Please cite this article in press as: Kolind, T., et al. Drug treatment or alleviating the negative consequences of imprisonment? A critical view of prison-based drug treatment in Denmark. International Journal of Drug Policy (2009), doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2009.03.002 ARTICLE IN PRESS G Model DRUPOL-862; No. of Pages 6 International Journal of Drug Policy xxx (2009) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Drug Policy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/drugpo Research paper Drug treatment or alleviating the negative consequences of imprisonment? A critical view of prison-based drug treatment in Denmark Torsten Kolind * , Vibeke Asmussen Frank, Helle Dahl Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, Jens Chr. Skous Vej 3, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark article info Article history: Received 6 October 2008 Received in revised form 19 March 2009 Accepted 24 March 2009 Available online xxx Keywords: Drug treatment Prison Criminal justice Counsellors’ experiences Denmark abstract Background: The availability of prison-based drug treatment has increased markedly throughout Europe over the last 15 years in terms of both volume and programme diversity. However, prison drug treat- ment faces problems and challenges because of the tension between ideologies of rehabilitation and punishment. Methods: This article reports on a study of four cannabis treatment programmes and four psychosocial drug treatment programmes in four Danish prisons during 2007. The data include the transcripts of 22 semi-structured qualitative interviews with counsellors and prison employees, prison statistics, and information about Danish laws and regulations. Results: These treatment programmes reflect the ‘treatment guarantee’ in Danish prisons. However, they are simultaneously embedded in a new policy of zero tolerance and intensified disciplinary sanctions. This ambivalence is reflected in the experiences of treatment counsellors: reluctantly, they feel associated with the prison institution in the eyes of the prisoners; they experience severe opposition from prison officers; and the official goals of the programmes, such as making clients drug free and preparing them for a life without crime, are replaced by more pragmatic aims such as alleviating the pain of imprisonment felt by programme clients. Conclusion: The article concludes that at a time when prison-based drug treatment is growing, it is crucial that we thoroughly research and critically discuss its content and the restrictions facing such treatment programmes. One way of doing this is through research with counsellors involved in delivering drug treat- ment services. By so doing, the programmes can become more pragmatic and focused, and alternatives to prison-based drug treatment can be seriously considered. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Introduction Since the beginning of the 1990s, drug treatment has increased in volume and variety in prisons throughout Europe. This develop- ment is in line with the EU action plan on drugs, which emerged in response to the large number of inmates with drug and health problems, and it is also consistent with international agendas on health and prisoners’ rights (Bruce & Schleifer, 2008; EMCDDA, 2006; Kerr, Wood, Betteridge, Lines, & Jürgens, 2004; Møller, Stöver, Jürgens, Gatherer, & Nikogosian, 2007). It has been estimated that approximately 50% of European prison inmates have direct experi- ence of drug use (EMCDDA, 2003); likewise, an increasing number of prisoners are serving sentences for drug-related crimes (Brochu, Guyon, & Desjardins, 1999; EMCDDA, 2006). In addition, studies show a reciprocal relationship between drug problems and crim- * Corresponding author. Tel.: +45 8942 6936; fax: +45 8942 6935. E-mail addresses: tk@crf.au.dk (T. Kolind), va@crf.au.dk (V.A. Frank), hd@crf.au.dk (H. Dahl). inal behaviour, each of which influences the other (Newcomb, Galaif, & Carmona, 2001). Incarcerated drug users have a plethora of other issues, including physical and mental health problems, psychological distress, and social problems (Vandevelde, Palmans, Broekaert, Rousseau, & Vanderstraeten, 2006). The mortality of released prisoners with drug problems is also higher than the average (Christensen, Hammerby, & Bird, 2006; Farrell & Marsden, 2008). In Europe, before the 1990s, prisoners were not offered drug treatment, although drug users constituted a substantial pro- portion of the prison population. This was partly because the ideology of rehabilitation was given a severe blow by scientific studies during the 1970s. In particular, the slogan ‘nothing works’ (Martinson, 1974) implied that rehabilitation was of no use (see also Brochu, 2006; Jepsen, 1971). In addition, political hardlin- ers in Europe argued that being tough on crime was the only solution for a society in crisis, whereas liberals rejected rehabili- tation because they thought it individualised problems that were fundamentally structural as well as masking the inhumane work- ings of the prison system (Anderson, 2002). As a consequence, 0955-3959/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2009.03.002