. These aspects must be fully considered when addressing drug-related issues in prison environments.

Some important key findings and next steps emerged from our discussions, including:

• continued efforts to expand data collection in prisons and improve data quality in the European countries;
• discussion to produce a European ethical approval of the available research and monitoring tools, to facilitate research implementation across countries;
• further advancement of balanced health and social policies in prisons, with a particular focus on:
  • mental health—producing evidence on the extent and characteristics of these issues and how best to address them;
  • and infectious diseases, which continue to represent a major public health concern within prisons: important tools are being prepared and will be shared shortly with experts and professionals in the field;
  • expansion of prison health and social interventions for people who use drugs, ensuring the necessary conditions for prison professionals to deliver them effectively;
  • enhanced preparedness to respond to new challenges, such as increased use of NPS, rising violence among certain prison populations—including youth and organised trafficking groups;
  • exploration of innovative approaches to tackle drug supply within prisons while also improving the health and wellbeing of those who live and work in these settings;
  • emphasis on training that is tailored to the prison context and truly beneficial to both staff and people living in prison.