HELSINKI 1999

The Prison Administration carries out the enforcement of sentences in such a way that intoxicants do not occur, are not used or prepared in prisons.

By means of an intoxicant-free and safe functioning environment and through developing prisoners’ facilities, prisoners are supported to a crimeless and sober way of life and the harm caused by intoxicants is prevented.

The goals of the intoxicant work of the Prison Administration

The work against intoxicants is based on the knowledge of prisoners and the methods of case work.

The strategy for intoxicant abuse

FOREWORD

Alcoholism and committing crimes under the influence of alcohol are closely associated to the image of a Finnish prisoner. During the recent years, rapidly increased drug offences have brought drugs also into prisons. The set up in prisons is exposed to problems: inside there are both abusers needing treatment and drug dealers. In order to prevent drug criminality and the subculture connected to it, activities supporting prisoners’ sobriety and control of life without crimes is needed. It is a way to reduce recidivism.

The intoxicant policy of the Prison Administration is open, consistent, realistic and co-operative. Work against intoxicants is based on the knowledge of prisoners and interactive working methods.

In the Instruction of the Strategy for Intoxicant abuse, the objectives, functioning principles and goals are presented by which intoxicant criminality is fought, harm caused by abuse of intoxicants is prevented and prisoners are supported to a crime-free and sober way of life. This instruction clarifies the role of correctional treatment and its employees in preventive and restorative intoxicant work and it specifies the measures needed.

To reach the goals in the work against intoxicants requires collaboration and the creating of co-operation networks, as well inside and outside the prison. Common work presumes a common value basis and functioning principles agreed upon together. The commitment of the staff in the intoxicant strategy and the participation in its planning create new, constantly developing means and tools for the every day intoxicant work of the prisons.

Along with the instruction, the capability of the prison administration gets more effective:

* to prevent the supply and demand of intoxicants and the harm caused by using them in prisons

* to hinder drug criminality led from the prison and carried out within the prison

* to renew the functioning practices and legislation to respond better to the goals of the intoxicant work

* deliver and ensure better functioning programmes and treatment and rehabilitation services to prisoners with abuse problems.

The entity of the intoxicant work of the Prison Administration also includes the creation of quality and monitoring systems for the intoxicant work carried out in prisons. In this way a continuous development of activities and concretising of goals are ensured, which is a part of the management by results of the prisons. As a result target for the institutions, they have to prepare their own intoxicant strategy and a programme connected to it.

The prevention of intoxicants of then Prison Administration requires co-operation between authorities elsewhere in the criminal justice system, in pretrial investigation concerning drug offences, in prosecutor and trial procedure and elsewhere in the sentence system, especially in the supervision of conditionally released prisoners and community service system and in social and health care.

The instruction of the intoxicant strategy of the Prison Administration, coming into force for the years 1999-2001 has, before completion, gone through a comprehensive procedure for the obtaining of comments. Feedback was received besides prisons from central co-operation partners (police, judicial administration, social and health care, municipalities, intoxicant care, organisations of the field). The proposal obtained strong support.

The instruction has been drawn as a part of official activities in the Prison Department of the Ministry of Justice. It was completed in a working groups, the members of which have been Super Inspector Jukka Mäki (Prison Department), Inspector of Health care Virpi von Gruenewaldt (Prison Department) , Supervising officer Jukka Karjalainen, (Helsinki Prison), Inspector Vuokko Karsikas (Prison Department) , Governor Jaakko Kopra, (Riihimäki Prison), Inspector Seppo Mahlamäki (Prison Department) , Super Inspector Ulla Mohell (Prison Department) and Teacher Arja Saunamäki (Prison Personnel Training Centre).

I thank all the pioneers of intoxicant care in prisons, in co-operation authorities and organisations, who have in a remarkable way contributed to this work and have for their part committed to strive towards the goals set in the instruction.

The Prison Administration is convinced that by implementing the newly established strategy for intoxicant abuse, we are able in a concrete way to prove how intoxicant criminality can be reduced.

