Drugs in prison: Ensuring humane treatment of incarcerated people with substance use disorders

A conference in Strasbourg this week highlighted promising practices for people in custody who have substance use disorders (SUD). It addressed public health challenges in the drugs field and provided guidance to practitioners and policymakers in Europe.

The Council of Europe's European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment (CPT) has underscored the right of incarcerated people to receive healthcare equivalent to that of the general population (1).

Participants of the conference - which was jointly organised by the Council of Europe's drug policy platform The Pompidou Group and the European National Preventive Mechanisms (NPM) Forum - included policy makers responsible for the design, implementation, and monitoring of drug treatment, including in custodial settings, as well as monitors from NPMs from across Europe.

Practitioners working in detention and involved in treatment and rehabilitation of persons with SUD, international and civil society organisations, as well as independent prison monitors and members of the CPT also took part.

Concept note

(1) CPT, Health care services in prison, para 38. Extract from the 3rd General Report of the CPT, published in 1993. Available at: https://rm.coe.int/16806ce943