On 24-25 September 2024, the joint Council of Europe/European Union project “Support to Council of Europe for EU network of prison monitoring bodies” ( the European NPM Forum) is co-organising with Pompidou Group a conference on “Improvement and safeguards of health conditions of persons deprived of their liberty with substance use disorders”. The meeting will take place in the premisses of the Council of Europe, upon invitation, in Strasbourg, France.
National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) play a crucial role in monitoring the treatment of individuals with psychoactive substances addiction in institutions for the enforcement of penal sanctions. Through their diligent efforts, NPMs not only identify underlying structural weaknesses, but also highlight best practices within places of deprivation of liberty.
This Conference will attempt to outline the most important principles related to providing drug treatment in prisons, and highlight promising practices observed in the participating member States, as well as the shortcomings and the recommendations for improvement. Bearing in mind that people coping with addictions are an especially vulnerable group within the prison population, the Conference will emphasise a need for a specialised approach. It will also explore some of the most important public health challenges in the drugs field today and will provide practitioners and policymakers with timely and useful guidance for designing, targeting and implementing effective responses. Conference participants will discuss specifics of monitoring material detention conditions and treatment of people deprived of their liberty with a SUD, in an attempt to better monitor treatment conditions, improve implementation of human right standards in treatment of PWDUD and raise awareness of the needs of prison staff and administrations for providing quality treatment.
The Conference will be an opportunity for participants to engage and exchange views and promising practices, learn from each other and work together towards effective remedies aimed at improving living conditions of detainees with addiction to psychoactive substances.
