ArticleHarm reduction journal2021
"My first 48 hours out": drug users' perspectives on challenges and strategies upon release from prison.
Article in Harm reduction journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 33 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
- "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
- Article
- The implementation of take-home naloxone: Lessons learned from a 3-year take-home naloxone project in Germany.Harm reduction journal · 2025Article
- How competing needs after incarceration lead to adverse health outcomes among people who use criminalized drugs.BMC global and public health · 2025Review
- Understanding pathways to recovery from alcohol use disorder in a Black community.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Factors Associated with Recovery Housing Availability for Individuals Involved in the Carceral System.Journal of drug issues · 2024Article
- Barriers to access to hepatitis C treatment with direct-acting antivirals in people who inject drugs in the community setting.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- The associations between social determinants of health, mental health, substance-use and recidivism: a ten-year retrospective cohort analysis of women who completed the connections programme in Australia.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
- [Take-home naloxone: a building block of drug emergency prophylaxis in Germany].Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz · 2023Review
- Article
- Re-incarceration and associated social, structural and behavioural factors among people who use drugs in an urban Canadian setting.The International journal on drug policy · 2023Article
- Barriers and facilitators to opioid agonist treatment (OAT) engagement among individuals released from federal incarceration into the community in Ontario, Canada.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2022Article
- Medication for opioid use disorder treatment continuity post-release from jail: A qualitative study with community-based treatment providers.The International journal on drug policy · 2022Article
- Opioid agonist treatment take-home doses ('carries'): Are current guidelines resulting in low treatment coverage among high-risk populations in Canada and the USA?Harm reduction journal · 2022Review
- Changes in overdose knowledge and attitudes in an incarcerated sample of people living with HIV.International journal of prisoner health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 5 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPrisoners report much higher prevalence rates of drug use and more harmful consumption patterns than the general population. People who use drugs have above-average experiences with the criminal justice system in general, and the prison system and subsequent release situations in particular. Release from prison is associated with increased mortality rates among drug users due to the risk of overdose. The EU-funded project 'My first 48 hours out' aimed to address the gaps in continuity of care for long-term drug users in prison and upon release, with a special focus on drug user's perspectives on needs and challenges upon release.
methodsA multi-country (Belgium, France, Germany and Portugal) qualitative study was set up to explore drug users' perceptions of drug use and risk behaviour upon prison release, experiences of incarceration and release, and strategies to avoid risks when being released. In total, 104 prisoners and recently released persons with a history of drug use participated in semi-structured interviews and focus groups discussions on these topics.
resultsRespondents pointed out that there are numerous challenges for people who use drugs when released from prison. Lack of stable housing and employment support were frequently mentioned, as well as complex administrative procedures regarding access to services, health insurance and welfare benefits. Besides structural challenges, individual issues may challenge social reintegration like 'old habits', mental health problems and disrupted social networks. As a result, (ex-)prisoners adopt individual strategies to cope with the risks and challenges at release.
conclusionMeasures to prepare prisoners for release often do not focus on the individual and specific challenges of persons who use drugs. Psychosocial and medical support need to be improved and adjusted to drug users' needs inside and outside prison. To improve the quality and continuity of care around release, the perspectives and coping strategies of people who use drugs should be used to better address their needs and barriers to treatment.
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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.