Dealing with Addiction in Prison

Are prisons doing enough to help prisoners with addictions? This question sparks heated debates across Canada's correctional system. Some argue that incarceration alone should cure substance abuse. Others question whether people who choose to use drugs deserve help at all. The reality is that drug addiction in prison continues to be a significant challenge that requires specialized intervention.

Substance abuse represents a disorder. A disease. An addiction that becomes a way of life for alcoholics, heroin users, and opioid addicts. Sitting in a prison cell until a sentence expires won't cure addiction. Drug addicts in prison need treatment services to overcome their dependency and return to society, not just to the world, but to the world they dreamed they'd find again.

Key Takeaways

• Widespread Crisis: Over 51% of Canadian federal prisoners have alcohol problems, and 48% struggle with drug addiction, making this a national correctional emergency.
• Crime-Addiction Cycle: Addiction drives criminal behaviour through desperation for drugs, impaired judgment, and brain chemistry changes that prioritize substance use over legal compliance.
• Treatment Saves Lives: Prison-based addiction programs dramatically reduce recidivism rates, save taxpayer money, and protect communities from repeat offenders.
• Multiple Approaches Needed: Effective prison addiction treatment requires medical detox, medication-assisted therapy, therapeutic communities, counselling, and job training programs.
• Post-Release Dangers: Ex-inmates face 12 times higher overdose risk than other addicts in their first two weeks of freedom, highlighting the need for comprehensive support.
• Human Understanding: Addicts aren't bad people – they're individuals whose brain chemistry has been altered, deserving compassion and evidence-based treatment rather than punishment alone.

Where Is Addiction A Problem In Canada?

Well, everywhere. According to the United Nations, Canada is actually the world's largest producer of ecstasy and methamphetamines, and 85% of meth seized in Australia has been traced back to Canada.

How Many Prisoners In Canada Are Addicts?

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction found that over 51% of prisoners in federal correctional institutions had an alcohol problem, and 48% had problems with drugs. Over half of the Canadian federal offenders admitted that substance use or abuse was directly or indirectly related to one or more of their convictions.

Despite the efforts of prison administrators to eliminate the possibility of drug use in prisons, drug addiction in prisons remains a large problem. Conducting random cell searches or testing urine samples won't stop addicts from obtaining their way of getting high. If there's a will, there's a way.

But not only does this decrease their chances of finding sobriety once they're released, it increases their risk of exposure to HIV, Aids, and hepatitis C. These diseases are transmitted through the blood, and worst of all, there is no cure.

Provincial Crisis and Post-Release Dangers

But there are effective treatments for addiction, if they're offered. Some prisoners in British Columbia's Kent Institution don't receive help for their addictions until their release date edges closer.

Fentanyl is the primary drug of choice in B.C., and because of this, the average lifespan in the beautiful province of B.C. is starting to get lower. In 2012, fentanyl overdose deaths were at 4%. In 2018, that number rose to 85% in B.C. alone. It's no wonder the province is facing a public health emergency involving drug overdoses.

In fact, opioid addicts who have been released are at a much greater risk of suffering a fatal overdose. But an even more shocking statistic? There are roughly 7 million incarcerated people in the U.S., and over half of them have a substance abuse disorder. Just 20% receive the help they truly need.

So next time your family member is released from prison and relapses, instead of judging or asking them why, ask the judicial system. Why didn't they help your family member who was in desperate need of treatment? Ex-inmates are at risk of suffering a fatal overdose within the first two weeks of being released, 12 times the risk faced by other addicts.

The Relationship Between Drug Use and Crime

The connection between substance abuse and criminal behaviour creates a devastating cycle that traps individuals in repeated encounters with the justice system. Understanding this relationship helps explain why traditional incarceration approaches fail to address root causes.

Addiction drives crime in multiple ways. Desperate individuals steal to fund their next fix. Impaired judgment leads to poor decisions with legal consequences. Some turn to drug dealing as their addiction progresses, creating new revenue streams while deepening their involvement in illegal activities.

Drug addiction and prison become linked through this destructive pattern. A person might start with shoplifting to buy drugs, graduate to breaking and entering, and then eventually face serious charges for trafficking. Each arrest represents a missed opportunity for intervention rather than punishment alone.