Helsinki 27 January, 1999

Markku Salminen
Director General

INTRODUCTION

Drug offences and the harm caused by using drugs have increased remarkably during the recent years in Finland. There were some 1400 persons suspected for drug offences in 1990, but in 1997 the figure was already some 7000 (Central Criminal Police, 1998). While in 1988, 2.1 % of the convicted prisoners were sentenced with drug offence as their principal offence, the corresponding figure was in the spring 1998 nearly 16 %. In the inquiry carried out by the National Public Health Institute ( Public Health 1996:10) in four prisons, it was found out that 31 % of the respondents informed having used drugs in prison. 11 % of the inmates reported of intravenous use.

In a study by Jukka Salomaa (Stakes 35/96) it was estimated that for the abuse of drugs and medicine there were direct social costs between FIM 614 million to FIM 940 million , of which the share of the Prison Administration was FIM 94 million.

The worsening drug situation in prisons is visible in many ways. When a prisoner arrives at prison, he is often in need of withdrawal treatment or he is met intoxicated in the department. Problems arise from drug debts: the prisoner is getting isolated and scared, being forced into a drug offence etc. The problems are reflected also outside the institution. The situation creates insecurity in prisoners, staff and in the nearest, and it makes the basis tasks of correctional treatment difficult in many ways.

Facts concerning the intoxicant issue in prisons

 According to the prisoners’ health survey (1992) approximately 60 % of the male inmates were diagnosed as alcoholics and nearly 12 % as drug addicts (Joukamaa 1995).
 548 inmates of 919 inmates who participated in HIV tests in 1997 told that they had used drugs intravenously in prison. In 1998 five HIV infections connected with drug use were detected.
 According to the prisoner survey 1.5.1998, they were 388 prisoners convicted for drug offences as principal charges, i.e. 15,6 % of the prison population.
 In 1997 1,8 kg drugs were confiscated in prisons (e.g. 944 g of hashish, 621 g of amphetamine and 162 g of heroine) and in addition 4813 intoxicating pills. According to a preliminary forecast, the confiscation amount in 1998 will be some 4 kg.
 In 1997 some 500 prisoners participated in various intoxicant courses. In five open institutions prisoners have committed to manage without intoxicants and in six prisons there are departments supporting intoxicant-free living.

Increasing number of prisoners are in need of intoxicant care and rehabilitation, and they are also willing to participate in them. The first opiate addicted prisoners receiving withdrawal and substitute therapy, with medical treatment and connected psycho-social rehabilitation organised according to the regulation of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (1997:28), arrived in prisons from the beginning of 1998.

As the intravenous use of drugs is spreading in prisons, more effective means of preventing infectious diseases must be found. The number of hepatitis C cases, a disease being caught through contaminated drug syringes and needles, has grown at an alarming rate during the past years.

In many European countries, special departments have to be established in prisons and programmes designed for intravenous drug users, prisoners suffering from infectious diseases or who getting substitute treatment. Intoxicant-free departments and versatile rehabilitating programmes have proven to be necessary.

The Prison Administration has, more specifically than before, to define its objectives, functioning principles, goals and means to fight drug criminality and to reduce the harm caused by intoxicant abuse. The drug political committee submitted its report Drug Strategy (KM 1997 :10) in the spring 1997, and it presented as its principal standpoint that the goal of the Finnish drug policy should be the prevention of use and distribution in such a way that the economical, social and individual costs of the use and prevention of drugs remain as small as possible.

The committee suggested that the Prison Administration should focus on activating and education programmes to support the prisoners to be able to resist drugs and get rid of their addiction. The prevention of drugs during imprisonment should be developed so that new drug users are not recruited and that the use of drugs does not continue in prison.

The prevention of drugs and drug offences in prisons requires continuous, multi professional work (team work of various prison professionals), including all staff groups. To prevent the problems there is no single “right” way or method but a variety of measures are needed on the different fields of correctional treatment.

According to the experience of other countries, the work against intoxicants in prison is most effective when it is planned, many-sided and balanced. The activity is effective when it is carried out as a multi professional team work of prison staff and outside experts..

The purpose is to check the instruction of the intoxicant strategy at regular intervals, so that the best knowledge and the experience of the field can be utilised. That is why all comments and suggestions regarding the strategy are welcome.

