Release Date
Geography
Language of Resource
Full Text Available
Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
In many jurisdictions, policies restrict access to Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) in correctional facilities. Receipt of OAT during incarceration is associated with reduced risk of fatal overdose after release but little is known about the effect on nonfatal overdose. This study aimed to examine the association between OAT use during incarceration and nonfatal overdose in the 30 days following release.
Findings/Key points
OAT receipt during incarceration is associated with a reduced hazard of nonfatal overdose after release. Policies to expand access to OAT in correctional facilities, including initiating treatment, may help reduce harms related to nonfatal overdose in the weeks following release. Differences in the effect seen among women and men (effect greater among women) indicate a need for gender-responsive policies and programming.
Design/methods
Using linked administrative healthcare and corrections data for a random sample of 20% of residents of British Columbia, Canada we examined releases from provincial correctional facilities between January 1, 2015 –December 1, 2018, among adults (aged 18 or older at the time of release) with Opioid Use Disorder. In this study there were 4,738 releases of 1,535 people with Opioid Use Disorder. We fit Andersen-Gill models to examine the association between receipt of OAT in custody and the hazard of nonfatal following release. We conducted secondary analyses to examine the association among people continuing treatment initiated prior to their arrest and people who initiated a new episode of OAT in custody separately. We also conducted sex-based subgroup analyses.
