Entre nous

Responding to Substance Abuse Issues

BY Bill Rankin, Communications Officer, Communications and Citizen Engagement Sector

Photo: Bill Rankin

Search coordinator/drug dog handler James Robinson and his canine companion, CJ, search the interior perimeter of Kingston Penitentiary.

Offenders will tell you that drugs and alcohol are often what got them into trouble in the first place. But substance abuse problems do not necessarily end once they are incarcerated. Despite their best efforts, correctional systems worldwide — including CSC — have slowed but not halted the flow of drugs into prisons.

But this is changing. To combat the problem, which leads to criminal activity, violence and disease transmission, CSC has stepped up its efforts, bringing to bear policies and programs that reduce both the supply and the demand for illicit drugs. In practical terms, this means stopping the inward flow of drugs at the front gate, providing innovative substance abuse programs and specialized units for offenders dedicated to a drug-free lifestyle, and methadone maintenance programs for inmates addicted to heroin.

Currently, the Service is devising a drug interdictions strategy that aims to fill any gaps in policy and practices, including a review of the deployment of correctional staff, intelligence gathering and the use of promising new technologies. A drug interdiction audit is also planned for the fall of 2005.

At the institutional level, search teams with detector dogs recently launched a coordinated blitz, increasing surveillance and awareness inside institutions across the country. They are turning up the heat and sending out a strong message to offenders and visitors who might be contemplating a smuggling attempt: “We can show up at any institution, any time, day or night,” says Kingston Penitentiary Search Co-ordinator Jim Robinson.

Substance Abuse Interventions

CSC has long been internationally renowned for its high-quality substance abuse programs that help offenders beat their addictions and, at the same time, reduce the demand for drugs both inside and in the community. Recently, these programs were revised — a timely move given the Service’s renewed commitment to drug-free institutions.

Improvements to the original model include the addition of a national high-intensity substance abuse program, continuous intake maintenance in the institution, and a pre-release booster program. A low-intensity intervention has also been created that will be maintained only for offenders with low needs in this area — a better fit for some who don’t need the high-level assistance.

Another goal is to deliver institutional substance abuse programs as early as possible during a sentence so that the inmate can practise newly learned skills while he/she is incarcerated. The aim is to eliminate the demand for drugs in the institutions, thereby increasing institutional security and offender health.

Especially relevant for offenders serving long sentences, any inmate who participates in an institutional substance abuse program must now complete a pre-release booster program prior to community release. This helps ensure that offenders are leaving the institution with realistic plans that will help them cope with transition into the community.

Substance abuse programs, like other correctional programs, are now aligned with the community maintenance program (CMP), a new and radically different strategy for community after-care. The plan is to have CMP replace all the national substance abuse maintenance programs within two years.

Exploring New Territory

The Addictions Research Centre (ARC) has been exploring new territory lately. In May 2005, the newly developed Women Offender Substance Abuse Programming (WOSAP) — the first substance abuse treatment to be developed and demonstrated by the Centre — was turned over to the Women Offender Sector for Service-wide implementation. Preliminary findings from the demonstration project, which saw an unprecedented number of institutional and community sites participating (17 in total) are extremely favourable according to feedback received by David Varis, Project Manager at the Centre.

The Aboriginal Offender Substance Abuse Program (AOSAP), currently being demonstrated in each of CSC’s five regions, is being evaluated and refined, and should be ready for hand-over to the Reintegration Programs Branch in 2006. Participant, facilitator and Elder feedback on this new program, which blends both traditional Aboriginal healing and contemporary approaches to substance abuse treatment, are “overwhelmingly positive” says Varis.

The ARC has recently completed its research on the Intensive Support Unit (ISU) demonstration initiative, which involved five sites. The findings are very positive in terms of overall effectiveness and outcomes for offenders residing in these units. The complete impact analysis will be available on the Service’s InfoNet site.

While the Addictions Research Centre is considered “the new kid on the block” in terms of substance abuse assessment, research, program development and knowledge sharing in Canada, its work is quickly becoming known for responding to substance abuse issues on a national level and within the Canadian addictions field. “The next five years promise to be even busier as we unfold new research, assessment tools, and programs,” comments ARC Director, Dr. Brian Grant. “Our map is out and we’re ready to journey.”♦