Sections of the intoxicant strategy

The intoxicant strategy of the Prison Administration is composed of five sections. In the section I, now being presented, includes the objectives, functioning principles and goals, for which everybody working in the Prison Administration must in his own work strive. The section II is a practical guide to intoxicant work, presenting concrete measures to intensify the prevention of intoxicant work in prisons. The section III reports how the intoxicant work in prisons is monitored. The section IV comprises of a description of how the harm caused by the intoxicant use of the staff can be prevented. The section V is an information leaflet to prisoners and visitors on the procedure in intoxicant cases.

1.The basis for the strategy for intoxicant abuse of the Prison Administration

In this section, the goals and functioning guidelines, the values followed in intoxicant work and functioning principles are presented. The prisons’ intoxicant work is based on these goals, methods used, the worker’s role and the resources needed.

The prisons’ work against intoxicants must be goal-directed. The institutions were given as a target and action plan to draw their own concrete intoxicant strategies and an action plans connected to it. In addition to this action plan, local circumstances and resources must be taken into consideration, as institutions are drawing their own strategies, but also the possibilities of co-operation and division of labour between the institutions in the same region. The plans must also look into the co-operation and division of labour with the actors in society (the police and judicial system, social and health authorities of the municipalities, intoxicant care and organisations of the field).

When preventing harm caused by intoxicants, one has to know what the issue is with intoxicant criminality, use of intoxicants and, on the other hand, the intoxicant rehabilitation. What are intoxicants, what is their affect, who has a problem with intoxicants and what is the nature of intoxicant problem and how is it manifested? The answers to these questions help us to understand and forecast the phenomena which are encountered in prisons.

The abuse of intoxicants and its various consequences may easily hide more primary problems or factors. On the individual level, behind intoxicant abuse one could detect for instance a serious mental disorder or strong, untreated anxiety or inability to life control. Behind it there might also be a criminal subculture and social pressure which make inmates use intoxicants and commit intoxicant offences.

The prison staff must have basic knowledge of matters connected to intoxicants, in order to be able to promote in their practical work the goal of intoxicant-free prison administration. The central starting point is sufficient education of the prison staff. The prisons are responsible for this themselves, besides the Prison Personnel Training Centre.

1.1. Goals and guidelines of the intoxicant work of correctional treatment

The duty of the Prison Administration is to enforce the prison sentences and converted unpaid fines imposed by courts and see to the enforcement of remand imprisonment.

In carrying out its duty, the objective of the Prison Administration is to take care of the security of society and assist in reducing recidivism and inhibiting the development of the edging out of people, which is known to reproduce crime.

The goals of the work against intoxicants in prisons can be defined on the basis of the duties and targets of correctional treatment:

 The Prison Administration takes care of the enforcement of sentences so that intoxicants are not available, used or prepared.

* With the help of an intoxicant-free and safe environment and by developing prisoners’ facilities, prisoners are supported towards a crimeless and intoxicant-free way of life and the harm caused by abuse of toxicants can be prevented.

For the security of society, it is important to stop drug offences directed from the prison to outside society. These goals apply also to remand prisoners.

To reach these goals one has to develop as effective, expedient and up-to-date functioning models as possible. The lines of action for the Prison Administration’s intoxicant strategy have been chosen to follow the functioning lines which have been proved and acknowledged in international intoxicant care.

1. prevention of supply of intoxicants and intoxicant criminality
2. prevention of demand for intoxicants
3. prevention of harms caused by intoxicant abuse

The fourth important functioning line is to secure and create prerequisites, together with society, to a prisoner tackling with his problem, a systematic rehabilitation.

4. to secure a rehabilitation continuum to a prisoner with an intoxicant problem , together with his place of domicile.

The means to reach the goals and to realise the functioning lines vary a lot. The preventive work and information, supervision with measures connected to it and various activities supporting prisoners sobriety , are based on the planning of the multi professional intoxicant teams of the prisons. Co-operation with other authorities and organisations provides more resources and scope into the intoxicant work.

