Methadone Maintenance for Prisoners
Overview
- Phase
- Phase 3
- Intervention
- Counseling + Methadone
- Conditions
- Heroin Addiction
- Sponsor
- Friends Research Institute, Inc.
- Enrollment
- 211
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Treatment Retention in the Community
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 12 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
This five-year study examines the benefits of methadone maintenance treatment initiated in prison and continued in the community to male offenders who were previously, but not currently, heroin-dependent. It is anticipated that such prisoners will have more favorable outcomes in the year following release with regard to drug abuse, crime, and HIV risk behavior than either prisoners who receive counseling only or begin initiation of methadone maintenance in the community
Detailed Description
Most prisoners with histories of pre-incarceration heroin addiction do not receive treatment while incarcerated or upon release. Effective treatment for such prisoners is urgently needed because rapid relapse typically follows release. Relapse is associated with increased risk for HIV, overdose death, criminal activity, and reincarceration. Other than three studies of methadone maintenance with short-term jail inmates, the only study of longer-term inmates who were previously, but not currently, heroin-dependent was the investigator's pilot study with pre-release inmates. Based on that pilot study, which found that initiating maintenance treatment is feasible and facilitates post-release treatment entry, the present study provides a more rigorous examination of this unique treatment approach.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Heroin dependence in the year prior to current incarceration
- •3-6 months left to serve in prison-male pre-release inmate suitability for methadone maintenance as determined by medical evaluation
- •Willingness to enroll in methadone maintenance
- •Having a Baltimore address
Exclusion Criteria
- •Pending parole hearing
- •Pending charges
- •Kidney failure
- •Liver failure
Arms & Interventions
3
Intervention: Counseling + Methadone
1
Intervention: Counseling Only
2
Intervention: Counseling + Transfer
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Treatment Retention in the Community
Time Frame: one year post prison release
days in community treatment
Heroin Use
Time Frame: results at one year post prison release
opioid urine test results-percent of participants who were opioid-positive
Criminal Activity
Time Frame: one year post prison release
self reported days of criminal activity
Cocaine Use
Time Frame: one year post prison release
cocaine urine test results-percent of participants testing positive for cocaine
HIV-risk Behaviors
Time Frame: one year
Secondary Outcomes
- Employment(one year)