Monitoring harm reduction implementation in European prisons: public health and human

rights approaches

Cinzia Brentari, Harm Reduction International

~ 14 June 2015 ~

cinzia.brentari@ihra.net

www.ihra.net

ABOUT US: HARM REDUCTION

INTERNATIONAL

HRI is London based leading non-governmental organisation working to reduce the negative health, social and human rights impacts of drug use and drug policy by promoting evidence-based public health policies and practices, and human rights based approaches to drugs.

WHAT WE DO

Evidence and AdvocacyResearch and policy analysis informing advocacy across our sector:

– The Global State of Harm Reduction

– Funding for Harm Reduction

Human rights based policyHuman rights abuses and drug enforcement go hand in hand. HRI challenges laws, policies and practices that generate harm.

International conferencesHarm reduction is a

global movement.

Sector strengtheningHRI builds advocacy coalitions and supports emerging harm reduction networks to strengthen the international harm reduction sector.

- Coordinating the European Harm Reduction Network, www.eurohrn.eu

GLOBAL AVAILABILITY OF NEEDLE AND

SYRINGE PROGRAMMES

GLOBAL AVAILABILITY OF OPIOID

SUBSTITUTION PROGRAMMES

A PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO

INFECTIOUS DISEASES PREVENTION IN PRISON

PRIDE EUROPE STUDY - Objective:

• Analise the levels of adherence on harm reduction services in prisons to national

and international guidelines – questionnaire to all prisons’ medical doctors

(UNODC 2012 HIV “Prevention, treatment and care in prisons and other closed

settings: a comprehensive package of interventions” and WHO/UNODC/UNAIDS

2007 “ Effectiveness of interventions to address HIV in prison”)

• Geographical coverage, 4 EU states:

• Belgium: 35 prisons. Research by the Prison Administration and Ghent

University

• Austria: 28 prisons. Research by the Prison Administration

• Italy: 205 prisons. Research by FederSerD,

• Denmark: 49 prisons, Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus

University

Co- funded by the EU

PRIDE EUROPE: AREAS INVESTIGATED

PRIDE EUROPE: AREAS INVESTIGATED

Total adherence score to international recommendations

Max

IQR 75%

Médiane

Moyenne

IQR 25%

Min

Maximum

adherence

level:12

All

countries

scoring

only

between

3.5 and 4.5

A HUMAN RIGHTS APPROACH TO

INFECTIOUS DISEASES PREVENTION IN PRISON

• Several human rights conventions enshrine prisoners’ rights, including their right to the highest attainable standard of health (UDHR, ICCPR, ICESCR, CAT, ECHR, etc.)

• Standards relating to prisoners’ health have been set by human rights and public health bodies

• International, regional and national human rights monitoring mechanisms have been put in place to ensure compliance with those conventions and standards, and to ultimately protect prisoners’ rights (SPT, CPT, NPMs…).

• Generally grounded in the prevention of torture and ill treatment, their mandates do encompass health issues and rights.

• The European Court of Human Rights also has growing body of case law of prisoners’ rights, including health rights.

IMPROVING PRISON CONDITIONS BY

STRENGTHENING INFECTIOUS DISEASE

MONITORING – A HRI PROJECT

Objective: reduce ill-treatment of persons in detention and improve

prison conditions through enhanced and standardised monitoring and

inspection mechanisms on infectious diseases (TB, HIV and HCV).

Develop a user-friendly tool to generate better informed, more

consistent, and sustained human rights monitoring of infectious diseases

in prisons by national, regional and international human rights

monitoring mechanisms.

Working at European level with specific mapping and advocacy work

in Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Poland, Spain

This project is co-funded by the European Union under the Criminal Justice Programme

IN SUMMARY

Things we already know Things we need to do

• Increase civil society engagement and networks of people who use drugs in research

• Strategise on how best to gather data in key populations/areas

• Ensure independent mechanism for gathering global data

THANK YOU

For information:

Cinzia Brentari, project manager, HRI

Cinzia.brentari@ihra.net

www.ihra.net