Most important is to connect the intoxicant-free aspect systematically to all activities concerning a prisoner and correctional treatment. The purpose is to prepare an assessment for evaluating a prisoner’s working capacity when he enters the prison. At the same time also his addiction and use of drugs, his social liaisons and life situation and his need for institution security are assessed. On the basis of the assessment, a plan is drawn, considering the prisoner’s own point of view, on the aims and carrying out of activities during the prisoner’s term of sentence. The plan also specifies which measures should be taken to prepare the prisoner’s release. This plan is, among other things, a central basis when the placing of the prisoner in an institution and various activities is decided.
If necessary, the plan is revised based on the continuos assessment of the prisoner’s progress.

The aim is to intervene with the prisoner’s intoxicant problems as early as possible and to start rehabilitation measures. Use of intoxicants and the factors related to it should be influenced already before a person ends up in prison, or at least when he enters the sphere of the criminal justice system. This required that preventive and restorative work is intensified in municipalities and the co-operation between e.g. the police, social welfare and judicial authorities is improved. After the person lands in prison the co-operation should continue.

The Prison Administration employs all methods of intoxicant work. The aim is an integrated and balanced activity so that various prison activities against intoxicants support each other. To a great deal, a systematic intoxicant work has only began in correctional treatment. The present intoxicant strategy will be developed and get specified in time. This requires the development of monitoring and quality system for the activity ( Intoxicant strategy part III).

The emphases of the next few years in prison intoxicant work

Solving the problems related to intoxicants in prison depends for instance how the staff intervenes with a prisoner’s state of intoxication, how the demand for intoxicants is prevented, how to handle the prisoners who due to drug debts want to be isolated and, on the other hand, the prisoners committing drug offences in prison and their leaders in particular. These questions can be answered by emphasising during the coming years the following entities in the intoxicant work:

Emphases of the next few years:

1. the intoxicant work in prison is connected to the prison activities and division of labour
2. the spreading of intoxicants is prevented by improving the methods of supervision and investigation
3. proposals are made concerning legislation promoting intoxicant strategy, practices are renewed and appropriate facilities are acquired
4. programmes promoting intoxicant-free and crimeless way of life are developed. The necessary rehabilitation continuum is realised through regional co-operation and division of labour
5. infectious diseases caused by use of intoxicants , such as HIV and hepatitis, and other health risks are prevented
6. a monitoring and quality system for intoxicant work is created as a part of prisoner information system.

Differentiation of functions and appropriate placement of a prisoner

In planning and realisation of work against intoxicants, the special needs arising from a prisoner’s age, development stage, gender and ethnic background must be taken into consideration. As far as young offenders are concerned, one tries to influence that while in prison, he would not adopt drug culture. According to surveys, own programmes are needed for women, pregnant women, mothers of small children and foreign prisoners.

The prisoner’s intoxicant situation should be taken into account in his placement. For instance, for a prisoner in an acute intoxicant circle must, besides proper withdrawal treatment, be secured intoxicant-free surroundings so that the treatment would be successful. Correspondingly, placement supporting abstinence and arrangements connected with it, can promote the rehabilitation of prisoners receiving or having received treatment and prevent the risks of cohabiting prisoners on substitution treatment and prisoners guilty of drug dealing in prison.

1.2. Values, norms and functioning principles of intoxicant work

Values

The basis of the functioning of the Prison Administration are respect for human dignity, justness and a notion of the potential of the individual for change and growth. In the prison practice this entails humane, appropriate and equal treatment and the supporting of individual growth and development during the sentence by creating conditions for it, also together with actors outside prison.

A prisoner’s participation in programmes supporting intoxicant-free life is based on voluntary commitment and own initiative. A matter-of-fact information , encouragement and motivation are often a trigger to spontaneous change. The principles of justness and respect for human dignity regulate also practical intoxicant work. The prisoner is heard concerning his placement and programmes supporting intoxicant-free life.

Norms

The central norm basis for intoxicant work to be carried out in prison are presented in the Penal Code in the chapter prescribing dug offences (Chapter 50), legislation on the Prison Administration, regulations of the Prison Administration and in the act on duties of health care professionals (559/1994). In practical work also regulations enacted in the Infectious Diseases Act (5883/1986), the Coercive Means Act (450/1987), the Act on Patient’s Position and Rights ( 785/1992) and the principles of Intoxicant Care Act (41/1986) have to be taken into consideration. The guide for prison’s intoxicant work (part II) will present the present legislation as the basis of carrying out the intoxicant strategy and the norms to be applied in the Prison Administration.

