Reviewing, Documenting and Assessing of Addiction Treatment, and Harm Reduction Programs in Iranian Prisons

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to document and assessment of drug related treatment and harm reduction programs in Iranian prisons and suggesting solutions for improvement of these programs. Methods: This study was conducted in three phases including first, collecting library data available at the central library of the prison organization; second, according to the result of the first phase, extracting the indicators of assessment of programs and designing two checklists by researchers; and third, visiting the field and conducting qualitative semi-structured interviews with key informants involved in the treatment and harm reduction services. Results: In the most Iranian prisons, treatment and harm reduction programs are running. Despite human resources and financial shortcomings at the beginning of harm reduction services, gradually, the measures and their quality have rapidly increased and the attitude of authorities has improved. Methadone Maintenance Treatment and the triangular clinics are the most promising start-up measurements and have gradually added to the overall AIDS and tuberculosis program through Iranian medical sciences universities. Local programs, alongside other harm reduction programs, have greatly helped to reduce harms in prisons. The program has not been stopped in prisons where authorities have been changed. Conclusion: The effects of harm reduction programs were reduction of infection diseases, self-harm and violence activities in prisons. Sustainable meetings, cooperation of law enforcement authorities, and uptaking advocacy have been important strategies for sustaining the measurements. Despite the aforementioned benefits, there was lack of human resources and cooperation with other agencies because of security reasons.