تعزيز الخدمات العلاجية لمرضى الإدمان في المؤسسات العقابية: نحو حزمة تدخلات متكاملة

Abstract

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that 11.7 million people are currently incarcerated worldwide, with the global prison population having risen by more than 25 percent since 2000. Prisoners often face a disproportionate burden of physical and mental health needs and are at high risk of adverse health outcomes.

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of addressing substance use disorders (SUDs) within correctional settings. Providing treatment in prisons has been shown to reduce drug use among inmates and in the broader community, lower rates of violence and recidivism, and decrease mortality following release.

This paper highlights the importance of ensuring accessible treatment in prisons while examining barriers that continue to limit effective service delivery. Despite extensive studies on prison-based interventions, data on the coverage of such services remain scarce—particularly in Arab countries, where little is known about the number of inmates requiring treatment versus those who receive it. Encouragingly, recent developments in some prisons in the region indicate progress, including the introduction of harm reduction services and the provision of opioid agonist therapy (OAT).