The basic rule in deterrence of drugs is that use, preparation, sale, dealing and possession are forbidden. Anybody breaking these norms is guilty of a drug offence.

Rules and regulations have been issued on for instance inspection of a prisoner and his quarters, observation of being under the influence of substances, organising of visits and supervision, contacts outside prison, treatment of a remand prisoner, isolation, security departments, intoxicant-free departments, monitoring of a prisoner’s state of health etc.

The Reform of the Enforcement of Sentences Act

Parliament has accepted the amendment of the Enforcement of Sentences Act and some other laws so that the powers of prison staff in drug control are strengthened. New provisions increase the possibilities of drug control in prison and make it possible to place a prisoner into intoxicant treatment outside prison. The decree and rules and regulations connected to it will be issued in summer 1999. Practical measures and directions will be included in the intoxicant guide of prison administration, which will be published during 1999.

Prisoner’s rights

Basic rights:
The Constitution guarantees everybody, also prisoners, basic rights. These basic rights include for instance equality, right to physical and intellectual immunity and safety , right to privacy, secrecy of a confidential message and right to basic social and health services. A prisoner can keep his basic rights in full also during his loss of liberty. These basic rights can be restricted only by a law enacted by Parliament, which stipulate specifically the restrictions and their conditions. The restrictions concerning personal immunity must, in addition, fulfil the requirements of necessity and acceptability. A prisoner with an intoxicant problem must be treated equally with the other prisoners. This does not prevent that the prisoner’s abuse problem is taken into consideration when a total assessment of the prisoner’s, trustworthiness is made, when discretionary decisions on permissions are considered or placing in activities or institutions.

A prisoner’s right to intoxicant rehabilitation:
According to the basic social rights of the Constitution section 15 a paragraph 3, the government has to guarantee , as more specifically stipulated by legislation, sufficient social and health care services to everybody and promote people’s health. The provision is included in some international treaties which Finland has ratified.

According to the Enforcement of Sentences Act and Remand Imprisonment Act, a sick or disabled prisoner must be treated and rehabilitated appropriately. If possible, activities must be organised to a prisoner, to promote his capability to cope in society.

A prisoner may get help to his intoxicant problems from the nursing staff of the prison and other staff familiar with intoxicant issues. Depending on the resources, there are available activity programmes for prisoners with intoxicant problems, which prisoners can apply for. The acceptance of a prisoner to this kind of programme is decided by the person responsible for the programme or ultimately the governor.

Intoxicant services are provided to the prisoners according to the principles of the Intoxicant Care Act (41/1986). The central point is then that services are given on the basis of the person’s need for aid, support and treatment. The services are organised so that people can seek them on their own initiative and that the clients’ independent coping is supported. The treatment must be based on confidentiality, and during the treatment the abuser’s and his nearest’ interest is the primary concern (ICA, sections 7 and 8). A prisoner with an intoxicant problem has the right to the same kind of intoxicant care services as outside in society , taking legal provisions concerning correctional treatment into consideration.

Functioning principles

Systematic intoxicant care has been practised in society for a long time, also in many prisons here and abroad. Thus through experience, research and experiments , some central functioning principles and practices based on professional and effective intoxicant work have accumulated. The functioning principles also reflect the values to which correctional treatment in our society has committed.

The functioning principles of intoxicant work in prison administration:

 The intoxicant work in prisons is based on evidence, multi-professional work and case work, on ethically sustainable principles and co-operation with various expert organs in the society.
 Assessment of a prisoner’s working and activity capacity , a prisoner’s needs and taking his known risk factors into consideration are the basis for directing him to activities and placement in institution
 Prison criminality connected with intoxicant use, distribution and forcing to intoxicant
offences, demanding payment, money laundry etc. are prohibited.
 Appearing under the influence of intoxicants is intervened at once. Consequences of intoxicant violations are known to the prisoners and the consequences are as uniform as possible in each prison.
 The needs of a prisoner with abuse problem is always responded, taking individual needs into account.
 Activities promoting intoxicant-free life style is versatile and encouraging. Participating is voluntary , based on a prisoner’s own initiative and responsibility, and these features are strengthened.
 The intoxicant work carried out in prison is integrated and its different lines of activity support each other.
 Intoxicant work and its different sectors are monitored and evaluated regularly.

