• There is a growing recognition in the countries in this review of the need
for treatment and HIV prevention in prison health services.
• The Nordic countries have had policy strategies in place for drug
treatment in prisons since the early 1990s. The Baltic countries have
recently introduced treatment or HIV prevention strategies for drug users
in prison, but adequate treatment is still not available for all prisoners.
• IDUs present a major challenge for all prison systems due to their need
for treatment.
• Prisoners sharing needles are a major concern for many prisons due to
the high risks of drug-related infections.
• Social and health services are provided in all countries, but there are still
shortages in the availability of treatment.
• Substitution treatment is provided in some countries. In Denmark all
inmates have access to substitution treatment.
• Harm reduction measures are a controversial issue in many countries,
and needle exchange programmes, for instance, have not yet been
accepted in any prison system among the countries concerned.