Report: Substance misuse related deaths in the criminal justice system
The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAPDC) and the Royal College of General Practitioners Secure Environments Group (RCGP SEG) have highlighted the need for a whole-systems approach to tackle substance misuse in the criminal justice system – in order to prevent substance misuse-related deaths amongst prisoners and those released back into the community.
In an expert report submitted to ministers today, the IAPDC and RCGP call for all government and agency work in response to drug and alcohol misuse to prioritise the prevention of avoidable deaths in custody at its core.
It brings together cross-sector expert advice through a literature review, analysis of findings by criminal justice scrutiny bodies, and a round table event and further interviews with cross-sector experts.
The scale of drug and alcohol misuse in the criminal justice system is significant and both directly and indirectly leads to deaths in custody. The latest reliable data, now outdated, sets out that between 2008 and 2016 there were 88 drug-related deaths out of 1,830 deaths in custody.
The report advocates for greater use of harm-reduction initiatives and improved investigatory processes, including the need to take into account clinical factors leading to a death and commission skilled independent clinical reviewers. It also demonstrates that people are at particular risk of a substance misuse-related death when they transition between prison and the community. One study suggests that male prisoners are 29 times more likely to die in the first week after release when compared to the general population. Just over 60% of individuals who leave prison with an appointment for treatment fail to attend or engage, despite heightened relapse risks.
Protecting lives: a cross-system approach to addressing alcohol and drug-related deaths within the criminal justice system
Press release here (PDF opens in new window)
Letter from Juliet Lyon to MBDC chairs (PDF opens in new window)