Treatment in an Unfavourable Setting: Specialized Departments for Drug Users in Czech Prisons
Treatment in an Unfavourable Setting: Specialized Departments for Drug Users in Czech Prisons

Summary/Abstract: The Institute of Criminology and Social Prevention in Prague is currently carryingout research focused on therapeutic treatment programs implemented in specialiseddepartments for drug users in Czech prisons. Description of the specialised departments’operation and particular implemented treatment programs forms an important part ofthe research. For this purpose, an analysis of official documents and statistical data fromthe Czech Prison Service was performed, and semi-structured interviews with staff workingin specialised departments for drug users were conducted. The paper summarizesfindings from this part of the research and offers an insight into the functioning of thiskey component of drug policy in the Czech prison system. Voluntary prison-based drugtreatment is available in eight prisons in the Czech Republic. The overall capacity is almost300 persons. Specialised departments for court-ordered treatment operate in threeprisons; the capacity is approximately 130 persons. Interviews with 22 workers were conductedbetween November 2016 and January 2017. Special programs for drug users inprisons are perceived as a potentially promising tool in the prevention of recidivism. Programsare well established; however, there are some differences stemming from the formof treatment (voluntary/compulsory). Staff capacity, lack of out-of-prison activities, lackof program standardization, and lack of systematic evaluation are perceived as the mainareas for improvement.

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