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According to the current journal Nature, there is a new initiative by The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to study drug abuse among prisoners in the US. The goal is to establish a treatment program that will "help to break the cycle of drug abuse, crime and imprisonment." Drug abuse has been a tremendous issue and a chronic problem in the US criminal justice system. According to the report, nine out of ten parolees with a history of drug abuse return to drugs with a large percentage who are re-arrested on drug charges.
Nora Volkow, NIDA's Director, introduced the program at the recent Society for Neuroscience meeting in New Orleans and described it as "an example of how scientists can interact with societal issues." NIDA plans on spending $30 million over the next 5 years at ten prison sites across the country. Beginning next year, clinical trials will evaluate different ways to assess prisoners before release by measuring issues such as motivation for treatment, anxiety level, degree of hostility and risk taking behavior.
An important part of the program is education - especially directed at judges, police officers and other law enforcement officials to help them understand the biology of addiction. A better understanding of addiction as a disease can make a difference and the criminal justice system is a good place to start.
A collection of NIDA articles on drug abuse treatment
Some NIDA monographs on drug abuse treatment in prisons and jails
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