A report released by the drugs charity Addaction has called for more to be done in prisons to address alcohol misuse, particularly amongst non-dependent drinkers. The report found that 70 per cent of prisoners surveyed said they had been drinking when they committed the offence they were imprisoned for. However only half of those prisoners recognised their drinking as a problem.
The report was produced by the Alcohol and Crime Commission, a partnership set up by Addaction including representatives of the prison system, Parliament, the treatment sector and also the drinks industry (Heineken). An event also took place at London's RSA - the audio including panel Q&A is available here.
Addaction’s Chief Executive, Simon Antrobus, said:
"A staggering number of prisoners committed a crime while drinking, but unless they’re alcohol dependent the system doesn’t properly recognise them as problem drinkers. This means that people are leaving prison without the support they need. Add to that the fact that after-care is almost non-existent and we end up with a situation where we’re asking people to reintegrate into society, but without any of the right tools they need to do so."
Recommendations from the report include:
- That alcohol-treatment services for prisoners should form a key part of any prison rehabilitation, and that this must include continuing support for prisoners as they reintegrate into the community.
- That all frontline staff in UK prisons – from offender managers to peer support workers and mentors – receive expert alcohol awareness training and be able to identify problematic behaviour relating to someone’s drinking.
- Support services specifically designed for women prisoners should be developed as a matter of urgency.
- That the true extent of this problem is properly researched. A thorough and alcohol-specific needs analysis should be carried out into alcohol misuse among the prison population. This needs analysis should then inform the commissioning of services both in prison and on release and be integral to the contracts drawn up for the new Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs).
- That all through-the-gate services should prioritise community-based treatment that help people recover fully in their own communities as well as working to reduce the stigma faced by ex-prisoners and people who have beaten alcohol problems.
In 2011 NHS Scotland released the Alcohol and Offenders Criminal Justice Research Programme which included a prison health needs assessment and pilot report on brief interventions within prisons. This Findings bulletin reviewed unmet alcohol needs in prisons in 2010 and this matrix cell explores IBA within the criminal justice system. Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) also released a report on the link between alcohol and offending and the missed opportunities within prisons in particular.
Nonetheless some prisons in England have invested in improving alcohol treatment pathways and delivering Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) for non-dependent drinkers, with criminal justice healthcare now being commissioned by NHS England.
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