title: Imprisonment of opioid-dependent people in New South Wales, Australia, 2000–2012: a retrospective linkage study.
abstract: There are few data about the incarceration of opioid-dependent people involving large representative cohorts. We aimed to determine the prevalence and duration of incarceration in a large cohort of opioid-dependent people in Australia using data linkage methods, and estimate the costs associated with their incarceration.Method: Retrospective linkage study of all entrants to opioid substitution therapy (OST) for the treatment of opioid dependence in NSW, 1985–2010, with data on incarceration, 2000-2012. The number and duration of incarcerations were calculated. The average daily cost of incarceration was applied to days of incarceration in the cohort.Results: Among 47,196 opioid-dependent people, 37% (43% of men and 24% of women) had at least one episode of incarceration lasting one or more days. Men had a median of three(ranging between 1-47) incarcerations, and women, two (1-35). Indigenous men spent 23% of follow-up time incarcerated, compared with 8% for non-Indigenous men; similarly, Indigenous women spent a substantially greater proportion of time incarcerated than non-Indigenous women (8% vs. 2%). Costs of incarceration of this cohort between 2000 and 2012 totalled nearly AUD $3 billion.Conclusions: This is the first study to examine incarceration of opioid-dependent people across an entire population of such users. Our findings suggest that a substantial minority of opioid-dependent people experience incarceration, usually on multiple occasions and at significant cost. Treatment for opioid dependence, inside and outside prisons, may help reduce incarceration of this cohort.
authors: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales; 2. Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria. l.degenhardt@unsw.edu.au
authors: Louisa
authors: L
authors: Degenhardt
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Larney
authors: Natasa
authors: N
authors: Gisev
authors: Judy
authors: J
authors: Trevena
authors: Lucy
authors: L
authors: Burns
authors: Jo
authors: J
authors: Kimber
authors: Marian
authors: M
authors: Shanahan
authors: Tony
authors: T
authors: Butler
authors: Richard P
authors: RP
authors: Mattick
authors: Don
authors: D
authors: Weatherburn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors