Monitoring drugs and prison in Europe: key issues and challenges in collecting information and evidence on drug related problems and interventions in prison

The EMCDDA published a methodological framework to monitor drugs and prison in Europe, with the objective to set up methods and tools for collecting and analysing harmonised data across Europe on the issue of drugs and prison. Two data collection tools are available: a “European Questionnaire on Drug use among people in Prison (EQDP)” aimed at collecting epidemiological data on drug use and drug related problems on people incarcerated during a given time period and; a “European Facility Survey Questionnaire in Prison (EFSQ-P)” aimed at collecting data on availability, coverage and provision of drug related interventions inside prison. The two monitoring tools include a short and long version and are accompanied by methodological guidelines. The toolkit should be used across countries to improve international comparisons and European harmonisation as well as to provide data to national governments or international organisations (e.g. EMCDDA, WHO, UN and others). Based on challenges identified among responding countries a check list of key issues in collecting data on drugs and health information in prison settings was drafted. This check list aims to provide a practical guide for those who want to start gathering data on drugs and health in prison; it has been drafted and agreed by a group of European experts who have implemented drugs monitoring in prison using the EMCDDA tools. The check list aims to discuss possible options and present best practices in drugs monitoring in prison in the different phases of research/data collection. The check list includes examples and recommendation on how to address the following issues: accessing prison, planning data collection, sampling procedures according to type of data to be collected, mode of administration/data gathering, data analysis and dissemination; ethical issues, involvement of people living in prison and staff in all phases of data gathering.