Rose Boyle, PhD-student in the PriSUD-project, has published a new paper: «Operating between recovery and desistance: Researching substance use treatment in Norwegian prisons».
This short article, published in the Nordic Journal of Criminal Science's special issue, discusses drug treatment methods in Norwegian prisons in the context of the ongoing debate on the criminalization and punishment of drug offenses, and trends toward harm reduction in Nordic drug policy. Many countries have moved in the direction of harm reduction and questions are being asked about the effects of criminalization and punishment of people with substance abuse disorders and the so-called "zero tolerance" drug policy. Norway has historically had a tendency towards strict drug legislation, as well as a high incidence of drug disorders and overdose deaths among both the prison population and recent releases, and this is discussed as part of the ongoing debate about the possible consequences of a drug reform. The article discusses methods for drug treatment in Norwegian prisons and the implications of these for both rehabilitation from drug disorders and distance from crime, seen in the light of the larger discourse on drug use, attitudes in society, criminal policy, and public health.
The article is published in a special issue of the criminological journal 'Nordisk Tidsskrift for Kriminalvitenskab' and can be read here.