Inhaltszusammenfassung:
The ten countries involved in the research were
Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia,
Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
The field visits to all the countries apart from the
Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia were carried
out by the author of this report.
The overall aims of the research were to:
- undertake a review of the services/
initiatives operating in the area of health
within two sample prisons in each of the
countries;
- provide a report of the provision of
services for drug-dependent prisoners in
the ten countries;
- relate the provision of services to current
Council of Europe and World Health
Organisation guidelines and to the national
strategies operating in each country;
- promote awareness of the initiatives
operating within the sample prisons and
facilitate the sharing of best practice on
the national and international level.
The research involved visiting at least two prisons
and key non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
working in the area of drug addiction in each of the
ten countries.
A qualitative case study design was chosen as the
most appropriate methodology in order to provide
an in-depth analysis of the processes involved in the
development of prisons’ drugs policy in the ten
sample countries. In a study such as this, quantitative
research models are of limited use whereas
qualitative approaches offer distinct advantages
(Pollitt et al., 1992; Koester, 1993). For example,
although quantitative measures can give rise to
important descriptive data, they do not provide
information or access to meanings and choices in
the development and implementation of policy. The European Committee for the Prevention of
Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment (CPT) sets out guidelines for treating
problematic drug and alcohol users, both of which
are at greater risk of contracting HIV and other
infectious diseases. Often, as a result of drugs misuse
prior to incarceration, inmates are already carrying
infectious diseases. However, the implementation
of services to treat HIV/AIDS and drugs misuse both
within prisons and in the community varies and is
subject to a country’s socio-economic
circumstances, cultural attitudes towards HIV and
drugs and existing resources. Prevention and
treatment initiatives must overcome many cultural
barriers relating to attitudes towards sex, especially
homosexual activity, as well as providing enough
resources to deal effectively with the problem.This
may determine whether or not preventative measures
(e.g. clean needles, condoms) are in place and to
what extent they, along with sexual activity and
tattooing, will impact on the risk levels of spreading
infectious diseases. The prevalence of sexual activity
in prisons needs to be acknowledged and addressed
in order to prevent further infection within prisons
and subsequently in the wider community.
