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Transition management in Georgia: everyone deserves a second chance!
Everyone deserves a second chance in life. But how can you best support people who were just released from prison? What does quality support look like where it comes to the rehabilitation and resocialisation of inmates, former inmates and probationers? And what level of additional support does a person who uses drugs need in this process? A new project in Georgia intends to set the standard.
In January 2017, the Georgian Center for Information and Counseling on Reproductive Health - TANADGOMA - dived into ‘transition management’. Mainline was proud to partner with them in this important, EU-funded project.
The title of the project in Georgia was ‘Improved opportunities for psycho-social rehabilitation and re-socialization of inmates, former inmates and probationers in Georgia’. This title reflects the main objective of the project perfectly.
In the framework of the EU-supported project, the three, more specific, objectives were:
1. To provide psychosocial and medical rehabilitation and resocialisation of inmates, former inmates and probationers, including people who use drugs through Social Bureaus in Tbilisi and three regions of Georgia (Imereti, Adjara, and Samegrelo);
2. To provide psychosocial rehabilitation and therapeutic support to inmates, former inmates and probationers with a dependency on drugs;
3. Advocacy for improved transition management for inmates, including people who have drug dependence problems.
Mainlines contribution to the project fell under the third objective. We studied best practices in ‘transition management’ in Europe and the Netherlands.
The studies feeded into the Georgian counterpart study, which analyzed the current situation in Georgia. The reports will form the evidence-base for future advocacy efforts.
The Rehabilitation Initiative for Vulnerable Groups (RIVG) in Georgia is the third partner to the project.
Read about the first study results here.
Read the report More than Detention best practices Netherlands (PDF) to learn more about practices in the Netherlands.
Tanzania
Children Education Society (CHESO) in Tanzania has requested Mainline to assess the needs of women who use drugs and their (HIV positive) children. Between September and November two Mainline staff members will speak with women to ensure their needs for services will be taken up in the new national HIV and AIDS strategic plan.
Kenya
Women who use drugs in Kenya face violence every day. At home. On the streets. By the police. In their communities. A unique study - conducted in Mombasa, Kenya - sheds light on the tough realities these women encounter. Urgent action is needed now.
South Africa
Women Who Use Drugs face additional problems compared to their male counterparts. The harm reduction field far too often neglects the needs of women. To some extent, the same is true for peer workers: incredibly valuable staff in any impactful service. How can local services make sure that peer workers are valued, supported and living up to their full potential?
Global
The use of drugs during sex is a growing worldwide phenomenon among men who have sex with men (MSM). Mainline has built a unique track record while working in the frontline of the Dutch 'chemsex' scene. Now, we also apply this expertise in an international context. The best place to start? Our chemsex e-learning.
Vietnam
In 2021 and 2022, SCDI in Vietnam and Mainline can continue to strengthen and expand the available harm reduction offer for people who use meth-amphetamines. After establishing the regional field lab in 2019 and 2020 we now have the oportunity to push this innovative initiative to the next level. One important element: to improve and broaden the community mental health response. Moreover, the skills that were build in Hanoi's field lab are ready to be further disseminated across the South East Asian Region.
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Egypt, Kenya, Marocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Mainline is a partner in the Love Alliance programme. The Love Alliance brings together organisations led by communities most affected by HIV and AIDS.
United Kingdom, Finland, Greece, Estonia, Serbia, Portugal, the Netherlands
Harm reduction approaches are rarely applied in a recreational sports setting. And why would we - sport equals health, right? Not always. Research shows that the use of performance and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs) is quite common in various recreational sport scenes. And for those people who use frequently and in high doses, harm reduction can make a big difference.
Kenya, South Africa
Young people use drugs - including minors. It's an inconvenient truth: societies usually seek to prevent young people from damaging their health and there is a big taboo on drug use among young kids. But are stigma, legislation or moral judgement keeping young people away from harm reduction services? This project aims to find and improve access to services.
Zambia
Harm reduction is new in Zambia. Mainline is asked to estimate how many people inject drugs in the country and to map the already existing harm reduction and HIV services for people who use drugs. Based on this, we will draft practical service guidelines. In doing so, Mainline hopes to contribute to the introduction of harm reduction in Zambia.
Iran
Iran is renowned for its harm reduction programme. It was one of the first countries in this geographical region to adopt a harm reduction approach. Government supports and funds the programme. But the drug scene in Iran has changed over the past 20 years. More people are using stimulant drugs and, due to economic circumstances, more people who use drugs have become homeless. Mainline sets out to see whether the current programme in Tehran still fits the needs of the local people who use drugs.
Indonesia
Prisons in Indonesia are often overcrowded and health services are limited. Is quality prison health too expensive? Not according to findings from Atma Jaya University, who applied the method of 'economic modelling' to prison health services, including drug dependency programmes. The findings feed important advocacy messages to improve the prison system in 2021.
South Africa
Together with activists and peer- and outreach workers in South Africa, Mainline worked on a practical guide about involving peers in harm reduction work.
Vietnam
October 2019 marked the start of a cutting edge new initiative. With the support of Open Society Foundation, Mainline and SCDI in Vietnam are building expertise to support people who use stimulant drugs. The core motivation to do so is the sharp rise in the use of crystal meth in the South Asian region and the lack of a coordinated harm reduction response.
A MAINLINE-GIZ STUDY
With the support of the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD), a project implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a team of three Mainline researchers conducted a study into effective harm reduction interventions for stimulant users. The study includes a review of the evidence for different harm reduction strategies for stimulants and a detailed description of seven good practices in different world regions.
Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania and Vietnam
The Bridging the Gaps programme started its second phase in January 2016 and continued until the end of 2020. The shared goal of the Bridging the Gaps alliance: to improve the health and rights of people who use drugs, sex workers and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
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