ArticleAddiction science & clinical practice2012
Return to drug use and overdose after release from prison: a qualitative study of risk and protective factors.
Article in Addiction science & clinical practice, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 152 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
152 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 320 citations in OpenAlex.
- Drug use among people in prison: A global review of epidemiology, harms and interventions.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Substance Misuse Treatment Processes and Outcomes as Implemented in Prisons for Men in the UK.Criminal behaviour and mental health : CBMH · 2025Pooled it
- Psychosocial factors associated with overdose subsequent to Illicit Drug use: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.Harm reduction journal · 2024Pooled it
- The impact of supported accommodation on health and criminal justice outcomes of people released from prison: a systematic literature review.Harm reduction journal · 2023Pooled it
- Explaining the Differences in Opioid Overdose Deaths between Scotland and England/Wales: Implications for European Opioid Policies.European addiction research · 2021Pooled it
- Incarceration history and risk of HIV and hepatitis C virus acquisition among people who inject drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The Lancet. Infectious diseases · 2018Pooled it
- Buprenorphine-naloxone vs. extended-release naltrexone for opioid use disorder in individuals with and without criminal legal involvement: A secondary analysis of the X:BOT randomized controlled trial.Journal of substance use and addiction treatment · 2024Trial
- Patient navigation for pregnant individuals with opioid use disorder: Results of a randomized multi-site pilot trial.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2024Trial
- Longitudinal analysis of HIV-risk behaviors of participants in a randomized trial of prison-initiated buprenorphine.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2019Trial
- Retention in clinical trials after prison release: results from a clinical trial with incarcerated men with HIV and opioid dependence in Malaysia.HIV research & clinical practice · 2019Trial
- Initiating buprenorphine treatment prior to versus after release from prison: Arrest outcomes.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2018Trial
- Predictors of induction onto extended-release naltrexone among unemployed heroin-dependent adults.Journal of substance abuse treatment · 2018Trial
- A randomized clinical trial of buprenorphine for prisoners: Findings at 12-months post-release.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2017Trial
- A randomized controlled trial of prison-initiated buprenorphine: prison outcomes and community treatment entry.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2014Trial
- "So what's gonna happen when I get out of here?" Qualitative barriers and facilitators to MOUD continuity post-release from jail.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2026Article
- Multifactor Risk Stratification for Post-Transplant Alcohol Relapse Using Abstinence, Psychosocial, and Socioeconomic Factors.Annals of gastroenterological surgery · 2026Article
- The Relationship Between Postrelease Social Determinants of Health and Glycemic Control in African Americans With Criminal Legal Involvement and Type 2 Diabetes.Journal of diabetes research · 2026Article
- "It's almost a life and death sentence": Stakeholder perspectives on determinants of substance use risks and treatment access for individuals convicted of sexual offenses.SSM. Qualitative research in health · 2025Article
- Effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of naloxone in carceral settings: a scoping review.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- Examining predictors of substance use and treatment adequacy among formerly incarcerated individuals with a history of opioid and cocaine use: research protocol.Health & justice · 2025Article
92 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundFormer inmates are at high risk for death from drug overdose, especially in the immediate post-release period. The purpose of the study is to understand the drug use experiences, perceptions of overdose risk, and experiences with overdose among former prisoners.
methodsThis qualitative study included former prison inmates (N=29) who were recruited within two months after their release. Interviewers conducted in-person, semi-structured interviews which explored participants' experiences and perceptions. Transcripts were analyzed utilizing a team-based method of inductive analysis.
resultsThe following themes emerged: 1) Relapse to drugs and alcohol occurred in a context of poor social support, medical co-morbidity and inadequate economic resources; 2) former inmates experienced ubiquitous exposure to drugs in their living environments; 3) intentional overdose was considered "a way out" given situational stressors, and accidental overdose was perceived as related to decreased tolerance; and 4) protective factors included structured drug treatment programs, spirituality/religion, community-based resources (including self-help groups), and family.
conclusionsFormer inmates return to environments that strongly trigger relapse to drug use and put them at risk for overdose. Interventions to prevent overdose after release from prison may benefit from including structured treatment with gradual transition to the community, enhanced protective factors, and reductions of environmental triggers to use drugs.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.