New report: opiate addiction in prison

Half of opiate-addicted prisoners don’t get their prescription or access treatment after release. Even fewer reach a second or third. Last year, drug-related deaths rose to a record high of 5,448 – a reflection of chaotic lives marked by addiction, crime, and repeated prison sentences.

This tells us what is happening, not why.

So, our report published today, Just Existing?, and the accompanying infographic are unapologetically the independent lived experience of nearly 300 opiate-addicted prisoners, in their own words. At best, these accounts reflect the truth; at worst, they are perceptions. Either way, this is their reality.

What they told us is that there is a gap between policy and this reality:

• Prisoners are trapped in methadone dependency – 89% on opiate medication were on methadone.
• There aren’t enough treatment options – 41% were not getting either psychological or social support.
• Mental health treatment is rarely acknowledged, let alone delivered – 72% on opiate medication were not getting psychological support.

The report does not call for another service or more funding. Behind bars, battling addiction, and caught in a cycle with no way out – those living this reality must be at the centre. We’re calling for an honest conversation on opiate addiction and treatment in prison, led by lived experience alongside policymakers, commissioners, and providers.

The report suggests four big questions for these conversations:

• Continuity of care. How do we create closer collaboration between HM Prison & Probation Service and NHS England?
• Agency in treatment. How do we provide people with the responsibility and tools to change their own lives?
• Shared understanding of rehabilitation. How do we improve awareness and understanding of recovery for prison staff, treatment providers, and prisoners?
• Commissioning of services. How do we ensure services meet the needs of the people who use them?

We are committed to ensuring the independent voice of lived experience is central to these conversations, get in touch if you can support this campaign.

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