Connections Program Patients: A Descriptive Analysis of the Reintegration Needs of Incarcerated Substance Users

Martire, Kristy A.; Howard, Mark; Sayle, Malindi A.; Sunjic, ra S

doi:10.4172/2329-6488.1000133

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Self‐determination is a key element of the strengths‐based approach [31], so participants were encouraged to identify their needs and goals for the post‐release period and to develop a release plan. This may have included facilitating access to OAT and other health services, linking participants with social services, giving them access to educational opportunities, helping them obtain identification documents, providing food and clothing and assistance in finding housing [32].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Connections uses a strengths-based approach with a trained Clinical Support Worker allocated to each participant as a care manager. The aim is to develop support for the participant, identify their strengths and to assertively make links with health and social services to facilitate the releasee's re-entry into the community, thereby decreasing their risk of coming to harm or reoffending in the vulnerable period immediately after release [31,32]. Once a releasee agrees to participate, a Clinical Support Worker assesses them face-to-face or by telehealth.…”

Section: Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of the Connections program on return‐to‐custody, mortality and treatment uptake among people with a history of opioid use: Retrospective cohort study in an Australian prison system

Sullivan,

Zeki,

Ward

et al. 2023

Addiction

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Background and AimsConnections is a voluntary health program that facilitates access to opioid agonist treatment (OAT) and social services for people with opioid use exiting prison. This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of Connections in reducing recidivism and improving health outcomes for people with a history of opioid use on leaving prison.DesignRetrospective cohort study with quasi‐random allocation to the program.SettingPublic adult prisons in New South Wales, Australia, 2008–2015.ParticipantsAdults released from custody with a history of opioid use. Of 5549 eligible releasees, 3973 were allocated to Connections and 1576 to treatment‐as‐usual.MeasurementsOutcomes were return‐to‐custody, all‐cause mortality, and OAT participation.FindingsRegression analyses on an intention‐to‐treat basis, and adjusting for baseline propensity scores, comparing patients allocated to Connections versus treatment‐as‐usual showed no difference in rates of return‐to‐custody within 2 years (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92 –1.12). Patients allocated to the Connections program were more likely to access OAT (odds ratio [OR]: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.06–1.39) and had lower mortality within 28 days of release (0.25% vs. 0.66%; HR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.14–1.03). Differences in mortality did not persist beyond 28 days. Subgroup analyses showed that allocation to Connections was associated with higher risk of return‐to‐custody within 28 days for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) and female releasees.ConclusionsThe Connections program for people with opioid use exiting prison did not reduce the likelihood of return‐to‐custody but did facilitate opioid agonist treatment participation on release from prison.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Interventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the Connections program on return‐to‐custody, mortality and treatment uptake among people with a history of opioid use: Retrospective cohort study in an Australian prison system

Sullivan,

Zeki,

Ward

et al. 2023

Addiction

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Child well-being when fathers return from prison

Yaros

Ramirez

Tueller

et al. 2018

Journal of Offender Rehabilitation

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Recidivism, health and social functioning following release to the community of NSW prisoners with problematic drug use: study protocol of the population-based retrospective cohort study on the evaluation of the Connections Program

Sullivan

Ward²,

Zeki

et al. 2019

BMJ Open

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IntroductionThe rising rate of incarceration in Australia, driven by high reoffending, is a major public health problem. Problematic drug use is associated with increasing rates of reoffending and return to custody of individuals. Throughcare provides support to individuals during imprisonment through to post-release, improving both the transition to community and health outcomes post-incarceration. The aim of this study is to evaluate the Connections Programme (CP) that utilises a throughcare approach for release planning of people in prison with a history of problematic drug use. The study protocol is described.Methods and analysisPopulation-based retrospective cohort study. The study will use record linkage of the Connections dataset with 10 other New South Wales (NSW) population datasets on offending, health service utilisation, opioid substitution therapy, pregnancy, birth and mortality. The study includes all patients who were eligible to participate in the CP between January 2008 and December 2015 stratified by patients who were offered CP and eligible patients who were not offered the programme (non-CP (NCP)). Propensity-score matching will be used to appropriately adjust for the observable differences between CP and NCP. The differences between two groups will be examined using appropriate univariate and multivariate analyses. A generalised estimating equation approach, which can deal with repeat outcomes for individuals will be used to examine recidivism, mortality and other health outcomes, including perinatal and infant outcomes. Survival analysis techniques will be used to examine the effect of the CP by sex and Indigenous status on the ‘time-to’ health-related outcomes after adjusting for potential confounders.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was received from the NSW Population and Health Services Research Ethics Committee, the Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network Human Research Ethics Committee, the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council Ethics Committee, the Corrective Services NSW Ethics Committee and the University of Technology Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee.

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Connections Program Patients: A Descriptive Analysis of the Reintegration Needs of Incarcerated Substance Users

Cited by 3 publications

References 23 publications

Effects of the Connections program on return‐to‐custody, mortality and treatment uptake among people with a history of opioid use: Retrospective cohort study in an Australian prison system

Effects of the Connections program on return‐to‐custody, mortality and treatment uptake among people with a history of opioid use: Retrospective cohort study in an Australian prison system

Child well-being when fathers return from prison

Recidivism, health and social functioning following release to the community of NSW prisoners with problematic drug use: study protocol of the population-based retrospective cohort study on the evaluation of the Connections Program

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