Addiction treatment services in the Czech prison system: Experiences with the implementation of the new type of addiction service

BACKGROUND. Substance use is a widespread phenomenon in prisons, with a numberous associated problems, for instance high incidence of infectious diseases, recidivism, poor physical and mental health and high costs of repressive measures, which still do not eradicate drug use in prison facilities. In 2016, the first addictologist was admitted to the prison system in Czechia. Two years later, 14 more table places were established. The thesis brings an overview at this period (2018 - 2021). AIMS. The aim of the thesis is to provide an information about starting and forming of specialized addiction services in prison seeting from the perspective of addictologists. The theoretical part of the thesis also presents the results of foreign research on the effectiveness of selected interventions and strategies and recommendations for good practice. RESEARCH QUESTIONS. The research questions address the experience of addictologists and are focused on four main areas: workplace formation, clientele, quality assurance and the impact of Covid-19 on the workplace. METHODS. To meet the aims, the method of semi-structured interviews with selected informants who entered prisons in 2018 was used along with document analysis. RESULTS. The experience of addictologists point out some problematic areas, for instance lack..