Work in Prisons

Assessment

Offenders who are on remand or currently serving a prison sentence are offered the opportunity of being assessed by a member of the drug and alcohol team prior to their release. This may be requested by the prisoner or by a member of the prison staff.

Counselling

Where a drug or alcohol problem is identified the person may be offered relapse prevention counselling to help them to identify the triggers for their use and to find alternative ways of coping. Relapse work helps prisoners to understand the ways in which their drug or alcohol use may have contributed towards their offences and can help them to plan how they are going to deal with similar situations when they arise in the future.
Alongside this they will also be offered health advice specifically related to their drug use. This may include information about blood borne viruses or how to minimise the risks of overdose should they relapse back into drug use.

Pre-release work

Prior to release the drug and alcohol team will liase with the prison service and work alongside the offender to ensure that there is a bridge back into community based services. This may include the supervision of a Naltrexone prescription and arranging for ongoing counselling focussing on the drug or alcohol problem.