The International journal on drug policy · 2026
Navigating harm reduction and security mandates: Prison leadership perspectives on implementing prison needle exchange programs in Canada.
СтатьяНазвание и аннотация: Перевод в очереди
Обработка статьи · этапы, ошибки и управление
Загрузка состояния…
Ошибки и ограничения
История · было → стало
Состояние обновляется каждые 5 секунд, пока блок открыт. Процент показывается только там, где известен объём работы. Пауза останавливает продолжение этапа; текущий запрос к источнику может завершиться.
Lafferty Lise, Popovic Nashira, Weiss Elise, Hajarizadeh Behzad, Lloyd Andrew R, Altice Frederick L, Kronfli Nadine
Аннотация
BACKGROUND: Prison needle exchange programs (PNEPs) reduce bloodborne virus transmission among people who inject drugs, yet global implementation remains limited. Canada introduced PNEPs in 2018, but uptake is low, and barriers to implementation persist. While perspectives of correctional officers, healthcare workers, and incarcerated individuals have been examined, little is known about how prison leadership shapes program delivery. Drawing on interviews informed by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) framework, we sought to identify the organisational, system, and structural/policy-level barriers to PNEP implementation from the perspectives of prison administrators.
METHODS: Between January and March 2025, 27 prison leaders from custodial and medical services from nine Canadian federal prisons with operational PNEPs participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were thematically analysed using the EPIS framework.
RESULTS: Implementation was shaped by structural tensions between harm reduction goals and "zero tolerance" custodial mandates. Outer context factors, especially union resistance, lack of policy clarity, and federal directives, created misalignment and ambiguity in program ownership. Prison climate, staff turnover, and leadership engagement influenced shifts in attitudes toward PNEPs over time. Healthcare personnel, though central to delivery, were often tasked with communicating custodial decisions, undermining trust. Intervention fit was shaped by security classification and perceived drug use patterns, with PNEPs viewed as ill-suited for minimum-security settings. Sites that streamlined approval processes and designated leadership roles were better positioned to support program uptake. Time, experiential exposure, and tailored education were key facilitators of cultural change and implementation readiness.
CONCLUSION: Addressing outer context barriers and clarifying responsibilities between health and corrections are critical to PNEP sustainability. Leadership engagement is essential to enabling system-wide adoption.
METHODS: Between January and March 2025, 27 prison leaders from custodial and medical services from nine Canadian federal prisons with operational PNEPs participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were thematically analysed using the EPIS framework.
RESULTS: Implementation was shaped by structural tensions between harm reduction goals and "zero tolerance" custodial mandates. Outer context factors, especially union resistance, lack of policy clarity, and federal directives, created misalignment and ambiguity in program ownership. Prison climate, staff turnover, and leadership engagement influenced shifts in attitudes toward PNEPs over time. Healthcare personnel, though central to delivery, were often tasked with communicating custodial decisions, undermining trust. Intervention fit was shaped by security classification and perceived drug use patterns, with PNEPs viewed as ill-suited for minimum-security settings. Sites that streamlined approval processes and designated leadership roles were better positioned to support program uptake. Time, experiential exposure, and tailored education were key facilitators of cultural change and implementation readiness.
CONCLUSION: Addressing outer context barriers and clarifying responsibilities between health and corrections are critical to PNEP sustainability. Leadership engagement is essential to enabling system-wide adoption.