The University of South Wales (USW) will be working with Public Health Wales on a two-year project looking at reducing substance use-related harm among people in prisons and on probation.
Entitled ‘Reducing substance use-related harm among people in prison and on their release: A qualitative study’, the project was awarded £256,840 from Health and Care Research Wales. The research will investigate changes in alcohol and drug use among people during their time in prison and at the critical moment after their release when the risk of substance use-related harm is elevated.
Co-led by Dr Benjamin Gray, Public Health Wales, and Professor Katy Holloway, USW, the research will include semi-structured interviews with 60 participants, with at least one participant from each of the 25 probation offices situated in Wales. The findings will be widely disseminated through reports and training materials.
Professor Holloway said:
“During the study, we want people to feel safe and open in discussing their experiences. By partnering with Wales Probation Service, G4S and Kaleidoscope, we hope to gain deeper insights into how people cope with substance use during their time in prison and during their transition back into the community.
“The period following release from prison is a particularly dangerous time for people with histories of substance use. Tolerance can drop significantly while in prison, and when individuals return to previous environments and resume previous levels of use, this can lead to overdose and sometimes death. Our research will focus on reducing these risks and finding solutions that help to prevent such tragedies.”
Dr Gray said:
“We are really delighted to receive the research funding to undertake this important piece of work. There is a real appetite for change amongst the research group, so I am really excited to see how this research develops over the next two years.”
Michael Bowdery, Head of Programmes at Health and Care Research Wales, said:
“We are thrilled with the high standard of applications for project grants this year. These diverse research projects have the potential to make a significant impact on people’s health and wellbeing. The quality of research in Wales will help ensure that our research community remains competitive and continues to thrive.”