The Brain Science Behind Criminal Behaviour

The brain changes that accompany addiction affect decision-making abilities. Individuals lose the capacity to weigh consequences rationally when cravings overwhelm their thinking. They're not choosing crime over legal alternatives – their brain chemistry has been altered to prioritize substance use above everything else, including personal safety and legal compliance.

Research consistently demonstrates that treating addiction reduces criminal behaviour more effectively than incarceration alone. When underlying addiction goes untreated, release from prison simply returns an individual to the same circumstances that led to their original offences. Without proper intervention, drug addiction in prison becomes a revolving door pattern.

How Should Prisons Handle Drug Addiction?

Prison-based addiction programs work best when they tackle both the physical side of dependency and the deeper psychological reasons people turn to substances. Canada's correctional system has some promising approaches, but they need to be expanded and made consistent across all provinces to effectively address drug addiction in prison.

Medical Detoxification

Getting clean starts with medical detox for most incarcerated addicts. When done under supervision in prison, withdrawal becomes safer and gives people a solid foundation for what comes next. But here's the thing – detox alone won't fix the behavioural and psychological pieces of drug addiction in prison. Think of it as clearing the slate, not rewriting the whole story.

Medication-Assisted Treatment Programs

For opioid addiction, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has proven itself time and again. Drugs like methadone and buprenorphine help stabilize brain chemistry while inmates work on counselling and life skills. These medications are game-changers because they tackle the cravings and withdrawal symptoms that usually send people right back to using during those vulnerable early recovery days.

Therapeutic Communities

Some prisons create special housing units that focus on recovery instead of punishment. Inmates live together in these therapeutic communities, participating in group therapy, peer support meetings, and structured activities that actually build recovery skills. These programs run 9-12 months typically – enough time for real behavioural change to take root.

Prevention and Security Measures

Drug abuse in prisons needs prevention strategies working alongside treatment. Better security measures, staff training to spot signs of substance use, and quick consequences for drug-related rule-breaking all help reduce availability. This protects inmates who are genuinely trying to get clean from those who might undermine their efforts.

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy

This type of therapy helps inmates figure out what triggers their substance use and develop better ways to cope. These skills become crucial for handling stress, boredom, and emotional challenges without reaching for drugs or alcohol. Learning to recognize patterns and break them can mean the difference between staying clean and relapsing.

Educational and Vocational Training

Training programs tackle one of the biggest risk factors for going back to crime – lack of job prospects. When inmates develop actual marketable skills and get educational credentials, they have better employment options after release. Steady work reduces the financial pressures that often push people back into illegal activities and substance use.

What Can Be Done Differently For Incarcerated Addicts?

Beyond addiction treatment, addressing release environments becomes crucial for sustained recovery. Housing situations play a critical role in determining whether former inmates maintain sobriety or relapse into destructive patterns. Drug addiction in prison creates additional challenges that extend far beyond the correctional facility walls.

Releasing individuals back into communities where drug addiction remains prevalent undermines recovery efforts. Many face impossible choices between homelessness and returning to environments filled with triggers and opportunities for substance use.

Many U.S. states don't provide necessary access to medications for treating incarcerated opioid addicts, nor do they offer proper counselling services. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 68% of patients who received counselling and methadone treatments entered similar treatment facilities when released. They were also more likely to stay in treatment longer when given treatment for 20 weeks (four to five months) prior to their release.

Perhaps prisons need dedicated rehabilitation centres? Or dedicated sobriety wards? The challenge remains: how do you provide effective treatment to someone who doesn't want help?

Current Canadian Services

The Correctional Service of Canada has developed programs for the 70% of men and women entering the system who already need intervention. These include the Offender Substance Abuse Pre-release Program (OSAPP), Choices, the methadone maintenance program, the urinalysis program, and drug detection dogs. While encouraging, questions remain about whether these measures ensure inmates remain sober after release.

Healthcare delivery to prisoners varies across provinces, potentially creating public health risks when inmates return to communities. Nova Scotia and Alberta deliver prison healthcare through provincial authorities. Ontario relies on government oversight. B.C., the province with the highest overdose death rates, contracts with private companies for prison healthcare services.

How Does Drug Treatment in Prison Improve Public Safety?

Addiction treatment in prison creates benefits extending far beyond individual recovery, contributing to safer communities and reduced crime rates across Canada. When correctional facilities successfully address substance abuse disorders, entire communities experience positive ripple effects.