2.Actors in the field of intoxicant work

Intoxicant work in prison is the matter of the whole staff

Realising the intoxicant strategy requires the commitment of the whole staff and its participation in the intoxicant work carried out in prison, both in their own field and in the institution as a whole. The staff is the most important and effective factor in the intoxicant work in prison. Only through the staff intoxicant work will become a part of the every-day life in prison.

The duty of the prison leadership is to be responsible for realising the goals of the intoxicant strategy in their own institution and take care of the necessary information, education and work guidance. The complementary education and deepening of the intoxicant strategy in each institution secures the development of intoxicant work in the whole prison administration.

It is every employee’s responsibility that use of intoxicants is always intervened when noticed, that factors related to it are foreseen and prevented and that and employee supports and motivates prisoners to abstain from intoxicants. Case work with prisoners is a key to functioning intoxicant prevention.

Together we are strong

The prison work of co-operation partners, such as the Probation Association, municipalities, Prisoners’ Intoxicant Project (VP), parishes, Prison Mission, the Finnish Red Cross, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) , Narcotics Addicts (NA) , Aid for the Released etc. may be a decisive factor for the rehabilitation of an individual prisoner from intoxicants. Functioning links to co-operation partners are important when a person goes into prison , during his sentence and at his release.

The prisoner himself is responsible for clarifying his intoxicant problems. The prison staff, co-operation partners and voluntary workers have a meaningful role in creating positive circumstances in view of rehabilitation. The aim is to offer help and support and organise a necessary activity so that the prisoner’s own positive resources are available for the recovery.

3. The goals for each functioning line in the intoxicant work of the prison administration

One is faced with the drug issue daily in the prison administration, so therefore it is necessary that intoxicant work becomes a part of the basic prison work, in which the whole staff participates. Promoting intoxicant-free way of life is connected to all activities, either when creating vocational and educational facilities for a prisoner or in prisoners’ work activities or maintaining safety in the institution. Getting the abuse of intoxicants under control is often a crucial factor for a prisoner’s success in other target-oriented activities.

Knowing a prisoner personally and case work are a key to an effective prevention of intoxicants.

The goals set to the prison administration intoxicant work presuppose that all functioning lines (supply, demand and harm prevention) are in use in institutions. The assessment of a prisoner’s intoxicant use and information on his drug offences define, what kind of action is needed and at what stage. The various functioning lines of the intoxicant work must be in balance and complement each other. The goal of each functioning line obliges the prisons to develop their activities to achieve the best possible practice. On the other hand, the basis of the activity must be a single prisoner’s situation, so that the measures carried out are targeted in the right way.

3.1. Prevention of supply of intoxicants in the prison administration

Import, preparation and distribution and use in prisons and intoxicant offences from prison to society are hindered by active and consequent intervention.

Case work – a key to change

The interaction with a prisoner included in case work makes it possible to foresee, prevent and hinder use of intoxicants and intoxicant criminality. By the case work methods, a prisoner can be supported to crimeless and intoxicant way of life and direct and motivate him to treatment.

Safe premises

By the space and activity arrangements on can create conditions to control that intoxicants do not end up in prison and get available there.

By constructing small, functional institutions and departments, which are easy to control and by their technical structure easy to inspect, the occurrence of intoxicants in prisons can be prevented.

A functioning supervision system

By systematic supervision and inspection the occurrence of intoxicants can be prevented in prisons.

Intoxicant supervision and inspection activities of prisons are a special entity, united into a natural part of all prison functions.

Monitoring and evaluation make sure

Supervision and inspection and their results are under constant monitoring. In the evaluation of activities, also experts from outside prisons are used.

Right to abstain from intoxicants

A prisoner has the right to serve his prison sentence in intoxicant-free surroundings where he is not pressured into use of intoxicants. A prisoner can be placed, if he so desires, in a special intoxicant-free institution or department, where sobriety can be checked for instance by tests.

