The activities of authorised agencies such as police, customs, border services, and investigative bodies to enforce drug control laws and address criminal activities related to the production, trafficking, and distribution of illicit substances. These activities may include investigations, intelligence gathering, interdiction, and collaboration with national and international partners to disrupt organised crime networks. Law enforcement plays an important role in protecting public safety and maintaining the rule of law, and is most effective when coordinated with broader public health, prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts as part of a balanced and comprehensive response to substance use.
Law Enforcement
A promising jail reentry program revisited: results from a quasi-experimental design
ABSTRACT Prisoner reentry remains a significant challenge for the criminal justice system with millions of offenders returning to society each year from the nation’s prisons and jails. Employment, housing, and access to substance abuse and...
The impact of specialized referral services on recidivism and length of stay among halfway house residents
ABSTRACT Individualized case management services that identify and provide support for treatment, housing, and employment may improve opportunities for success for those housed in community residential facilities (CRFs) upon release...
Moving Beyond Referrals: Addressing Multilevel Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Engagement Through Police-Led Recovery Management Check-Ups
ABSTRACT The opioid epidemic in the United States (US) has prompted innovative responses from law enforcement agencies including specialized units to refer overdose survivors to substance use treatment following an overdose. However...
Outcomes of Psychological Therapies for Prisoners With Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
ABSTRACT Objective: Prisoners worldwide have substantial mental health needs, but the efficacy of psychological therapy in prisons is unknown. We aimed to systematically review psychological therapies with mental health outcomes in...
A systematic review of post-release programs for women exiting prison with substance-use disorders: assessing current programs and weighing the evidence
ABSTRACT Background The rising rates of women in prison is a serious public health issue. Unlike men, women in prison are characterised by significant histories of trauma, poor mental health, and high rates of substance use disorders (SUDs)...
Interventions at the Transition from Prison to the Community for Prisoners with Mental Illness: A Systematic Review
ABSTRACT Prisoners have high rates of mental illness and the transition from prison to the community is a problematic time for the provision of mental health services and a range of negative outcomes have been identified in this period. A...
Critical Connections: Getting People Leaving Prison and Jail the Mental Health Care and Substance Use Treatment They Need
This Executive Summary provides information on what policymakers need to know about ensuring people leaving prison and jail receive the mental health care, substance use treatment, and health care coverage they need.
Criminal reactions to drug-using offenders: A systematic review of the effect of treatment and/or punishment on reduction of drug use and/or criminal recidivism
The association between substance use and crime is very common, but complex. Several countries have found strategies to face drug abuse and criminality that may exist associated to it, seeking to reduce overcrowded prisons and to promote...
NIJ’s Multisite Evaluation of Prosecutor‑Led Diversion Programs: Strategies, Impacts, and Cost‑Effectiveness
Executive Summary In recent years, a growing number of prosecutors have established pretrial diversion programs, either pre-filing—before charges are filed with the court—or post-filing—after the court process begins but before a...
Use of the Sequential Intercept Model as an Approach to Decriminalization of People With Serious Mental Illness
The Sequential Intercept Model provides a conceptual framework forc ommunities to use when considering the interface between the criminal justice and mental health systems as they address concerns about criminalization of people with mental...