Prison release is an opportunity for addiction research | Science

Imprisonment and subsequent release from prison are powerful interventions. They are the social equivalent of major surgery. For prisoners with pre-existing drug addiction problems, time in prison can break a pattern of regular substance use and enable them to rebuild constructive family and social connections, although it often does not equip them with the skills and resources to avoid addiction problems after release. However, incarceration can also connect this vulnerable population with more-criminal networks that will continue to feed them following release. As with surgery, both the nature and the quality of the process matter. For example, people released from US prisons that do not offer within-prison medication treatment for opioid use disorders are twice as likely to die following their release compared with those who received medical support, with the greater risk in the first month post-release. The prison experience and the return from prison to the broader community are extraordinary research opportunities.