• Reduced Recidivism Rates

Treating addiction during incarceration dramatically reduces recidivism rates. Studies consistently show that inmates who complete comprehensive addiction programs are significantly less likely to reoffend within three years of release. This reduction in repeat offences means fewer victims, reduced property crime, and decreased strain on police and court resources.

• Economic Benefits

Economic benefits multiply when considering the costs of repeated incarceration versus successful treatment. Each prevented reoffence saves taxpayers thousands of dollars in court proceedings, police investigations, and housing costs for drug addicts in jail populations. Treatment programs represent smart investments that pay dividends for years.

• Family Stability Improvements

Family stability improves when formerly incarcerated individuals maintain sobriety and avoid a return to criminal behaviour. Children experience better outcomes when parents receive effective addiction treatment, breaking intergenerational cycles of substance abuse and criminal involvement.

• Healthcare System Benefits

Healthcare systems benefit from reduced emergency room visits and overdose responses. Former inmates who complete addiction treatment in prison programs are less likely to require expensive emergency interventions after release. They're also more likely to engage with community-based treatment services, creating continuity of care that supports long-term recovery.

• Employment Outcomes

Employment outcomes improve dramatically for individuals who address addiction issues during incarceration. Employers are more likely to hire former inmates who can demonstrate commitment to recovery and stability. Steady employment reduces financial pressures that often contribute to relapse and return to illegal activities.

• Public Health Benefits

Public health benefits extend to reduced transmission of infectious diseases. Drug addicts in jail populations often engage in high-risk behaviours like needle sharing. Effective treatment programs educate participants about harm reduction while addressing underlying addiction, reducing disease transmission rates in both prison and community settings.

Prisons We Should Learn More From

Bastøy Prison, Norway

• Achieves the lowest reoffending rate in all of Europe
• Inmates live in individual homes, not crammed together
• Support prisoners and offer them help rather than just punishing them for their crimes
• Treat them like human beings and respect them
• Focus on making prisoners as comfortable as possible

Otago Corrections Facility, New Zealand

• Inmates receive comfortable rooms
• Offer classes to increase skills in trades like engineering and carpentry, plus other classes like cooking and horticulture
• Believe that prisoners who find sustainable work after release are almost 60% less likely to reoffend

Sollentuna Prison, Sweden

• Provide inmates with comfortable, individual cells
• Four prisons in Sweden were closed due to diminished need
• Reoffending rates are 40% lower than UK

Takeaway

Prisons simply aren't rehabilitation centres. When a prisoner enters jail, more issues exist beyond stopping drug use. Addiction intertwines with mental illness. Triggers need addressing, along with the environment inmates will return to upon release. Proper psychological approaches and necessary medications must be administered to detoxing patients. Unmonitored detox environments pose dangers to inmates. Placing addicts in the general population where they can share needles and contract HIV, AIDS, or hepatitis C proves extremely unhealthy.

Correctional facilities like those in Sweden and Norway provide comfortable, knowledgeable experiences for inmates, who consequently succeed more often after release. 

If everyone understood addicts better, maybe correctional facilities and the public would find it easier to accept them and provide the help they need for happier, healthier lives. An addict isn't a bad person. Serving prison time for drug-related charges doesn't make them bad, either.

You know that pleasure (and possibly guilt) you feel eating your absolute favourite meal? You justify giving in because you deserve it after recent hard work at the gym. This mirrors an addict's experience. They justify drug-related actions because they feel they deserve to enter that euphoria.

You know how discussing feelings or relationships with others feels difficult? Addicts feel the same about their relationship with their substance of choice. Talking about or admitting problems doesn't come easily. You know that morning feeling of instantly needing coffee? Addicts experience that same urgency.

Opioid addiction, alcoholism, heroin use, and meth addiction represent serious problems in both Canada and the U.S. If federal and provincial prisons addressed these issues more effectively – offering proper medication, counselling services, programs during and after incarceration, and assessment of release environments – addicts could successfully thrive after leaving correctional facilities.

At the Canadian Centre for Addictions, we understand that recovery requires comprehensive support extending beyond traditional correctional approaches. Our programs recognize the complex relationship between addiction, mental health, and criminal behaviour, offering hope for individuals and families affected by these challenging circumstances.