Imprisonment of opioid‐dependent people in New South Wales, Australia, 2000–2012: a retrospective linkage study
Abstract Objective: 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...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2014-04-01
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| Series: | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12123 |
| _version_ | 1797700827309146112 |
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| author | Louisa Degenhardt Sarah Larney Natasa Gisev Judy Trevena Lucy Burns Jo Kimber Marian Shanahan Tony Butler Richard P. Mattick Don Weatherburn |
| author_facet | Louisa Degenhardt Sarah Larney Natasa Gisev Judy Trevena Lucy Burns Jo Kimber Marian Shanahan Tony Butler Richard P. Mattick Don Weatherburn |
| author_sort | Louisa Degenhardt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective: 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:27:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bfdbd2160406468eaa0021835486b242 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1326-0200 1753-6405 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:27:10Z |
| publishDate | 2014-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-bfdbd2160406468eaa0021835486b2422023-09-03T10:16:10ZengElsevierAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health1326-02001753-64052014-04-0138216517010.1111/1753-6405.12123Imprisonment of opioid‐dependent people in New South Wales, Australia, 2000–2012: a retrospective linkage studyLouisa Degenhardt0Sarah Larney1Natasa Gisev2Judy Trevena3Lucy Burns4Jo Kimber5Marian Shanahan6Tony Butler7Richard P. Mattick8Don Weatherburn9National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South WalesNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South WalesNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South WalesNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South WalesNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South WalesNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South WalesNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South WalesThe Kirby Institute, University of New South WalesNational Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South WalesBureau of Crime Statistics and Research New South WalesAbstract Objective: 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.https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12123opioid dependenceincarcerationdata linkage |
| spellingShingle | Louisa Degenhardt Sarah Larney Natasa Gisev Judy Trevena Lucy Burns Jo Kimber Marian Shanahan Tony Butler Richard P. Mattick Don Weatherburn Imprisonment of opioid‐dependent people in New South Wales, Australia, 2000–2012: a retrospective linkage study Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health opioid dependence incarceration data linkage |
| title | Imprisonment of opioid‐dependent people in New South Wales, Australia, 2000–2012: a retrospective linkage study |
| title_full | Imprisonment of opioid‐dependent people in New South Wales, Australia, 2000–2012: a retrospective linkage study |
| title_fullStr | Imprisonment of opioid‐dependent people in New South Wales, Australia, 2000–2012: a retrospective linkage study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Imprisonment of opioid‐dependent people in New South Wales, Australia, 2000–2012: a retrospective linkage study |
| title_short | Imprisonment of opioid‐dependent people in New South Wales, Australia, 2000–2012: a retrospective linkage study |
| title_sort | imprisonment of opioid dependent people in new south wales australia 2000 2012 a retrospective linkage study |
| topic | opioid dependence incarceration data linkage |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12123 |
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