1. PRISON AND THE DRUG- ADDICTED PRISONER IN GREECE THE CASE OF THE PRISONERS COUNSELING UNIT. KETHEA-THESSALONIKI NORTH GREECE CHRISTOS VETTAS, ICRC & AODA CERTIFIED DRUG ABUSE COUNSELOR

2. 29 prisons are operating in Greece 4 prisons are under construction in order to work during the next year

3. TYPES OF GREEK PRISONS 1.JUDICIAL PRISONS (includes military prisons) 2.CLOSED PRISONS 3.RURAL PRISONS

4. 11.000 prisoners 42% prisoners broke the law for drug issues 75% prisoners commit crimes related to drugs DATA The client’s of the Prisoners’ Counseling Unit: are mainly men, the majority of which are heroin users; they mainly come from Northern Greece (Province of Thessaloniki) and their main sources of information about the unit are the following: heir fellow prisoners, social service, lawyer and the media (magazines) The users of the narcotic substances that address themselves to the unit are to a great extent men (approximately 90%) and regardless of their age, they have not attended in the past a similar program in a detention facility. The main substance that they abused before their imprisonment was heroin, followed by cannabis, etc. The expression of interest in the prison unit concerns problems related to use (primarily heroin) but also problems of a legal and correctional nature.

5. LAWS FOR DRUGS IN GREECE 1952- For the first time, drug addicted people defined as “mentally ill”. 1729/1987 Therapeutic programs are getting permission to access the prisons and help the addicted prisoners. There have been incessant modifications of this law, with laws 2161/1993, 2331/1995, 2408/1996, 2479/1997, and 2721/1999.

6. INTERVENTION a)PROFILE OF PRISON b) SENTENCES c)PROFILE OF THE PRISONERS

7. INTERVENTIONS IN PRISONS OF NORTH GREECE-KETHEA PRISONS IN DIAVATA- -THESSALONIKI MENWOMENTEENS FOREIGNERS (ALBANIANS)

8. INTERVENTIONS IN PRISONS OF NORTH GREECE-KETHEA Military Prisons in Thessaloniki Rural Prisons in Kassandra-Chalkidiki Closed Prisons in Komotini

9. Duration of the counseling program is 18 months The prerequisites of participation are: a)drug addiction b)absence of dual diagnosis

10. Research in past years shows the following: A percentage of prisoners used psychotropic substances before being imprisoned. The majority of them also continued this use within the correctional institutes. Although heroin remains the main substance used in prisons, multiple drug use (multi-use) remains at high levels. A large proportion of users take heroin intravenously, in exchange for shared needles. In prison, there are sub-groups with high-risk behavior for HIV transmission.

11. BASIC RULES OF THE PROGRAM 1.Violence or threatening is forbidden 2.Active participation 3.Drug use or drug dealing is forbidden during the group session 4.The confidentiality of the group

12. TARGETS OF THE TREATMENT MODEL OF KETHEA 1.Counseling and preparation for recover 2.Reducing the damage of substances 3.Reduction of deviant behaviour 4.Counseling and support of the families 5.Referrals to Therapeutic Programs 6.Legal assistance

13. RECEIVED SERVICES

14. MONTHLY RATE OF PEOPLE RECEIVING SERVICES

15. PEOPLE RECEIVING SERVICES IN EACH PRISON

16. 1222 persons have asked for and received services since 2000 Number of referrals to therapeutic programmes 200511 persons 200621 persons 20076 persons

17. I am here because I chose it myself. I’ve chosen this hard path because I know that, in the end of it, I will find what I mostly need. A “clean” life without drugs and prison. In this journey I’m not by myself, I have you, my friends, my people, who will help me and I will help you, in my turn when necessary. I will try and I will make it because I really want to live. “I ‘m John” “I’m Dimitris” “I’m Vassilis” etc. Relapse prevention and therapy motivation group