For prisoners with a history of drug use, in particular opioid use, the risks related to drug use and especially overdose and death are extremely high in the immediate period after release due to high rates of relapse and lower opioid tolerance (Farrell and Marsden, 2008). Much still needs to be done in order to ensure that people with a severe history of drug use are sufficiently cared for when released from prisons. Harm-reduction measures need to be in place for ex-prisoners to be able to readjust to freedom without relapsing back into drug use and to prevent the extreme risk of fatal overdose when released. The EU project 'My first 48h out' aims to address the gaps in continuity of care for long-term drug users in prison and upon release, by supporting life-saving interventions for the prevention of overdoses and the reduction of other risks related to drug use, and for the establishment of a treatment trajectory that is not interrupted upon release.
This report presents the results of one of the specific objectives of the project (1). A multi-country (Belgium, France, Germany and Portugal) qualitative study looking at issues related to: risk behaviour related to drug use upon release, prisoners’ and drug users’ perspectives, personal experiences of incarceration, individual risk reduction mechanisms, knowledge of risks and overdose prevention, and strategies to avoid risks when being released.
Approximately 30 prisoners and/or drug users with a prison experience were targeted for involvement in the research in each of the four countries. Focus groups and semi-structured qualitative interviews have been implemented in prisons and/or with drug users with a previous experience of detention currently attending community services.