In Defense of UK Prison Drug Policies/Practices

Responding to harsh criticism that methadone is used to "control" prisoners and that "treatment" is denied, the chief executive of the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse notes that "... the voices of users are heard - a key driver for making methadone more widely available was the class action taken by almost 200 ex-prisoners a few years ago [who ...said their human rights were breached because they could not access the same treatment in prison that they had outside." The Chief Exec went on to note: "Good clinical practice will either continue the treatment the prisoner had before arrest, or prepare them for the treatment they will receive on the outside. Otherwise individuals would be vulnerable to suicide while they were in custody, and to overdose on release." For the Full story click here

The Guardian ( London ) 3 Feb 2010