This scientific report was published by the UNODC in June 2013. The report goes through all the stages of a pilot project in India, which introduced opioid substitution therapy with buprenorphine for prisoners that were drug users as a way to prevent the spreading of HIV.
It covers the aims and objectives, the methodology, results, discussion and it draws a conclusion from the project. The report concludes with that it was feasible to introduce OST in the prison. It notes that some of the positive effects that grew from the project were reduction in illicit drug use, retention in prison, reduction in severity of opioid dependence and a lack of carving, withdrawal symptoms and drug seeking behaviour in the prison. Furthermore, following the project a Standard Operating Guideline for Implementing OST in prison was drafted. The report ends with a series of recommendations ranging from implementing OST in other prisons in India, developing rehabilitation programmes in prison, and developing models of care for prisoners that have been released through OST treatment centres.
Citation: Dr. Sonali Jhanjee, Prof. Raka Jain, Ms. Hem Seth, 'Scientific Report: Rolling out of Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST) in Tihar Prisons, India' (2013), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime