Drugs in prison

Fifty to sixty percent of Dutch detainees use drugs or has done so in the past. Drug use often continues within detention facilities. Infectious diseases can be transferred anywhere but pose more of a risk in prison.

Monitoring

Direct contact with substance users enables outreach workers from Mainline to point out and analyse new developments in different user groups. Mainline also conducts small-scale research to monitor the needs of different user groups, for which outreach workers gather data in the field.


Knowledge from and to the street

  • Outreach workers stay up to date on developments concerning substance use, high-risk behaviour and health problems among users. This knowledge is used during counselling and is incorporated in folders and other information material.  
  • The obtained knowledge on substances, methods of use and approaching substance users is shared with other professionals. Outreach workers also give presentations to delegations, care providers and at conferences. The focus always lies on harm reduction.
  • The outreach work provides relevant information for Mainline, but also for policymakers. The organisation also gathers data for research purposes and supplies this to other organisations.
  • Mainline responds to the latest developments in the field through its interventions, methods and outreach work campaigns.