In December 2017, pilot projects have been started in 3 Belgian prisons (D&D in the prison of Hasselt, MACADAM in the prison of Lantin and Drugs Lab in the prison of Sint-Gillis/Berkendael) in order to develop a uniform screening method and treatment program for detained persons with substance abuse problems. These projects are subsidized by the Belgian Federal Public Service (FPS) Health (till the end of July 2021). The project teams are composed of a coordinator, doctor(s), nurse(s) and psychologist(s). 

From March 2019 until August 2020 the research project ‘RECOvery in PRISon’ (RECO-PRIS) has investigated these pilot projects. The research team was composed of researchers from Ghent University (Department of Criminology, Criminal Law & Social Law and Department of Special Needs Education) and the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC). The research project has also been subsidized by the FPS Health. 

The research project aimed at answering the following research questions: 

- What is the most efficient screening procedure for the detection of detained persons with substance abuse problems? 

- What are the most efficient treatment models to help these people in a prison setting ? 

- What are the minimum / ideal conditions in order to implement screening & treatment ? 

- What is the most efficient monitoring & evaluation tool for professionals, and the government to guarantee a high quality treatment approach for this target group in prisons? 

To answer these research questions, a multi-method design has been applied consisting of a literature review on screening and treatment models, visits to the pilot projects and prisons, several focus groups, intervision meetings, the development of a screening and assessment procedure and instrument common to the 3 projects and medical services, the findings of these screenings and the evaluation of the instrument, and interviews with detainees involved in the pilot projects.