By case work and control connected to it, by inspection and placement of prisoners into institutions and departments, it is possible to influence prisoners’ eventual subcultures, which often have criminal features, by giving all prisoners safe circumstances, supporting intoxicant way of life.

Prevention of disturbances

Prisoners guilty of trafficking drugs and committing other drug offences, are if necessary in order to avoid disturbances, isolated from other prisoners. Also in their case, efforts are made to stop intoxicant criminality and strengthen an intoxicant-free way of life.

3.2. Prevention of supply of intoxicants in correctional treatment

The demand of intoxicant is reduced by arranging a safe and stimulating environment for the prisoners, offering meaningful activities, promoting a prisoner’s facilities to an intoxicant-free and a crimeless way of life and prevent the arising of a subculture based on intoxicants.

Meaningful activities prevent

Prison activities are developed to support and motivate an intoxicant-free way of life by providing special intoxicant rehabilitation programmes, meaningful work and hobby opportunities, all including elements supporting an intoxicant-free way of life and other life control.

The aim is to improve a prisoner’s life situation and his working capacity. This entails creating such methods and programmes which makes it easier to motivate a prisoner to intoxicant-free way of life. Prison conditions and prison culture is developed such that maintaining sobriety is possible and obtainable. According to the experience of the prisons, the demand of intoxicants is reduced if prisoners have meaningful work connected to measures supporting life without intoxicants.

Familiarity and presence prevent

The active presence in prisoners’ activities, familiarity with a prisoner and positive interaction and clear, uniform actions create community feeling against intoxicants and develop a prisoner’s own responsibility and awareness of consequences.

At the background of many prisoners’ use and sustenance of intoxicants, there is strong anxiety, either inherent or derived from his surroundings or craving for immediate pleasure experiences, disregarding the consequences. By open and confidential interaction and untangling observed tensions, temptation or pressure to use intoxicants can be alleviated as a part of basic prison work.

Stimulating surroundings prevent

Prison’s functioning circumstances for supporting sobriety are developed by space arrangements and an appropriate prisoner placement. The low standard of habitation and its lack of stimulus cause discomfort and may contribute to prisoners’ willingness to use intoxicants.

Intoxicant care continuum gives security

A prisoner has a possibility to planned intoxicant rehabilitation during his whole prison sentence. This can be realised by regional and/or nation-wide division of labour and co-operation where also partners outside prisons are needed, such as the prisoner’s municipality of residence and intoxicant care units.

The aim is to create ladder-like rehabilitation continuums for the prisoners willing to commit. Intoxicant surveys, intoxicant guidance, information on intoxicant programmes and treatment recommendations are offered to all prisoners with an intoxicant problem. Intoxicant rehabilitation is most effective when it is connected to other measures, intended to improve coping in society.

Credit for voluntary work

Prisons support the work of voluntary organisations (The Finnish Red Cross, religious communities etc.) and the prisoner’s own activity towards intoxicant-free way of life ( AA, NA, A guilds).

3.3. Prevention of harm caused by use of intoxicants

Harm caused by use of intoxicants is prevented; it is directed to the addicts themselves, other prisoners, staff and the rest of the society

Infectious diseases must be prevented

Prisons have functioning measures to prevent the spreading of infectious diseases (HIV, AIDS; Hepatitis) caused by use of intoxicants. Case work is a central approach also in prevention and detection of the harm caused by intoxicants.

There is a possibility to health inspections and health guidance concerning the harm caused by intoxicants. The institutions have appropriate arrangements to prevent the risk of infections cause by use of drugs (for instance detergents for prisoners’ use).

Criminal subculture must be stopped

The institutions have useful methods to stop the arising of drug-based subculture and the harm connected to it, such as drug criminality within prison, pressuring prisoners and their families and feeling of insecurity.

Active information is given on the harmful effects of intoxicants. By means of prevention and supervision, drug-based subcultures and the phenomena connected to their birth among the prisoners are stopped. Information is arranged to prisoners’ families and other visitors concerning intoxicant criminality and prevention of harm caused by intoxicants and treatment in prisons.

On the bases of the goals for each functioning line, each prison administration unit prepares its own specified intoxicant strategy and concrete activity programmes during 1999.